The Texas Tech Red Raiders men’s basketball team suspended head coach Mark Adams for what they claim was an “inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive comment,” but Adams claims he was quoting scripture.
During a training session last week, Adams reportedly tried to encourage a player by quoting a Bible passage about workers, teachers, parents, and slaves serving their masters. The encouragement, though, was apparently not well taken.
According to KCBD, Adams was suspended.
The station added the school’s statement on the matter:
Texas Tech University has suspended men’s basketball head coach Mark Adams in relation to the use of an inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive comment last week.
On Friday, Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt was made aware of an incident regarding a coaching session between Adams and a member of the men’s basketball team. Adams was encouraging the student-athlete to be more receptive to coaching and referenced Bible verses about workers, teachers, parents, and slaves serving their masters. Adams immediately addressed this with the team and apologized.
Upon learning of the incident, Hocutt addressed this matter with Adams and issued him a written reprimand. Hocutt subsequently made the decision to suspend Adams effective immediately in order to conduct a more thorough inquiry of Adams’ interactions with his players and staff.
Adams says that his comments had nothing to do with racism.
According to Stadium, Adams was quoting the Book of Ephesians, 6:5-9. The version of the scripture in the New International Version is as follows:
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
“I was quoting the scripture,” Adams told Stadium, adding, “One of my coaches said it bothered the player.”
It seems unlikely that Adams actually used the word “slaves” during his training session. It is also notable that Stadium reported that “Adams addressed the team the following day but said it was to explain the situation. He said he did not apologize.”
That seems to contradict what the school said about the aftermath of the incident.
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