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Texas Tech Red Raiders
2024–25 Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team
University	Texas Tech University
First season	1925–26
All-time record	1,508–1,162 (.565)
Athletic director	Kirby Hocutt
Head coach	Grant McCasland (2nd season)
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Location	Lubbock, Texas
Arena	United Supermarkets Arena (capacity: 15,300)
Nickname	Red Raiders
Student section	Raider Riot
Colors	Scarlet and black
Uniforms
Home Away Alternate
NCAA tournament runner-up
2019
NCAA tournament Final Four
2019
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
2018, 2019
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1961, 1962, 1976, 1996, 2005, 2018, 2019, 2022
NCAA tournament round of 32
1976, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
NCAA tournament appearances
1954, 1956, 1961, 1962, 1973, 1976, 1985, 1986, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024
Conference tournament champions
1976, 1985, 1986, 1993, 1996
Conference regular season champions
1933, 1934, 1935, 1954, 1956, 1961, 1962, 1973, 1985, 1995, 1996, 2019

The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in basketball. Texas Tech competes in NCAA Division I, and has been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference since its first season in 1996. The team previously competed in the Border Conference and Southwest Conference. The team was founded in 1925, having since won 13 regular season conference championship, and made 20 appearances in the NCAA tournament as of the 2023-2024 season. Since 1999, the Red Raiders have played their home games at the United Supermarkets Arena on the university's campus in Lubbock, Texas.

History

1925–1935

Texas Tech's basketball program was founded the same year the school opened its doors in 1925. The inaugural game was a 37–25 loss to Daniel Baker College. Tech would lose two more games before finally clinching their first ever victory—35–21 at Sul Ross University.

Grady Higginbotham was the first coach, earning a 14–18 record over two seasons. Until Pat Knight, Higgenbotham was the only Tech basketball coach to garner an overall losing record (.438) during his stay. Following Higgenbotham's departure, Victor Payne led the Matadors (as the school's teams were known until 1936) from 1927 to 1930. His final tally stood at 32 wins and 20 losses. W. L. Golightly coached only one season, bringing in an 11–9 record. Dell Morgan held the head coaching job from 1931 to 1934, chalking up 42 wins to 29 losses. He was followed by Virgil Ballard. Though Ballard coached only a single season, it was during his time that the team won their milestone 100th game, a one-point victory over House of David. Ballard left with a 15–9 record.

1935–1971

Berl Huffman was twice the head basketball coach at Texas Tech—first from 1935 to 1942 and then from 1946 to 1947. During his total of eight seasons, he garnered a record of 121–67. Polk Robison was the only other person to serve two different times as the head basketball coach at the school. When Huffman left in 1942, Robison took the job. And, when Huffman left a second time in 1947, it was Robison who again filled the position, this time remaining until 1961. At a total of 18 seasons, his stay is the second longest of any Red Raiders basketball coach, behind Gerald Myers. He departed after leading his teams to 254 wins, 195 losses, and the first two NCAA tournaments in school history.

Gene Gibson followed Robison into the position. In his eight seasons, he chalked up the second best conference record in Texas Tech history and led the Raiders to a Southwest Conference Championship in 1962. Bob Bass led the program to a 22–15 record over a season-and-a-half before returning to professional basketball coaching duties.

1971–2001

Gerald Myers became coach of the Red Raiders mid-year during the 1970/71 season and stayed until 1991. His stay was the longest of any head basketball coach at Tech, and several milestones were passed during his tenure, including wins #600 (TCU), #700 (SMU), #800 (at SMU), and #900 (Texas A&M). With a Texas Tech career record of 326–261, Myers has more wins with the Red Raiders than any other men's basketball coach in school history. Myers led Tech to 16 winning seasons, two Southwest Conference championships, three SWC tournament titles, and four NCAA tournament berths. Myers served as the school's athletic director from 1996 to 2011.

James Dickey replaced Myers as head coach prior to the 1991/92 season and would remain at Texas Tech until his dismissal at the end of the 2000/01 season. During his 10 seasons at Texas Tech, Dickey amassed a 166–124 win–loss record (164–123 with vacated games omitted). The program also won its 1,000th game under Dickey—a 71–62 victory at UALR.

Dickey took over a Texas Tech program that had finished with a 13–45 combined record over Myers' final two years and led his first team to a winning season and fifth-place finish in Southwest Conference play, after having been picked to finish last in the conference. In his second year as head coach, the Red Raiders won the Southwest Conference tournament championship, the school's fourth, to secure the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Texas Tech finished the 1994/95 season with a 20–10 record, sharing the SWC regular season championship with Texas and earning a berth in the 1995 National Invitation Tournament. In the SWC's final season, Dickey's 1995–96 Red Raiders produced one of the most successful seasons in school history and one of the more memorable seasons in the history of the conference, finishing 30–2 overall and undefeated in conference play, winning both the SWC regular season championship and the conference tournament title, advancing to the "Sweet Sixteen" in the NCAA Tournament, and finishing #8 in the AP poll and #10 in the Coaches' Poll.

The Raiders moved to the Big 12 for the 1996/97 season, and appeared to pick up right where they left off with a solid 19–9 season. For all intents and purposes, however, Dickey's tenure ended on the first day of the inaugural Big 12 basketball tournament. During the Raiders' first-round game, it was discovered that two players had played the entire season while academically ineligible. Hours after that game, Texas Tech announced that it was withdrawing from postseason consideration and forfeiting its entire conference schedule. The Raiders had lost that game, and would have had to forfeit it if they had won. A subsequent investigation revealed massive violations dating back to 1990 in men's basketball and nine other sports. As a result, the NCAA stripped Tech of its two NCAA tournament wins in 1996 and docked it nine scholarships over four years. Dickey was unable to recover from the lost scholarships, and his Red Raiders finished with four consecutive losing seasons, during which they only won a total of 18 games in Big 12 play. He was fired after his 2000/01 team produced a 9–19 overall record.

Bob Knight era: 2001–2008

Bob Knight served as the Texas Tech men's basketball head coach from 2001–2008.

Hired in March 2001 to replace James Dickey as head coach, Bob Knight quickly improved the program, which had not received a bid to the NCAA tournament nor achieved a winning record since 1996. Knight led the Red Raiders to three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT appearance in his first four years at Texas Tech, including an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen in 2005. Texas Tech finished the 2005/06 season with a 15–17 overall record, marking the only time that Knight finished a complete season at Tech with a losing record and fewer than 21 wins. During the 2005–06 season, the ESPN reality TV show centering on Knight and the Red Raiders, Knight School, was filmed. The Red Raiders recovered in 2006/07, finishing 21–13 and again earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they would lose to Boston College in the first round. In both 2006 and 2007, Knight's Texas Tech teams defeated two top 10-ranked teams in consecutive weeks. During Knight's first six years at Texas Tech, the Red Raiders won 126 games, an average of 21 wins per season.

On New Year's Day 2007, Texas Tech recorded a 70–68 defeat of New Mexico to give Knight his 880th career victory, making him the highest winning coach in men's college basketball history.

On January 16, 2008, Knight registered his 900th career victory when the Red Raiders upset the ninth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, 68–53. Knight won two more games as head coach—against Missouri and Oklahoma State—prior to announcing his retirement on February 4, 2008, after having led his 2007–08 team to a 12–8 mid-season record. His son Pat Knight, the head coach designate since 2005, was immediately named as his successor. The younger Knight stated that, after many years of coaching, his father was exhausted and ready to retire.

Bob Knight finished with an overall win–loss record of 138–82 at Texas Tech.

Pat Knight era: 2008–2011

After assuming the head coaching role midseason, Pat Knight's initial two games were defeats on the road. The first was an 80–74 loss to Baylor on February 6, 2008. The second came three days later at Nebraska. Knight's first head coaching win came at home when the Red Raiders upset #18 Kansas State, 84–75, at United Spirit Arena. Going into the game, KSU was in sole possession of first place in the Big 12. On March 1, 2008, the Red Raiders again defeated the top team in the conference by beating #5 Texas, 83–80, ending a month-long, eight-game winning streak for the Longhorns.

The Red Raiders finished the regular season with back-to-back losses, first at Kansas and then to Baylor. At the 2008 Big 12 men's basketball tournament, they added another loss—to Oklahoma State—in the first round. The team did not receive an invitation to play at either the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship or at the National Invitation Tournament. Texas Tech did get an invitation to the inaugural College Basketball Invitational, but declined the offer.

In the third game of the 2008–09 season, Tech defeated Division II opponent East Central 167–115, setting a new school record for most points scored in a game. The previous record of 128 was set in the double overtime victory over Texas on February 20, 1994. The combined total of 282 points also became a new record.

On March 7, 2011, Texas Tech terminated Knight's position as head coach. He left with an overall record of 50–61, becoming the second coach in the school's history to depart with more losses than wins.

Billy Gillispie era: 2011–2012

Billy Gillispie became the head coach of the team on March 20, 2011. He only stayed for one season before resigning on September 21, 2012, in the wake of a school investigation into his treatment of his players.

Tubby Smith era: 2013–2016

Tubby Smith was hired to replace interim head coach Chris Walker on April 1, 2013, after 6 seasons as head coach of Minnesota. Smith's first season showed some signs of progress, with Texas Tech picking up its first victory over a top-25 team since 2009. Texas Tech's victory over the then #12 Baylor Bears was the first win over a ranked opponent since December 2009, when the team defeated #10 Washington. Smith would later earn another top 25 upset with a victory over #19 Oklahoma State on February 8, 2014. Following outreach by Smith and the athletic department, Texas Tech students broke both school and Big 12 Conference records for student attendance at the United Spirit Arena during a February 25, 2014, loss to Kansas State. The record of 6,086 students fell less than 2,000 short of the national record.

The Red Raiders ended Smith's first season with a home victory over the Texas Longhorns, but the Raiders fell to Oklahoma State in the first round of the Big 12 tournament in March. They ended the season with a 14–18 overall record, Smith's first losing season as a head coach.

Under Smith, the 2015–2016 Red Raiders finished 9–9 in Big 12 play and advanced to their first NCAA Tournament in nine years, earning an 8-seed in the East Regional. Their season ended in the Round of 64 with a loss to the 9-seed Butler Bulldogs.

Following the season, the Smith era came to an end as Smith resigned on April 14 to coach the Memphis Tigers.

Chris Beard era: 2016–2021

Texas Tech hired former Arkansas-Little Rock coach Chris Beard on April 15, 2016, a week after he was appointed to the same position at UNLV. In his second season at the helm, Texas Tech reached the Elite Eight for the first time in school history, with a 78–65 win over the Purdue Boilermakers, where they lost to the eventual national champions, Villanova Wildcats, 71–59.

With a share of the Big 12 regular season title, the Red Raiders returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 as a #3 seed. Their second trip to the Elite Eight in as many years saw them defeat #1 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs 75–69, clinching their first ever Final Four appearance. They proceeded to defeat the Michigan State Spartans 61–51, reaching their first-ever national title game, where they ultimately lost to another #1 seed, the Virginia Cavaliers, 85–77 in overtime, ending the most successful season in school history.

Beard departed the program after the 2020–21 season, to take the head coaching job at his alma mater, the University of Texas. Given the rivalry between the two schools, Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt later remarked, "Had he gone to any other university, he'd be celebrated. But there's just certain things you cannot do, and one of them is you can't leave Texas Tech for Texas."

Mark Adams era: 2021–2023

Mark Adams, a Texas Tech alumnus and longtime coach around West Texas who had served as Beard's assistant for the last six seasons, was elevated to head coach on April 5, 2021. The Dustin R. Womble Basketball Center, a new 58,000-square foot, $32.2 million practice facility for the men and women's basketball teams, was inaugurated a month later. Coach Adams swept former coach Chris Beard and the University of Texas in his first season at the helm.

On March 5, 2023, Texas Tech University announced that they have suspended Coach Adams for using "racially insensitive" terms and possibly spitting on a player; Corey Williams led the team in the Big 12 tournament. On March 8, Adams resigned his position.

Grant McCasland era: 2023–Present

On March 31, 2023, Grant McCasland was hired as the 19th head coach of the Red Raiders. He had previously been the head coach of North Texas. Previously, he worked as the Director of Basketball Operations at Texas Tech from 1999-2001. He also earned his master's degree from Texas Tech in 2001. In Coach McCasland's first season, he notched a 23-11 record including a berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Red Raiders have appeared in the NCAA tournament 20 times. However, their 1996 appearance was vacated. Their combined record is 19–21 (17–20 without vacated games).

On April 6, 2019, Texas Tech earned their first trip to the NCAA tournament championship game with a Final Four win over Michigan State. Two days later, the Red Raiders lost the NCAA tournament championship game in overtime 85–77 to Virginia.

NIT results

The Red Raiders have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) four times. Their combined record is 6–4.

NAIA tournament results

The Red Raiders have appeared in the NAIA tournament two times. Their combined record is 3–2.

Season-by-season results

Home arenas

The Red Raiders play their home games at United Supermarkets Arena located on the university campus. The Red Raiders previously played at Lubbock Municipal Coliseum until United Supermarkets Arena opened in 1999. The university's first team, then known as the Matadors, did not have a home court but instead played at the Livestock Judging Pavilion until a wood and stucco barn was constructed the following season.

Texas Tech students broke both school and Big 12 Conference records for student attendance at the United Supermarkets Arena during a February 25, 2014, loss to Kansas State. The record of 6,086 students fell less than 2,000 short of the national record.

Players

AP All Americans

Conference Player of the Year

All Conference first team

All tournament team

Ring of Honor

Texas Tech does not retire jersey numbers, but they do honor players with a Ring of Honor.

Individual awards

• Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award

Ronald Ross, 2004–05

• Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award

Bubba Jennings, 1984–85

Head coaches

References

1. Greenberg, Terry (November 2, 2023). "As her husband begins leading Texas Tech basketball, Cece McCasland can be a loud, proud Red Raider". Lubbock Lights. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
2. "Visual Identity | Colors". July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
3. ^ "Men's Basketball: Past Season Results". Texas Tech Athletics. Archived from the original on April 21, 2008.
4. ^ "Men's Basketball: History". Texas Tech Athletics. Archived from the original on April 21, 2008.
5. "The Red Raiders nickname". Prairie Pundit. Archived from the original on April 22, 2008.
6. "Hornets General Manager Bob Bass Retires". Charlotte Hornets.
7. "Head Coach James Dickey". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Archived from the original on August 14, 2007. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
8. "Texas Tech Fires Coach, Clearing Way for Knight". The New York Times. March 10, 2001. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
9. "Tech receives four years probation". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Archived from the original on June 18, 2006. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
10. "Tech easily handles Texas A&M as Knight wins 900th game". ESPN. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021.
11. Walker, Jeff (February 4, 2008). "Knight resigns effective immediately". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved February 4, 2008.
12. Davis, Seth (February 5, 2008). "'He was just worn out':Pat Knight sheds light on father's decision to leave". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2008.
13. Coleman, Adam (February 14, 2008). "Pat Knight earns first win as head coach". The Daily Toreador. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
14. Fallas, Bernardo (March 1, 2008). "Tech halts UT's win streak with 83–80 victory". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 1, 2008.
15. Walker, Jeff. "Knocked Out! Texas Tech's season over after failing to get NIT bid". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
16. "Ten Texas Tech players score in double figures in big win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 21, 2008. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
17. Green, James. "TTU fires basketball coach Pat Knight". KCBD, NewsChannel 11 Lubbock. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
18. "Billy Gillispie resigns as Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball coach". September 20, 2012.
19. "Texas Tech Hires Tubby Smith as Basketball Coach – ABC News". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013.
20. "Tech Looking For Second Top 25 Upset". Texas Tech University. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
21. ^ Rose, Rex (February 26, 2014). "Tech breaks Big 12 attendance record, falls to Kansas State". The Daily Toreador. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
22. "Texas Tech Falls to Oklahoma State, 80–62". Texas Tech University. Associated Press. March 12, 2014. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
23. Goodman, Jeff (April 15, 2016). "Texas Tech hires Chris Beard as new coach". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
24. Armour, Nancy (March 24, 2018). "No. 3 Texas Tech ousts No. 2 Purdue to reach first-ever NCAA tournament Elite 8". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 10, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
25. Greene, Dan (March 25, 2018). "Villanova Remains Resolute, Relentless as it Heads Back to the Final Four". SI.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
26. Culpepper, Chuck; Bogage, Jacob (March 30, 2019). "Texas Tech topples Gonzaga in a dazzling match of contrasts to reach Final Four". Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
27. Skretta, Dave (April 6, 2019). "Michigan St endures more Final Four heartbreak vs Texas Tech". The Washington Times. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
28. Norlander, Matt (April 9, 2019). "2019 NCAA Tournament championship: Virginia completes epic journey from last year's ugly exit to win its first title". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
29. Borzello, Jeff (April 1, 2021). "Texas Longhorns name Texas Tech's Chris Beard as new head basketball coach". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
30. Grant, Evan (January 31, 2022). "When Chris Beard returns to Lubbock, he'll be greeted by hostile crowd, surging Texas Tech program". Dallas News. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
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33. "Grant McCasland - Head Coach - Staff Directory - Texas Tech". Texas Tech Athletics. April 16, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2024.

External links

• Official website

v t e Texas Tech Red Raiders athletics
Sports	Football seasons Men's basketball seasons Women's basketball Baseball Golf Women's soccer Softball
Facilities	Lubbock Municipal Coliseum Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park Fuller Track Jones AT&T Stadium The Rawls Course United Supermarkets Arena
Current coaches	Tim Tadlock (baseball) Mark Adams (men's basketball) Krista Gerlich (women's basketball) Don Flora (volleyball) Jon Murray (cross country) Eric Morris (football assistant) Matt Wells (football) Greg Sands (men's golf) JoJo Robertson (women's golf) Tom Stone (soccer) Adrian Gregory (softball) Tim Siegel (men's tennis) Todd Petty (women's tennis) Wes Kittley (track and field)
Football seasons & bowl games	Seasons 1996 Alamo Bowl 2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl 2001 Alamo Bowl 2002 Tangerine Bowl 2004 Holiday Bowl 2006 season 2006 Insight Bowl 2007 season 2008 Gator Bowl 2008 season 2009 Cotton Bowl Classic 2009 season 2010 Alamo Bowl 2010 season 2011 TicketCity Bowl 2011 season 2012 season 2012 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas 2013 season 2013 Holiday Bowl 2014 season 2015 season
Traditions & miscellany	Traditions Goin' Band from Raiderland Guns Up Knight School The Masked Rider Raider Red

v t e Texas Tech University
Located in: Lubbock, Texas
Academics	College of Arts & Sciences College of Education College of Human Sciences College of Media & Communication Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Graduate School Huckabee College of Architecture Rawls College of Business School of Accounting School of Law School of Veterinary Medicine Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts School of Art School of Music School of Theatre and Dance TTU K–12 Whitacre College of Engineering
Athletics	Teams Baseball Red Raider basketball Lady Raider basketball Cross Country Football Golf Soccer Softball Track and Field Facilities Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park Fuller Track John Walker Soccer Complex Jones AT&T Stadium Lubbock Municipal Coliseum The Rawls Course United Supermarkets Arena
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People	Alumni Olympians Sportspeople Faculty Texas Tech Alumni Association University presidents
Research	Libraries National Wind Institute Research Center Shackleton Glacier Expedition Uysal–Walker Archive of Turkish Oral Narrative Vernacular Music Center Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive West Texas Historical Association
Student life	CitiBus "Fight, Raiders, Fight" Goin' Band from Raiderland "The Matador Song"
Traditions	History of Texas Tech University Double T Guns Up The Masked Rider Raider Red
Established: 1923 Endowment: $3.06 billion (2024) Students: 40,969 (Fall 2024)

• Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball