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Texas Tech basketball: Chris Beard’s best press conferences

By Matthew Conner

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 04: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders speaks to the media ahead of the Men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 04, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 04: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders speaks to the media ahead of the Men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 04, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images) /
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Walked to Whataburger at 3 am

Later in 2018, Beard found himself again in front of a throng of media ahead of his team’s first-round NCAA Tournament game with Stephen F. Austin.  This time, a member of the media set Beard up for more Whataburger advertising by referencing Beard’s remarks in Lawrence and asking if he could give directions to a Whataburger to the out of towners.

As you can imagine, Beard jumped all over the opportunity.

"“I grew up in Irving, Texas, right down the road,” he said.  “So I know where they all are.  We’re staying at the Hilton Anatole and there’s a Whataburger right on the feeder road and I might have or might not have walked over there at 3 am, I’ll leave that up to you.”"

Some of us might wonder what Beard was doing up at 3 am just two days prior to the start of his first NCAA Tournament as a Red Raider.  Was he so wired that he couldn’t sleep?  Were nerves causing him to be restless?

It’s likely that he was up that late preparing and watching video of Stephen F. Austin as well as the two other teams he might meet in the second round.  We’ve learned in the last four years that Beard almost never stops grinding, even in the offseason, so the thought that he’d be awake at 3 am two days prior to the NCAA Tournament is no longer hard to fathom.

He then went on to explain who he is to those that were just getting to know him.  His explanation helped us understand why he’s so great at press conferences.

"“I kinda speak from the hip,” he said.  “I’m not a guy that really prepares.  I just speak from the heart and I think that’s where coaching is.  Guys know when you tell them the truth and that’s everything in recruiting and coaching so that comment [in Lawrence], it’s actually worked out pretty good for me because the people that own the Whataburgers in Texas, they’ve sent me a Yeti cooler, I got a couple of coupons, it’s actually worked out really good for me.”"

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