Texas Tech basketball: Red Raiders reportedly contact Darvin Ham about opening

According to ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Texas Tech basketball program has reached out to Red Raider legend Darvin Ham as the search for a new head coach gets underway.  It’s the first name that has surfaced in earnest in regards to the hunt for a replacement for Chris Beard who took the Texas job on Thursday.

Ham has become one of the most highly-respected assistant coaches in the NBA over the past decade as he’s spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, and Milwaukee Bucks since 2011. And in recent years, he’s interviewed for multiple head coaching jobs in the NBA including being a finalist for the Indiana Pacers’ job this past offseason.

Ham’s inclusion in this coaching search is no surprise, especially given that his friend and former Texas Tech teammate Tony Battie is one of four members of the university’s search committee along with AD Kirby Hocutt, University President Dr. Lawrence Schoovanec, and top program booster Dusty Womble.

Hiring Ham would certainly be a bold move by Hocutt.  After all, he is yet to have any head coaching experience outside of one season as the leader of the New Mexico Thunderbirds of the NBA D-League.

But it is believed that Ham would be able to parlay his reputation and experience in the NBA into success at the college level similar to what current Michigan head coach Juwan Howard has done at his alma mater after being a long-time assistant with the Miami Heat.

For many of the top high school recruits in the nation, a desire to get to the NBA as quickly as possible is their top motivation.  Thus, when picking a college program to attend, they often decide based on which coaching staff they believe can best prepare them to play in the Association.

Ham would certainly have the NBA preparedness card as an ace up his sleeve.  He’s worked under current Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer for several seasons and he’s helped Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo develop into the reigning two-time NBA MVP.

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But building a college program is about more than just recruiting talent.  Ham would have to prove capable of putting together a quality staff, connecting with boosters, and managing a roster, none of which he’s had to worry about at the NBA level.

Plus, there is the question of whether he would want to be at Texas Tech long-term, especially if an NBA head coaching job presents itself.  But regardless of those questions, Ham is a prime candidate to be the next head coach of the Red Raiders.

If that comes to pass, it will continue his legacy as one of the most recognizable names in the history of Texas Tech sports.  That’s because Ham made one of the most unforgettable plays ever by a Red Raider.

In the 1996 NCAA Tournament, he broke the backboard on a putback dunk in a second-round win over the North Carolina Tar Heels.  It was the signature moment of his three-year playing career in Lubbock and one that landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

The Saginaw, Michigan native averaged 8.1 points and 5.7 rebounds for his career as a Red Raider.  But now, it appears there’s a decent shot that there could be a second chapter to his time on the South Plains as he is certainly a top candidate to take over the reins of his alma mater’s most popular program.