In a press conference Thursday, Texas Tech, it has been confirmed, will announce what everyone already suspected: Associate Head Coach Chris Walker will take over for the resigned Billy Gillespie as head coach of the Red Raiders on an interim basis.
Walker, who was hired last season away from his development, recruiting and scouting duties as an assistant at Villanova, had already taken over for Gillespie after his Sep. 20 resignation, but only on a day-to-day basis.
The Houston native spent two seasons learning under Jay Wright at 'Nova, where Walker played college ball as a starting point guard in the early '90s when Wright was an assistant coach at the school. Coach Wright gave Walker a glowing review when Lubbock's 104.3 sports station asked about his fit as head coach at Texas Tech.
Walker also has spent time coaching at Vanderbilt, Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, New Mexico and UMass. He sports an impressive resume. If he can earn a few wins, especially in the Big 12, for this troubled Raiders team, Walker could win himself the full-time job. Certainly the possibility is there.
Texas Tech returns three starters from a team that struggled to go 8-23 last season with but one win over a Big 12 opponent.
For more on Gillespie's resignation under fire, here's a great piece by Jeff Eisenberg.
