Chris Beard returns as a Longhorn to an unwelcoming Texas Tech
“There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that when the Big 12 Conference releases next year’s basketball schedule, that when that team comes to Lubbock, Texas, United Supermarkets Arena is going to be rocking that night.” – Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt, April 1, 2021
Chris Beard spent 15 seasons on the bench at Texas Tech, including the previous five seasons as head coach of Red Raider basketball. He led Tech to the highest heights of its men’s basketball history, including the program’s first Big 12 regular season title, back-to-back Elite Eights, and overtime of the 2019 national championship game.
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Then, he left, causing both the Texas Tech brass and faithful to become indignant. Not solely because he left, considering Beard’s predecessor Tubby Smith left Lubbock for another job, as have several coaches throughout Texas Tech’s athletic history.
But it was who he left for, Texas, and how he did it, the day following a significant lowering of his buyout, that stirred up emotions in West Texas.
Hocutt claimed in April during discussions with Beard that Texas Tech offered a rolling “lifetime” contract to keep the Texas graduate in Lubbock. Hocutt said Beard wasn’t interested. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte worked out the details of an agreement with Beard at a McDonald’s in Plainview the morning of April 1, 2021. Hocutt claimed he didn’t get a chance to provide a counteroffer.
“You have someone that then walks away to go to an in-conference school? An in-state school? Absolutely, that frustrates you,” Hocutt said April 1. “Heck yeah it does. If we’re honest and loyal and sincere and talking about getting in the fight, and in the fight every day? Yeah, frustration would be a kind word to summarize it.”
That frustration has subsisted in the Hub City in the ten months since Beard became head coach of the Longhorns. Just check social media, where, though it isn’t always the most accurate representation of reality, Red Raider faithful berate the Longhorn head coach’s page whenever he creates a post. Even the official Texas Tech men’s basketball Twitter account chimed in on the elevated temperature of the rivalry.
“Not surprised,” Beard said Sunday when asked if the vitriol from Red Raider fans caught him off-guard. “Part of it, man. Change happens in life. Changes in sports. No regrets. I think we left the job better than we found it.”
Beard’s efforts in Lubbock included bolstering the Raider Riot student section, which helped Texas Tech achieve a 74-13 record at the United Supermarkets Arena during his tenure. That student section, the rest of the sold-out crowd, and even 16-time world heavyweight champion Ric Flair will show Beard on Tuesday, in his first matchup versus Tech since taking the UT job, they haven’t forgotten the details of his departure. Mark Adam’s Red Raider basketball team will try to gain a Big 12 win in the process.
“I know we’ll have a great crowd and a lot of energy. It’ll be really loud on Tuesday, we can all count on that.” – Mark Adams, January 29, 2022
Beard’s time in Lubbock wasn’t limited to his five years as head coach. From 2001 to 2011, Beard was an assistant on the respective staffs of Bob and Pat Knight.
“I didn’t take one day off mentally or physically in those 15 years with (Bob) and Pat,” Beard said. “Ten years of everything I had. When I had the pleasure and the honor to lead the program as a head coach for five years, I gave it everything I had every day. I think you know our success together is real, it’s well-documented.”
He helped to create a strong basketball culture at the school during a time when its football program was mired in mediocrity under Kliff Kingsbury and Matt Wells.
Student outreach was a foundation of that culture. His fireside chats that have now become part of his platform in Austin started in Lubbock as a way to connect to Red Raider students. Their relationship made United Supermarkets Arena into a difficult place for visiting teams to play, as the previously mentioned record indicates.
“I thought together we did build an undeniable homecourt advantage and I look forward to playing in that environment,” Beard said.
When asked what some of the tougher road environments he’s encountered as a head coach were, Beard mentioned Coffeyville Community College, Westark Community College, San Diego State, Tarleton State, Midwestern State, and TCU, where Texas won last Tuesday.
Those places won’t compare to the almost 15,098 people Beard and his team will face on Tuesday. Even Tech folks know it’s going to be intense, which led Adams to make these comments which were propagated by official social outlets.
What happens in the arena is out of Beard’s hands, but he didn’t seem to mind that.
“I can only control what I can control now, just like I tell the players,” Beard said. “I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about things I can’t control.”
What he could control was his decision to leave Lubbock in broad daylight. It’s one he’d make again if he had the chance.
“No regrets at all,” Beard said. “Chose to come back to my alma mater and try this challenge. All of us have the right to make choices, and that’s what we did.”
His alma mater will face a tall task due to that choice. As Stadium’s Jeff Goodman wrote:
“This is one you need to be in Lubbock for to truly appreciate the atmosphere. It won’t exactly be a heartwarming homecoming for Chris Beard. Sure, he led the Red Raiders to a national title game appearance and an Elite Eight, but the fans in Lubbock still can’t come to grips with why he’d leave for UT. In fact, they strongly dislike Beard now. This is his first appearance back in Lubbock, and it’ll be interesting to see the reception he receives from the fan base. I don’t expect a lot of pleasantries.”
“We are all here today as a Red Raider Nation, and today we say: burn the boats.” – Kirby Hocutt at Mark Adams’ introductory press conference, April 6, 2021.
Adams was named Beard’s successor five days after the job came open. A West Texas lifer, Adams was quickly embraced by those in Lubbock for remaining on the Llano Estacado instead of joining Beard in Austin.
Though Adams might present a bit of a different demeanor compared to Beard, the two coaches utilize a very similar style of play.
“I think some of the core values of both teams are the same,” Beard said.
Texas currently ranks first nationally in scoring defense, allowing 54.5 points per game. Second-place Houston allows 56.2. The Red Raiders rank No. 17 nationally, second behind the Longhorns in the Big 12.
In KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency, the Red Raiders rank third nationally behind LSU and VCU. Texas checks in at No. 11, behind Tech, Iowa State, and Baylor in conference. Other advanced statistical measures think highly of the defenses as both teams are in the top ten of Bart Torvik’s adjusted defensive efficiency.
Both teams also play slow. Texas is in the bottom ten of KenPom’s adjusted pace, while Texas Tech ranks No. 264.
Beard isn’t just familiar with Adams’ style of play, he’s also familiar with several Red Raider Players.
“Obviously, four of the players that I had the pleasure of coaching and recruit are still on the team, so lots of personal connections,” Beard said. “I know Bryson (Williams) played for (Texas assistant Rodney Terry) at UTEP, so there’s a lot of connections between the two teams.”
Beard mentioned the 6-foot-8 Williams has NBA shooting ability and skill near the basket. He’s Tech’s leading scorer, averaging 13.5 points per game.
Texas will look to Timmy Allen for offensive production. The Longhorns’ leading scorer averages 12 points per game and also brings down 6.5 rebounds per contest. He also has been tasked with initiating the offense more often in recent weeks.
The battles between the two programs are often intense, no matter who walks the sidelines for either team. Each side has won two of the last four meetings, though Texas lost its last matchup in United Supermarkets Arena.
On Tuesday, Texas attempts to improve to 6-3 in conference and 17-5 overall. There’s more to this game than just the result. Texas Tech students wouldn’t begin camping on Saturday near United Supermarkets Arena for any other game.
But that’s how Beard and company will try to treat this road trip.
“I wish Coach Adams and those guys nothing but the best,” Beard said. “Look forward to the competition of the game.”
