Chris Beard made one of the most important decisions of his professional life in one of the more casual settings you’ll find.
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte traveled to Plainview, Texas, a town north of Lubbock, on Friday in order to convince Beard to leave Texas Tech for the Longhorns. According to Stephen Wagner of the Dallas Morning News, Beard and Del Conte’s group gathered in Del Conte’s room at the Comfort Suites and discussed the job over Egg McMuffins and coffee from McDonald’s.
Beard made the decision to take the Texas job before lunch, after two-and-a-half hour discussions with Del Conte in the hotel room.
It’s certainly not a glamorous depiction, especially in an era where top coaches and athletes are wined and dined in luxury by interested parties. Ultimately, Texas only really needed to pitch the appeal of the job to Beard. He is, after all, a Texas alum who served as a student manager for the basketball team during his time there.
Texas Tech was not happy with how Beard’s departure unfolded. This probably won’t make them feel any better.
