Yesterday we found out a couple of things. We found out that Sean Sutton is going to be remain in an off-court position, which I think is great and his title is Advisor / Player Development. And we also are introduced to new assistant head coach Corey Williams, being hired away from Arkansas, but playing with Sutton while at Oklahoma State and Williams also getting drafted by the Chicago Bulls (and NFL) and playing with Michael Jordan as well as winning a championship. This is a non-transcript, which means that these are not actual quotes, but me typing as quickly as possible to give you the gist of the conversation. This was another tough one to do as both Sutton and Williams speak pretty quickly. Let’s go.

Sean Sutton, Advisor / Player Development

I’m excited to be staying with Coach Adams thoroughly enjoyed working for Coach Beard, extremely excited about the future of our basketball program at Texas Tech with Coach Adams, he’s one of the best defensive coaches in college basketball, maybe the best and people are going to find out that he’s one of the best overall. We want to continue to compete for Big 12 Championships and hang a banner that says National Champions.

Today, I’d like to welcome the newest player for our coaching staff, we were teammates in college I like to joke with our players how many points I averaged and I say that if #5 would have passed the ball more, I would have scored more, he’s a great basketball mind, he’s one of the most competitive people I’ve been around, I was fortunate to play with him on 2 Sweet 16 teams, he’s one of the few people to be picked in the NFL and NBA, he was picked 32nd and went to play and won a World Championship with Michael Jordan, outstanding basketball coach and an elite recruiter, he recruited and signed 5 top 100 players as well as some of the transfers, continues to get outstanding players in high school and the transfer portal. Want to welcome Corey and his family.

Corey Williams, Assistant Coach

Excited to be a part of Coach Adams and his staff, Arkansas is a special place, Coach Adams has done some wonderful things in the past, Coach Adams is an easy going, but competitive coach, I realized the accolades he’s achieved in the past, playing for championships, I wanted to be part of his staff and transition and wanted to be part of this group, I’m here to do whatever, I’ll wipe the floor, change the blinds, or wipe the floors. I’ll do whatever. The only thing that Sean didn’t tell me is how the weather changes, sunny and 75, we’re here to win a National Championship.

CW: They’ve been like, Coach Sutton and Mrs. Sutton, they were like my mother and father away from home, when Coach Sutton retired, 5 minutes before he was supposed to get up and speak, he told me I was speaking, I had to speak right then, he called me on my birthdays he sang to me, and with Scott, and played with Sean, they’re like family to me. His dad, mom, his brothers, his wife, I knew Trina before Sean, I tell Sean he out kicked his coverage.

SS: Coach Adams did a great job recruiting Corey, he realizes this is a special situation to work for a great man and a terrific basketball coach,

CW: I never envisioned coming to Texas Tech, when you peel back the layers, he stands for the same things I stand for, it was tough, Arkansas had a great recruiting class, everything that Coach Sutton told me was true, I think I’ve slept 3 hours, these guys like to work, I know the mission at hand and I’m ready to get to work.

CW: I told him that I had not seen speed since I saw a turtle crossing the street, I was shocked he caught it and he caught it like he’s done it before. I get in the arena and am excited, the people here are wonderful and nice, I’m ready to get started. Coach Adams makes you want to work hard for him, not that he has to say anything, his passion in his eyes, I want to be with a winner and he’s a winner.

SS & CW: / joking about Mark Adams catching that pass in the spring game /

CW: Coach Adams talked with Eric Musselman and got permission to speak with me and conversation after conversation is something I wanted to do and prayed with my wife about it and told Eric what I was going to do, I think they respected me with what I did at Arkansas, they didn’t want to leave me, but it was the right thing for me and my family.

CW: When we were on the phone and the conversation, he made it clear that we’re here to win not next year, but right now. I told him I’m committed to him right now and how passionate he is about the university and how he wants to take the program to the next level and I’m ready to get to work.

CW: one of the things that I was drafted, they drafted me because of my defense, and being a head coach I learned how to coach offense as well, but but make sure that we go out and guys in the lane, no layups, no uncontested shots, and from a spiritual background he lines up with who I am, and he’s been one of the guys at the forefront of this thing, how sound they were, that aligns with how I like as well.

CW: I’ve been here 4 days.

SS: He’s met all of the guys here, he made an immediate impression on all of them, they are excited he’s here because of his personality, they are well aware of his background, winning a championship with Michael Jordan, playing with Leonard Hamilton, Coach Sutton, work with Coach Hamilton at Florida State, and Coach Musselman, he will be highly popular with players on our campus and they will be able to relate to him.

SS: We discussed a wide range of people for the job, we think this is a great opportunity for people, work for someone all his life at all different levels, we talked about a lot of names, but Corey was the one that we kept coming back to at this time, he was the only and first one we offered the job to, they had a first conversation, and they a second, Corey is also close to Barret Peery also on the staff, we go back, all of us, Coach Adams is going to add one more assistant, he’s not in a big hurry, he’s got a lot of great candidates that want the job.

CW: We’re gong to go after the best talent in the country, they’ll have to fit Coach Adams personality and play, we can go out and get them, he’s coached so many NBA players, that’s what those guys aspire to do, and we have a coach that can help them attain that goal, that’s what coach Adams mindset is as well as his offensive and defensive philosophy.

CW: I talk to them about it a lot as well progress, a lot of those stories are like the first fish you catch, I have no film to back this up I tell them how much I would school Michael Jordan / joking /

CW: I look for the type that Coach Adams likes, it’s not what Adams likes and I know he wants guys that play on the next level, good guys going to do the right thing off the court, they are going to be in the gym, they will be in their on their own, plays hard the entire time on the court, if you get guys that do that, if you look at Virginia, it was a collective group of guys, we have a coach and a program that can go get those guys.

CW: I never wanted to be that guy that thought I was chasing a job or dollars, that’s not me, money doesn’t move me, what moves me is being around people who are like me, I like being around people that compete, that’s what makes Sean so great he’s so competitive, this was the first time for it was really easy for me to leave after two years, I liked Arkansas, I felt like this was an opportunity of a lifetime, a coach that wins and then I had to partner up with some of my friends, and my brother, Sean.