I have asked myself that question for a while now.
We knew each other fairly well when he was coaching at West Texas in the early 1990s. I knew his wife Jennifer a little. I talked to him during his time at Howard JC. I wouldn't call us close friends, but acquaintances. I know college basketball coaches all have a bit of the sleaze factor. They didn't get to where they are by being outstanding members of the Rotary Club. I knew Adams probably had a little bit of that in him like most coaches, but I really thought he was above the huge majority.
That's why his appalling judgment and fall have been just stunning in many ways. Just look at them:
The Peery firing: These two must have become good friends on the juco trail and likely had an understanding if Mark became a HC, Peery would join him. You just don't pick up a guy out of the state of Oregon to be your key assistant unless you know him and feel good about him. By all accounts, he did a pretty good job, especially in the transfer portal. Publicly, he seemed to be all-in on Texas Tech. Then, boom, he's gone.
Luke Adams hiring: Father/son on same staff seldom work. Look at Kirk Ferentz at Iowa football and his OC, son Brian. It usually causes friction with current staff. I don't know Luke, but those who do, don't have nice things to say about him. You would think in good judgment, dad would have tried to help son land somewhere else.
The sister-in-law thing: This is a Jerry Springer Show and the worst example of terrible judgment. He divorced his wife of probably 40 years. That in itself happens. Older couples fall out of love. But to then very quickly marry the wife of your deceased twin brother, I mean, my God, what are you thinking? You don't think that's going to have an impact? You are not Mark Adams, owner of Adams Pest Control, but Mark Adams, head basketball coach at Texas Tech off a Sweet 16 appearance. You are a public figure living in a fish bowl. Was there ever an angel on his shoulder that say, "You can't be doing this -- not now."
Donor fallout: If reports are correct, and I'm sure they are, 6 to 8 of the top basketball donors had cut ties with him. Now if it was one donor, and the others are still all in, it's probably on the donor. But if it's all the donors, well, who's the common denominator? Apparently, a lot of that stemmed from the SIL, and Adams didn't want to hear about it.
Maui: Few truly know what happened there. I don't. But something did happen, and it wasn't substitution patterns during the games. There's too much smoke for there not to be some kind of fire.
Master/slave: He may have had good intentions, and he may have been quoting from the Bible. But he's also a 66-year-old white man talking to a 20-year-old black player. Once you use the words "master" and "slave," that player is not hearing another word you say. It's over. And at no time did Adams think he better not cross that line?
I don't know, after all these years, if it was the money, the power, the prestige. But all of this is just hard to get my head around from the Adams I thought I somewhat knew.
We knew each other fairly well when he was coaching at West Texas in the early 1990s. I knew his wife Jennifer a little. I talked to him during his time at Howard JC. I wouldn't call us close friends, but acquaintances. I know college basketball coaches all have a bit of the sleaze factor. They didn't get to where they are by being outstanding members of the Rotary Club. I knew Adams probably had a little bit of that in him like most coaches, but I really thought he was above the huge majority.
That's why his appalling judgment and fall have been just stunning in many ways. Just look at them:
The Peery firing: These two must have become good friends on the juco trail and likely had an understanding if Mark became a HC, Peery would join him. You just don't pick up a guy out of the state of Oregon to be your key assistant unless you know him and feel good about him. By all accounts, he did a pretty good job, especially in the transfer portal. Publicly, he seemed to be all-in on Texas Tech. Then, boom, he's gone.
Luke Adams hiring: Father/son on same staff seldom work. Look at Kirk Ferentz at Iowa football and his OC, son Brian. It usually causes friction with current staff. I don't know Luke, but those who do, don't have nice things to say about him. You would think in good judgment, dad would have tried to help son land somewhere else.
The sister-in-law thing: This is a Jerry Springer Show and the worst example of terrible judgment. He divorced his wife of probably 40 years. That in itself happens. Older couples fall out of love. But to then very quickly marry the wife of your deceased twin brother, I mean, my God, what are you thinking? You don't think that's going to have an impact? You are not Mark Adams, owner of Adams Pest Control, but Mark Adams, head basketball coach at Texas Tech off a Sweet 16 appearance. You are a public figure living in a fish bowl. Was there ever an angel on his shoulder that say, "You can't be doing this -- not now."
Donor fallout: If reports are correct, and I'm sure they are, 6 to 8 of the top basketball donors had cut ties with him. Now if it was one donor, and the others are still all in, it's probably on the donor. But if it's all the donors, well, who's the common denominator? Apparently, a lot of that stemmed from the SIL, and Adams didn't want to hear about it.
Maui: Few truly know what happened there. I don't. But something did happen, and it wasn't substitution patterns during the games. There's too much smoke for there not to be some kind of fire.
Master/slave: He may have had good intentions, and he may have been quoting from the Bible. But he's also a 66-year-old white man talking to a 20-year-old black player. Once you use the words "master" and "slave," that player is not hearing another word you say. It's over. And at no time did Adams think he better not cross that line?
I don't know, after all these years, if it was the money, the power, the prestige. But all of this is just hard to get my head around from the Adams I thought I somewhat knew.
Last edited:
