NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Final Four Monday, April 1, 2019 Minneapolis, Minnesota Chris Beard Texas Tech Red Raiders of his way to be nice to me. So today talking to him on the phone was just really cool. People talk about Final THE MODERATOR: Coach, this is David Worlock with Four moments, and I'm sure there will be a bunch this the NCAA. Congratulations on winning the West weekend, but it's pretty cool having a chance to talk to Regional and advancing to the Final Four. Coach Izzo. Q. Coach, I'm wondering if you had a chance to We have so much respect for his program. We're a reach out to Bob Knight after you guys qualified for program ourselves that try to be blue collar and the Final Four and his reaction and what has been rebound and play defense and try to be as tough as your interaction with him during this tournament anyone. To me, in my opinion, that's Michigan State and also during this particular season? basketball. CHRIS BEARD: I have not talked to Coach Knight personally to date, but I have heard back from several Q. Is this part of some other media event, or did he people that he sent his congratulations. As always, just reach out to you or you to him? Coach has been very supportive. He's really been CHRIS BEARD: I actually reached out to him this great the past three years since I've been back to morning just to congratulate him on another trip to the Lubbock. Final Four and tell him how much respect I had for him. Sometimes at the Final Four, you just kind of run into Just this morning, I was talking to Dick Vitale about his somebody at the hallway. It was just important to me fund-raiser for the Jimmy V. Foundation in May, and I that I was going to try to reach out to him so, when I do think Coach Vitale -- Dick talked to Coach Knight and already see him in the hallway or something, that we said that Coach was really pleased with the way we've had already talked. He was gracious enough to return been playing. the call, I think what's happened. Somebody else handed me the phone, but it was pretty cool. Q. Just a few minutes ago, Coach Izzo was saying he had spoken to you today and had talked about Q. You've got a veteran lineup and kind of guys getting your tickets taken care of and all the that have come from all parts and different ways auxiliary things taken care of. I apologize, I don't that they got there. I'm wondering, what benefits know of your history with Coach Izzo. Are you have you seen from having veteran guys that guys long-term friends? How did this conversation maybe aren't in your program but have played a lot come about? of college basketball in differing styles? CHRIS BEARD: No, Coach Izzo is always one of my, CHRIS BEARD: Yes, it's always been a part of our you know, idols. He's somebody I look up to. He's plan, not just as Texas Tech, but other schools we've been great to coaches. When I was a junior college been at. We basically just try to stay old. What I mean coach, small college coach, and a young assistant, I by that, I'll never forget the night we got the Texas Tech watched his teams practice any open practices at Final job and sitting around thinking, okay, how are we going Fours for years. In our program, we have terminology, to win a game? Are we going to outcoach people? Michigan State toughness, Tom Izzo rebounding. No. Bill Self, Lon Kruger, Bob Huggins, all of them -- These are things we tell our teams. It's almost surreal that's not going to be our plan here. that we'll be having a chance to coach and play against him. Number two, are we just going to outtalent people? No, that's not our plan. Recruiting is improving, and Just to his experience at Michigan State, when Coach we'd love to get to the point one day where we have Knight was in the Big Ten at Indiana, I think Coach Izzo four or five McDonald's All-Americans. But right now, has always gone out of his way to say nice things that's not who we are. So as we went down the list and about Coach Knight, and I've always respected that tried to get an identity. One of the things we thought from afar. I did have a chance to talk to him one time, was trying to be old. I think experience is everything. and he probably doesn't even remember it, but it was at a Peach Jam on the recruiting circuit, and he went out Last year's Elite Eight team that lost to Villanova had Rev #1 by #206 at 2019-04-01 19:28:00 GMT page 1 of 4 the five seniors, and this year we have four seniors. because you inherited some stuff that he built. The way we had to stay old was the graduate transfer market and just getting our guys better. But I think So I have the ultimate respect for Coach Smith and his sometimes to beat really, really good talented teams, wife, Mrs. Smith, and I love Coach Smith so much, I experience has always been part of our equation. bought his house from him. Q. Chris, congratulations. It wasn't a banner year Q. I know you mentioned coaches are calling you for the Big 12 otherwise in the NCAA Tournament and talking to you about getting tickets out of the with you guys the only ones getting out of the first way, and you mentioned Coach Knight and Coach weekend. I'm wondering, just the way that -- with Smith. Is there anyone else or any people that you the conference play and the complete double can kind of lean on for advice this week and going round robin and the coaches that you just through your first Final Four? How do you try to mentioned, just how the conference helped you approach it? guys get to where you are today? CHRIS BEARD: Yeah, absolutely. Great question. I've CHRIS BEARD: I think that's what makes college gone to the Final Four every year for my career. I just basketball unique and special. It's a one-shot deal with never coached there. The logistics of just getting our tournament. I'd be pretty quick to tell you that last around to practice and things like that, and I'm dealing year I think we had four teams in the Sweet 16, three with a whole other issue. But, no, in all seriousness, teams in the Elite Eight maybe. I think that's true. absolutely. We have two guys on our coaching staff Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Kansas, and Kansas here, Glynn Cyprien and Sean Sutton as an advisor, went to the Final Four. So I think year in and year out both participated in Final Fours, at Oklahoma State the Big 12's proven that we're one of the best with Coach Sutton, and I think Sean played in a Final conferences in college basketball. Four at Kentucky. Right here in house we rely on those guys a lot. Chris Ogden was on our staff last year, and In terms of the round robin, it's brutal when you're he was part of a Final Four at Texas. going through it, but it's just cool, man. The rivalries exist because you play everybody twice every year, So, yeah, it just starts kind of within the family, and then home and away. The coaching in this league is just the Big 12 family. I've gotten a text from, I think, every ridiculously good, and everybody has NBA players. coach in the league, and I actually had a chance to talk But I think for sure, no doubt about it, I always kind of to Coach Self and Coach Weber. I got some other grew up studying this stuff and being a student of the calls out to some guys. game. You hear about the grind helping you, but I think it does. The. Absolutely, you make calls. Simply stated, if a coach's job was put into one sentence, it would be to do The last two years, when we get to March, no matter everything he can to help this team win. With that, it's who's in front of us, we've played against a team just not just the Xs and Os, it's the Final Four, the event, as good in the Big 12. So as good as Michigan State how big this is, and just trying to give my guys all the is -- and believe me, they're really, really good, information they need. Even though I've never obviously -- we have played teams this year, Kansas coached in these games, I'll do my work, and I'll spend State and Iowa State, we have played Duke in the time on the phone talking to guys that know what nonconference. So for us, it's another great game. they're doing, and I'll get the information to the players. Q. Coach, just a lot of people that people don't Q.