I’d like to take the opportunity for the huge outpouring of your contributions from yesterday’s Morning Stake. My annual subscription is paid for and I appreciate all of your cups of coffee and I am thankful for all of you.
Jeff Goodman reported that Texas Tech and Mark Adams have hired Talvin Hester as the third assistant coach. Hester was at Louisiana Tech last year and was just hired at Colorado State for a cup of coffee before deciding to join Adams’ staff.
Hester worked his way up the assistant ranks from North Lake College and the Texas Rim Rockers as an intern, to being an assistant at Texas Wesleyan, Texas College, Prairie View A&M, San Jose State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas State, Houston, Oral Roberts, and then La. Tech.
The biggest stops are Houston and Oral Roberts and the thought is that Hester was responsible for helping Houston get off on the right foot from a recruiting perspective and the same thing with Oral Roberts, who recently made a terrific run this past year. And Louisiana Tech was 24-8 this past year and 22-8 last year.
A lot of folks may be a bit underwhelmed by the hire if Hester, he’s not stayed in one place very long, 2 years or so at each stop, but I honestly didn’t know who Bob Donewald and Ulric Maligi were before Beard hired them last year. I also would think that South Plains Steve Green is still a possibility in terms of the staff, Green or someone else will be in an advisory position, like Sean Sutton.
Texas Tech and Mark Adams made it official with the hiring of Darby Rich (I am almost assured of me calling him Rich Darby at some point) as the new strength and conditioning coach, hiring Rich away from Memphis the past two years. Prior to that, Rich was at Texas A&M for 8 years and Oklahoma before that. Rich played at Alabama while in college.
“My approach everyday is hard work, toughness, accountability and mental toughness,” Rich said. “At the same time, with my background as a player and basketball coach, I try to make the weight room an extension of the basketball floor. I don’t want them coming in here just to get bigger and stronger, I want them coming in here to become better basketball players because of the work we are doing in here. Every exercise that we do has a basketball purpose. The understanding and purpose creates extra motivation to put forth more effort into everything we are trying to accomplish.”
Here’s Adams on Rich:
“We think we have hired one of the best strength and condition coaches in the nation,” Adams said. “Coach Rich comes highly recommended from people at the professional and college level and brings in a lot of experience that will help our program reach the next level. With his background of being a college player, college coach and working as a strength coach at high-level programs throughout the country we are excited to see the impact he makes for our program.”
This is always a significant hire because the strength and conditioning coach spends so much time with the players and that relationship becomes insanely important. I know the players loved working for John Reilly and hope that Rich will make those similar connections.
Another official signing in signing Winthrop transfer Adonis Arms (6-6/205), which we discussed here and that links also includes the updated eligibility chart. You can hear from Arms right here.
We caught up with Winthrop transfer Adonis Arms, who committed to Texas Tech over the weekend, and talked about his journey from Mesa Community College, to DII, to the mid major level and now the Big 12.
You can hear more from the newest Red Raider on KAMC News at 6 and 10. pic.twitter.com/eIcB82hukC
— Eric Kelly (@EricKellyTV) April 26, 2021
And if reading is your preferred method then RedRaiderSports’ Ben Golan talked to Arms about what made him decide to pick Texas Tech and Mark Adams. I should add that even here, the player chooses the coach as much as the program itself:
“I just felt the most comfortable with Texas Tech. Like I told the coaches, my decision was going to be based off of trust, opportunity and exposure. Trust was something I was going to have to blindly believe in and go with my gut. Exposure, the Big 12 is such a big conference, it’s one of the best conferences in the United States. So that checks that box off.
Opportunity, coach Adams being the head coach, the whole program really runs through him. So him telling me that I’ll be okay, I don’t have to worry about anything, just get in here and work hard and let the rest handle itself. Me hearing that multiple times since I entered the portal was something that separated Texas Tech from the other schools.”
Marcus Santos Silva’s father passed away last week due to complications from Covid. Such an incredibly sad situation, but any loss is terrible and sad. Texas Tech Federal Credit Union has set up a donation fund to help pay for funeral expenses.
For those who have asked, Texas Tech Credit Federal Union has set up a donation fund for Louie Silva’s funeral (Marcus Santos-Silva’s father). You can call or go to any TTCFU to donate.
— Carlos Silva Jr. (@cmsilvajr) April 26, 2021