Gold Glove Boxing, GM Of A Minor League Hockey Team - There's Nobody More Interesting In College Hoops Than Mark Adams

I saw this clip starting to go a little viral this morning and it just reminded me how interesting of a man Mark Adams is. Not only that, he is one of the easiest dudes to root for in the sport. Sure, I know people will say it's because they are playing Duke today but just in general, Mark Adams is an easy dude to root for. Why? His past. It's simple. (h/t Star-Telegram)

This type of feather is consistent with the rest of those by Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Mark Adams, whose career in sports includes time as a Golden Gloves boxer and a run as the GM of a minor league hockey team in Lubbock, Texas.

Does this look like the face of a Golden Gloves boxer? 

John E. Moore III. Getty Images.

The correct answer is yes, because he is/was. I wouldn't want to fight Mark Adams. No sir. That man will put me on my ass in one punch. Probably wouldn't even have to connect if we're being honest. But it's why Mark Adams is perfect at Texas Tech. They've always felt like this 'underdog' program in a way. Probably because they are overshadowed by name to others in the conference or losing Chris Beard to Texas. But Mark Adams? 

Mark Adams is that dude. It's why he's a finalist for National Coach of the Year. 

He was Beard's assistant back from Little Rock days and at Texas Tech. He's also credited with being a main part of the no-middle defense. Yeah, the defense that currently has everyone talking about Texas Tech as a favorite against Duke. The defense that's currently the No. 1 defense on KenPom. That's why Tech is here. Adams took a bunch of transfers, some leftover guys and turned them into a top-10 team. 

But it's not even just the boxing. The man was the GM of a minor league hockey team. Let me be more specific. He was the GM of a minor league hockey team in the 7 years he took off from coaching college basketball. 

In the spring of 1997, Adams left college basketball despite the fact he spent more than 15 years climbing his way up on the sport’s lower levels at places like Clarendon College, Wayland Baptist, West Texas A&M and UT-Pan American. Rather than continue with basketball, he instead became the general manager and part owner (with his twin brother) of the startup Lubbock Cotton Kings of the Western Professional Hockey League. The club started play in the fall of 1999, and played in the now-demolished Lubbock Municipal Coliseum.

“It was hard for hockey coaches to convince Mark there are five skaters on the ice with a goalie and you can’t run a box-and-one like you would in basketball,” Due said. “Mark would say to the coaches, ‘We have to get a fight going,’ because he knew it would generate interest.”

I love this strategy as someone who doesn't fully understand hockey. I mean I can tell who is playing good and not. But I just can't figure out strategy and shit like that. I'd be doing the same thing trying to run a box and 1 or a pick and roll on offense. It has to work in hockey. I'm not sure how, I'll have the Chiclets guys explain it to me one day. I'm an idiot when it comes to hockey which makes me love Mark Adams even more. 

Now I need Mark Adams to rip out Marty's and Hank's soul. There'd be nothing more fitting than a 65-year old first time major head coach doing it. The most interesting man in the sport by a mile.