East Carolina adds former Texas Tech coach Mark Adams to coaching staff

According to Stephen Igoe of Hoist The Colours, Mark Adams has found a new landing spot, joining ECU‘s staff for the upcoming 2023-2024 season. Head coach Michael Schwartz had an opening and opted to roll with Adams, who is fresh off being fired from Texas Tech.

Adams’ exact role has not been disclosed at this time.

The state of Texas will not be home to Adams for just the second time in his coaching career. He will be heading out east to work with the Pirates after a tumultuous end to his time in Lubbock. Even so, there is plenty of experience Adams brings to the table.

Prior to his stint as Texas Tech’s head coach, Adams had spent the past six seasons as an assistant under Chris Beard. Not only with the Red Raiders but also at Little Rock, where the duo spent just one year before taking a step up to a power conference.

ECU will be hoping Adams’ experience can bring something new to the program. Schwartz will be heading into his second season with the Pirates, having a 16-17 record during the 2022-2023 season and a 6-10 record in AAC play.

You have to go back to 1993 to find ECU’s last NCAA Tournament appearance when the conference played in the CAA. Just two exist in their history and never have they advanced past the first round.

Adams has experience not only getting to the tournament but advancing as well. A good basketball hire from Schwartz, hoping to make history in Greenville.

Mark Adams receives opportunity after being fired from Texas Tech

For a short period of time, Adams was the guy at Texas Tech. He came in and saved the basketball program after Chris Beard left in favor of the hated Texas Longhorns, even earning head-to-head wins. A Sweet 16 appearance in Year One had people in Lubbock singing Adams’ praises.

Everything came crashing down during the 2022-2023 season though, both on and off the court.

On the court, Texas Tech was struggling in a strong Big 12, finishing with a 5-13 record in the conference. The Red Raiders finished with an overall record just a game above .500 and did not make any kind of postseason appearance.

Late in the year, Adams made a “racially insensitive” comment toward a player, eventually leading to his firing. Adams said he was quoting scripture with Stadium’s Jeff Goodman reporting the head coach said “Jesus talks about how we all have bosses, and we all are servants. I was quoting the bible about that.”