Oct-Nov 2022

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Some impressive Texas Tech records:

• 22 receiving touchdowns in one season by Michael Crabtree in 2007.

• 47 points in a single Lady Raider game by Sheryl Swoopes—in the 1993 national championship game, Tech’s first team national title.

• 734 yards passing in a single game by Patrick Mahomes in 2016.

• Four visits to the College World Series in the last eight seasons for the Red Raider baseball team. In those eight seasons, no other team has made more trips to Omaha, with only a quartet having four trips—Arkansas, Texas, TCU and Vanderbilt.

• 18-0 men’s basketball’s home record last season at Unit ed Supermarkets Arena.

• 20 Olympians and 8 Olympic medalists from Wes Kittley’s track and field program and the 2019 men’s national title.

And the latest record - $104 million: Record fundraising for the Red Raider Club and Texas Tech Athletics in the fiscal year ending August 31 – first time the annual number has finished above $100 million.

The big reason for that number is fundraising for the combined Womble Football Center and South End Zone project for Jones AT&T Stadium an nounced in July and featured in the last issue of Red Raider Sports.

More than $80 million has been raised for the $200 million project including:

• $25 million from former Red Raider and NFL lineman Cody Campbell—also a Texas Tech University System Board of Regent.

• $20 million from Dusty Womble—also Texas Tech University System Board of Regent—following his multi-million-dollar gifts to fund the Dustin R. Womble Basketball Center—making him the largest donor in Athletics history.

• $10 million from John and Tracy Sellers. John is a former Red Raider football player and is Co-Chief Executive Offi cer at Double Eagle Energy. Tracy is a Texas Tech Softball Letterwinner.

• $10 million from Gary Petersen, Founder of EnCap Invest ments in Houston.

• $5 million from longtime Red Raider donor Mike Wallace of Midland.

But not all the $104 million is connected to the impressive project. It also includes gifts to the Red Raider Club annual fund which provides the foun dational needs of more than 300 student-athletes throughout the year. This includes full academic scholarship, academic support, technology, meals and nutrition supports, mental health education, leadership devel opment, and more.

And those areas—beyond world-class facilities—are what supports Tech student athletes every day.

“We are so proud of how our fundraising operation has grown. This past year was a special year for our fundraising efforts, and we continue to see tremendous growth opportunities in front of us,” said Andrea Tirey, Senior Associate Athletics Director, Development.

“We’re building our pipeline, continuing to build relationships every day, and paying close attention to the next generation of supporters. We are constantly building relationships with our Red Raider Club members and fans who valued their time at Tech and understand how charitable giving makes a difference for our student-athletes and the Double T brand,” she said..

Kevin Obanor appreciates how generous Red Raider fans help him every day as he gets ready for the 2022-23 basketball season after helping take Tech to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 last season.

“We’ve got resources quite a few NBA teams don’t even have,” said the senior who had double-doubles in all three of Tech’s NCAA Tourna ment games last year, adding to three more the year before with Oral Roberts University.

Tony Bradford, senior defensive lineman, echoed Obanor.

“It gets you emotional … you realize how many people care about this Double T and you’re part of something bigger than yourself when you’re

FUNDRAISING PINNACLE

BY TERRY GREENBERG

here. We’re so thankful for everybody who supports us, everybody who has donated to us, Athletics in general and Texas Tech in general. This is a special place and I’m excited about the future,” said Bradford.

Facility improvements and daily support make a difference in recruiting, said head football coach Joey McGuire recently.

As high school programs also keep up with advances in recovery, training and nutrition, more recruits come in with expectations, he said.

“Those kids ask a lot of questions. Their parents ask a lot of questions,” said McGuire.

The football program has a presentation for recruits covering these areas.

“It’s a huge deal when you’re talking about how we’re going to grow these kids into the best version of themselves football-wise,” he said.

Tim Tadlock, Red Raider baseball coach, is also appreciative.

“The support we receive from those who are in a position to help our pro gram and university is not something we take for granted,” said Tadlock. “That investment Red Raider Nation delivers for our student-athletes is a big part of the reason we have a first-class institution and it helps drive our success within our athletic department.”

FUNDRAISING

PINNACLE

For Travis and Carol Simpson, supporting their alma mater—where they met—is an easy call.

“Tech’s success is indicative of the quality of people leading the Athletic Department and Red Raider Club. That breeds more success because qual ity people want to be around quality people. There’s nobody better than Kirby Hocutt and the high-class, high-quality coaches he’s attracted – Joey McGuire, Mark Adams, Krista Gerlich and others,” said Travis.

The Simpsons were interviewed driving home to Lubbock from Kansas City, where they watched Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football, Oct. 10.

Director of Athletics Hocutt appreciates the fundraising momentum. “Our donors step up to give our student athletes the world-class experi ence we want them to have each and every day,” he said.

“We all know the landscape of college athletics is changing and the Red Raider Nation is helping us have the resources to compete at the highest levels,” he said.

Tremendous Growth Opportunity

The combination of competitive success spurring donations also has Tirey excited.

“We’re a 68-year-old organization but we didn’t have a sophisticated donor database until the 1990s. Kirby and I talk often about the opportunities we have in front of us,” she said.

Tirey sees a transition as more Tech fans support the Red Raider Club beyond tickets.

“The Red Raider Club—historically, like majority of athletic departments across the country—has historically been closely tied to tickets. Annual seat and premium contributions are an important part of our business, and we are grateful for all our members who give in this way. These donations are critical. We also want our fans and donors to support our student-ath letes and become members of the Red Raider Club even if they do not buy tickets and come to games. We want being a member of the Red Raider Club to be a priority for all Red Raiders. This is where we will see a lot of growth in the coming years. It is going to take everyone to keep growing our base,” she said.

We Want To Be Great

Recent success and faith in Tech’s leadership inspires Red Raiders to give at all levels and it all has an impact.

First, the gift from John and Tracy Sellers was actually $11 million to their alma mater, including $1 million to softball. The couple met their freshman year a little more than 20 years ago.

“I love Kirby,” said Sellers. “It’s not an easy job he has but look where Ath letics is today compared to when he arrived.”

“We don’t want to be average; we want to be great – and we have the best college football coach nobody knows about yet,” he added about McGuire, also mentioning other Tech sports that have excelled in the past few years.

Helping Athletics is the best way to promote Texas Tech overall, Sellers added.

“A kid lives in Chicago, watches the Final Four in 2019 and gets inter ested in Tech,” he said. “We need to continue to focus on making every sport as good as it can be to build the brand with conference realignment moving forward.”

Second, Wallace is a Midland resident and longtime supporter of the Red Raider Club as a football suite holder and men’s basketball season ticket holder.

Over the past few years, Wallace has gotten to know Hocutt and Tirey. He was invited on a trip to visit other college football training facilities –Texas A&M, Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma.

“They were fairly new. We wanted to see from a recruiting standpoint, what are these kids drawn to?” he said.

That got him involved in the project very early on and he agreed to the donation.

“We knew they needed some pretty large donations to make that work. I’m happy to be part of it and to have these relationships,” he said.

Lastly, the Simpsons met at Tech in 1980. Their first date was at the longgone Pizza Planet.

Travis got an electrical engineering degree and Carol an accounting degree. The couple moved all over the country during Travis’s career and raising their family, while Carol also did some accounting work.

Along that journey they became friends with Ruffin McNeill, former Tech assistant football coach, when McNeill was head coach at East Carolina, where one of their sons attended.

His parents lived in Lubbock, so they’d occasionally attend games when visiting or when one of their career stops landed them in Austin for a while.

Travis and daughter Courtney went to bowl games – the 2004 Holiday Bowl defeat of Aaron Rogers and Cal, the historic comeback against Minnesota in the 2006 Insight Bowl and 2007 Gator Bowl win over Virginia.

His dad played football in Arkansas and was a volunteer coach for Tech after settling in Lubbock following a military career.

“He knew J.T. King, Polk Robison and Berl Huffman,” said Travis, listing some of Tech’s famed former coaches.

Travis and Carol have been loyal Red Raider Club members.

“They send them Texas Tech stuff and indoctrinate them,” said Travis.

Their grandsons were in a basketball camp around the time the Red Raiders went to the 2019 Final Four.

“They were head to toe Texas Tech and other dads were asking our son-inlaw, ‘where did you get that?’” he said.

A Blessing

Money the Red Raider Club raises goes toward scholarships and the dayto-day resources for student athletes, such as:

• Nutrition

• Strength and conditioning

• Sports medicine

• Mental health support

• Academic support

Since arriving in Lubbock, Obanor appreciates what he, his teammates and all Tech student athletes have.

“One of my favorite players is LeBron (James). Just to see the things he does with his body –and he’s still playing at year 20. That’s just a testimony to what he does,” said Obanor, sitting courtside in the basketball “Womble” across the street from United Supermarkets Arena.

“Your body’s everything,” Obanor added.

He can work out five times a day, but that’s just a part of the equation, he said. Getting the proper amount of quality sleep and eating right are equally important.

“It really opened my eyes to realize how important your body is and what you’re doing off the court for any athlete. It’s very important. They feed you the right things and healthy things,” Obanor said.

With the support he has at Tech, Obanor said he feels great going into this coming season compared to a year ago.

“I feel 100 times better. The main thing any player needs is confidence. Once you feel good, you’ll play good. Just to have the superior confidence in your body to know you’re 100 percent, you worked on a lot of things to strengthen your body to prevent injuries. It gives you that competitive edge right there and makes you feel unstoppable,” he said.

The Womble has hot and cold tubs, cryotherapy, sleep chambers where Obanor can get “some good, healthy oxygen” and more.

“To have all this luxurious stuff is a blessing. It just shows how invested Tech is with the student athletes,” he added.

Details are important, he added, such as knowing how much pressure a Red Raider puts on his left foot or right foot.

“We do tests jumping – how much pressure do you put on your left foot compared to your right foot. If I’m putting 70 percent of the pressure on my left foot compared to my right foot, I’m more bound to get an injury with my left foot since it’s not equal, like 50-50,” he said.

Sensors help track other stress and strain players put on their body, so Obanor knows when he needs to slow down or “bump it up” during a work out to hopefully keep him from an injury during the season.

“All of it really helps a player fully maximize their potential. That’s really what this is all about,” he said.

It is donations to Texas Tech Athletics that make resources like this possible. It is donations to Texas Tech Athletics that help every stu dent-athlete compete at the highest levels and represent the Double T throughout the nation. “We are grateful to everyone that helped us reach this milestone of raising more than $100 million in a single year,” said Tirey. “It is a special time to be a Red Raider and we will continue to work hard to build relationships and grow our base in order to continue to provide every resource on and off the field to our more than 400 stu dent-athletes and 17 programs.”

PATRICK MAHOMES II On Getting Inducted Into the Hall of Fame

On October 29, Patrick Mahomes II was inducted into the Texas Tech Athletic Hall of Fame in a ceremony prior to Tech’s football game against Baylor. Later, during a halftime ceremony, he was inducted as the eighth member of Tech’s Football Ring of Honor. During an action packed day at the stadium, Mahomes sat down with us to talk about his time at Tech and more.

RRS: Thoughts on getting into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame. What does that mean to you?

PH: Getting into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame, it’s a tremendous honor. Whenever I first got here at Texas Tech, I would’ve never even expected it. And to be able to go out there and make an impact on the field but off the field as well. To be inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame is something that I’ll have for the rest of my life and always look back on.

RRS: You’re now one of only eight names in the Ring of Honor that will be up there as long as the stadium is here. Is this ever something you would dream of, your name being up there?

PH: It’s something that you hope to have a chance to be in that ring. I mean there are so many great players in that ring, from Crabtree, Rivera, Ander son, players that have put the impact on the field and shown how great Texas Tech football is. To be able to play on this field and make an impact and have my name in that Ring, and that every player that comes after will be able to see it, is something that I never thought I would get and I’m glad I’m at the day that I’m getting it.

RRS: You have talked about you see good times ahead for Texas Tech football. What do you see now when you look at the program and the future of Texas Tech?

PH: Yeah, when you look at Texas Tech in general and you see in athletics how we’ve succeeded in everything, from basketball, baseball, track and field, everything. How football, the momentum that we have now and the coaching staff, the players, they believe. I think that’s a big thing is they’re going out there believing they’re going to win every single week. And I’m excited with all the new facilities and that momentum that we can go out there and go out and win a Big 12 Championship, cause at the end of the day, that’s the main goal.

RRS: When you look up at Arrowhead and you see Texas Tech there, does it give you some pride to say, “My Alma Mater is giving back to my organization here?”

PH: It gives me tremendous pride. Everybody asks me about it. They’re like, ‘How’s Texas Tech’s logo up there on the scoreboard?’ I’m just like, ‘Cause the Red Raiders, we’re everywhere.’ We have pride in each other. To be able to have that logo up there at Arrowhead and to look in the stands and see almost as many Texas Tech jerseys as you see Chiefs jerseys because that’s how much the alumni cares about the players. They care about me and how much pride that I have in Texas Tech and that’s something that we’ll carry on forever.

RRS: The city of Lubbock has probably been a Dallas Cowboys town forever. Now you see more

Chiefs jerseys, everyone is saying when the Chiefs play, everyone wants to go watch the Chiefs on television. Does that surprise you that the rela tionship still exists within you and this community?

PH: It doesn’t surprise me. The only thing that surprises me is that I know how much these fans loved the Cowboys before the Chiefs became a part of the deal, so that surprises me a little bit that people have kind of turned those Cowboys jerseys in for Chiefs jerseys. But when you meet the people out here in Lubbock, you know how much they support Texas Tech. They support the students and the players and the student ath letes that are here. So whenever I’m at a Chiefs game and I see those Chiefs jerseys or if I get back in Lubbock and see those Chiefs jerseys, that’s just the good ol’ people of Lubbock, Texas showing their support like they always have.

RRS: When you look ahead to Texas Tech in the future and the relationship with the Chiefs, how would you describe it overall? You don’t see this with a lot of great players and their connection with a university.

PH: I think it’s combining two great fan bases, com bining two great cities that love and support their players. When you’re in Lubbock you understand how much they love Texas Tech, how much they love coming out on game days and being there and filling the Jones up. And then same thing in Kansas City, they want to be in Arrowhead, they want to support their players on and off the field. I think with me going from Texas Tech to going to Kansas City with the Kansas City Chiefs, I think these fan bases have kind of combined into one. It’s something that’s special to see and I’m glad I still get to enjoy those Texas Tech fans, even on Sundays.

RRS: We’ve seen you in Minneapolis for the Final Four, you’ve gone to Omaha, you tweet about Texas Tech all the time. What’s that rela tionship like for you as a Red Raider?

PH: I have tremendous pride in Texas Tech athletics, and obviously the football team, and I think the biggest thing for me is I want to enjoy the success that Texas Tech has and I know that it’s going to continue to get even better and better in every sport. My main goal is that one day I’m going to a college football playoff game and I’m there support ing the Red Raiders, so that’s the goal that I want to happen.

RRS: Favorite memory when you played at Tex as Tech?

PH: I mean my favorite memory at Texas Tech is when we beat the Texas Longhorns down in Austin, I believe it was on Thanksgiving Day. To be able to go down there to their home and win a game there, you know how much it hurts them and how much pride we have at Texas Tech, so that’s something I’ll always have.

RRS: I love that video of you as a freshman where you’re coming out of Whitehouse. Why Texas Tech?

PH: It was the people. 100% the people. Kings bury (Kliff) came down there and recruited me. I got up to Lubbock, and I was here one time and I understood that this was the place for me. The people and how they supported me, how they supported my family, I knew that I could be here for the long run, and I’ll be here forever now.

GOLF TEAM WINS

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

WINS CHAMPIONSHIP

The Texas Tech men’s golf team went into the Big 12 Match Play Championships as the top ranked team in the country and top seed in the event. The Red Raiders proved up to the task, taking down Oklahoma on the final day to become the only program in the Big 12 to win the event more than once. The Red Raiders and Coach Greg Sands celebrated with a sold out Jones AT&T Sta dium crowd during the Baylor game.

TRACY SAUL REFLECTS ON HIS TIME PLAYING FOR TEXAS TECH

BY TERRY GREENBERG

Three decades after Tracy Saul last frustrated opposing quarterbacks with his aerial thievery, his career record of 25 interceptions still tops the Texas Tech football record book by a large margin.

Second is Ring of Honor member Elmer Tarbox with 17.

Tarbox owns the single season interception record with 11 in 1938. Three others own second place with eight picks in one season:

• Douglas Coleman III in 2019

• John Thompson in 1951

• And Saul twice—in 1989 and 1991

“It’s pretty special. It’s neat for my kids to see that. It’s a neat honor for it to still be hanging around. At times it doesn’t seem real,” said Saul from Waco, where he lives.

“I feel so fortunate. I had so many good people around me – starting with the coaching staff, all my teammates. It was just the best atmosphere,” he added.

“Good People” Sold Saul on Tech

Saul came to Tech from nearby Idalou, where he played football, basket ball and track.

He attended basketball camps run by then-Red Raider head basketball coach Gerald Myers, now Athletic Director Emeritus and played summer league basketball in Lubbock.

“That was a fun deal. A lot of college guys played. Guys from Lubbock Christian University. Curry Blackwell was on my team,” said Saul of the sharpshooting member of LCU’s Hall of Honor.

Saul also played in summer league games against Todd Duncan, who’s been LCU’s men’s basketball coach since the 2011-12 season.

“He taught me several lessons,” said Saul.

Saul remembers going to Tech football games when you could sit in the grass section for $5. Some of his favorite players were Billy Joe Tolliver, Ted Watts, Lubbock’s Bruce Perkins, Merv Scurlark and Boyd Cowan.

Saul knew he wanted to play for a Southwest Conference school and was thinking of going to other schools than Tech. But he was sold on staying closer to home after a visit.

“The people, the coaches, the university,” he said. Saul wanted a marketing degree and was impressed by the people he met in the College of Business along with the football staff.

“It was good people more than anything,” he said.

Memorable Wins Against Texas, Arkansas

Saul’s favorite game as a Red Raider was knocking off ranked Texas in Austin 24-17 his freshman year in 1989.

Saul picked off one pass and took a punt 64 yards deep into Texas terri tory before he was caught from behind, according to the 1990 Texas Tech football media guide.

Another memorable game was beating Arkansas on the road, 4944 in 1990.

Tech had lost 12 of the previous 13 games against the Razorbacks, who were driving in Tech territory for what would be a winning touchdown late in the game.

Saul broke up a pass near the goal line on a second-down play. After a short run, a fourth-down pass was incomplete and Tech held on.

That season opened with a trip to Ohio State. Even though Tech lost 17-10, Saul called the visit to Columbus and one of the hallowed halls of college football a “great experience.”

What Went Into All Those Interceptions

Saul credits a lot of things for 25 picks.

“I was fortunate enough to get to play in a defense for Coach (Carlos) Mainord, our defensive coordinator. I got to play in a defense that kind of allowed me to just sit back there and watch,” said Saul, who added watch ing the opposing quarterback’s eyes from his free safety position was a big part of it.

“But studying film during the week was also really big. Coach Mainord re ally harped on that,” said Saul.

Film study helped him know what play was coming and where he wanted to be. Another clue was looking at how offensive linemen set up.

“You could tell early whether they were running or passing the ball,” he said. “Teams also had tendencies. Every team has them to this day. When they get into a certain formation they like to run “these” plays out of them – 80 percent of the time they run this pass pattern. Being able to process that in your head and kind of have it memorized was really beneficial,” said Saul.

Saul emphasized his defensive teammates putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks also helped his picks.

“We had some good guys up front back then – Charles Perry, Tom Mathias meier, Mike Liscio, John Pitts, Shawn Jackson,” said Saul.

Early during his freshman year, he only came in during the “nickel” defense when an extra defensive back was used. But even with limited playing time, he snared his first interception in the 1989 opening game against Arizona. Later that year, Saul twice picked off eventual Heisman Trophy winner An dre Ware in Houston’s 40-24 win over the Red Raiders.

The run-and-shoot offense Houston and other teams ran during Saul’s playing days – featuring more passing – was another reason Saul listed for his number of career interceptions.

A Record Career

Saul is also fourth in the Tech record book for career punt returns and punt return yardage – 90 returns for 902 yards.

The three Red Raiders ahead of him are Wes Welker, Tyrone Thur man and Danny Amendola. Welker and Amendola went on to play in Super Bowls.

Saul scored on one of those 90 punt returns against SMU the final game of the 1990 season.

“SMU punted it toward the sideline. Coach (Spike) Dykes was always so good with special teams and our blockers had a wall built so I just went right down the sideline. Those guys had it walled off. I shouldn’t take a whole lot of credit for that one because all those other guys made it happen,” he said.

Saul’s still in touch with some of his former teammates – mentioning Ben Kirkpatrick, Steve Carr and Stance Labaj.

He also runs into former Red Raiders who are coaching through his business.

Playing For Spike, A Little Bit of Hoops

Saul loved playing for Dykes, who passed away in 2017.

“He’s one of the best people you could ever meet. He really cared about you. Coach Dykes and his staff were second to none,” said Saul, adding he sees the same now in Tech coach Joey McGuire. “He cares about those guys. You don’t see that much anymore.”

Saul also tried to play basketball his freshman year for Myers after the foot ball team played in the All-American Bowl – a 49-20 win over ranked Duke.

He suited up for a couple of games.

“But I felt guilty I was there on a football scholarship and felt I needed to be in the weight room with all the other guys. So I had to quit,” he said.

After his senior season of football – which included playing in the Japan Bowl and East-West Shrine Game all-star games – he played Red Raider basketball for coach James Dickey.

A Career in Business, With A Sports Connection

Saul worked for a bank before deciding to try coaching at Lubbock Cooper High School.

“I thought I’m still young. I’ll find out if that works or not. It was probably one of the most fun things I’ve done. But I just couldn’t see myself being 60 years old trying to teach a kid how to tackle,” he said.

His father had taken over a sporting goods company that needed help.

“I knew I wanted to be involved in sports,” said Saul, who got involved in the company – E.C. Frazier – which he now runs in Waco.

“We’re a manufacturer’s rep – we have 15 different salesmen who cover 22 states,” said Saul, working with sporting goods stores.

The company also has a distribution warehouse handling imported prod ucts and some that E.C. Frazier manufactures. They also do third-party logistics for other companies.

“It’s a good business. We always said we were in a recession-proof business because kids are always going to play baseball and basketball,” he said, adding the company had to navigate the challenge with the COVID pandem ic, when kids didn’t play for a few months.

Family Life In Waco

Saul’s married to wife Kyna, who’s from East Texas.

They have two daughters – Shelby goes to Tech and Cambry is a high school senior in Waco.

What’s it like for a Red Raider to be surrounded by all those Baylor Bears? “It’s not good,” said Saul, joking. “I didn’t know if I was going to make it here for a long time. My wife and I kept saying we’re going to go somewhere else. But there’s a good number of Tech people here, so it’s not too bad.”

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FARDAWS AIMAQ

BY WES BLOOMQUIST

You know those stories that begin with a wom an and a man fleeing war-torn Afghanistan be fore bringing the focus to modern day with their son playing basketball in Lubbock, Texas? You know, the ones where the woman escapes Ka bul to San Antonio and the man from Herat to Germany. They don’t know each other at that time, but somehow wind up in Canada, meet at a party the man’s uncle is hosting in Toronto, fall in love, have two children and establish a life in Vancouver, British Columbia. Their oldest son grows to be near 7-feet tall and leads the NCAA in rebounding one year, double-doubles the next. After four years and two different American universities, he explores the NBA Draft process for the second straight summer before ultimately deciding to transfer to Texas Tech University. You’ve heard this before, right?

This is another one of those stories. This one’s about Fardaws Aimaq, the eldest son of Shahnaz and Faramarz.

A 6-foot-11 Afghan Canadian who’s averaged 16.9 points, 14.2 rebounds and recorded 41 dou ble-doubles over the past two seasons, Fardaws is living a personal legend that Shahnaz and Faramarz dreamed could be possible one day for their children. They had grown up in Afghan istan through the Soviet Union occupation of their country and would not experience free dom until later in their life on a different conti nent. During their teenage years, war was their reality. Survival and freedom their goal. An article in The Atlantic summarizes the conflict with this passage: The Soviet Union entered neighboring Afghanistan in 1979, attempting to shore up the newly established pro-Soviet regime in Kabul. In the brutal nine-year conflict, an estimated one million civilians were killed, as well as 90,000 Mujahideen fighters, 18,000 Afghan troops, and 14,500 Soviet sol diers. Shahnaz and Faramarz lived through it all, hoping throughout their teenage years that peace would come, before ultimately fleeing the

region as no end seemed possible and freedom became an option.

“I really didn’t understand all their sacrifices and what they went through when I was growing up,” Fardaws says. “I do now. It’s really incredible when you get to know where we come from and why they had to leave.”

“It’s hard leaving family, no matter the reason,” says his father, Faramaz, who was 19-years-old when he fled his homeland in 1989. “It was hard for us to leave Afghanistan even though it was so dangerous. We didn’t want to leave. I had to walk across the border to Pakistan with my mom before getting to Germany. My mom still lives in Germany. We left a lot of people behind who we loved. It was just getting worse and worse. We wanted a better life. I’ve never been back.”

Fardaws Aimaq walks into the offices at the Womble Basketball Center 10 minutes early for a meeting that will start nearly three hours later. It’s the first day of August and Texas Tech head coach Mark Adams is meeting with each player after two months of summer workouts. Fardaws, who signed with Texas Tech on May 7, 2022, is scheduled to talk with some of the coaching staff and Adams at 11:20 a.m., but with three teammates sprawled out on the couches in the lobby waiting it’s immediately obvious that’s not going to happen. “Let’s go down to the court,” Fardaws turns and says to Tech staff member Matt Scherbenske. An impromptu individual workout has just been booked. “Come back at 2,” Adams’ executive assistant Briana Whita ker tells them as she scrambles to reschedule multiple meetings and they’re already halfway down the stairs.

Fardaws is unfazed. It’s almost like this was part of the plan.

“If you’re fixed on a certain way things are sup posed to be or how they’ll go, you’re going to

run into a lot of problems and create negative energy,” he says. “You can set yourself up for disappointment when you really don’t need to. I think it’s important to always be open to change and be ready for anything.”

The past five years, now bringing him to his fourth American city, has taught him about being prepared to adjust. After high school in Canada, he went to Maine for prep school, spent his freshman season playing at Mercer Univer sity in Georgia and then was at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah the past three years. After redshirting his first year at Utah Valley, he played the past two and became one of the most dominant players in the nation. Fardaws led the nation with 15.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore and had 27 double-doubles which was the most going into the NCAA Tournament last year. In the 2020-21 season he earned WAC Player of the Year and WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors and last season he was named WAC Defensive Player of the Year for the sec ond straight year.

Fardaws explains his nickname “The Big Maple” during an episode of Outside the Arena. As a kid, Fardaws was focused on mixed martial arts. He earned a black belt at 7. Fardaws en joyed going to the gym with his father who loved MMA and was unfamiliar with basketball having grown up in Afghanistan. On the mat, his athleti cism was on display and he was instilling a fight er’s mentality. It wasn’t until his teenage years that Fardaws started playing basketball. He was average size at that time but grew to be about 6-foot-1 in junior high, 6-3 as a freshman and 6-5 the next year. “I was a consistent grower. Two inches a year really. When I started growing like that I started playing a lot more basketball.”

When players grow to be 6-foot-11 and have the success Aimaq had at Utah Valley, options expand and questions about the future are nearly impossible to keep out of their minds these

AIMAQ

days. If they’re not there organical ly, people around them will start asking what’s next. It happens to every program, regardless of level or suc cess the program had the previous years. May be not directly, but guys in his position hear the questions. Fardaws started thinking of what else could be accomplished? What was going to help him improve the most? What was his ultimate goal? Where would he go if he was to leave? Those thoughts, those subtle ques tions, kept leading him to putting his name into the transfer portal for the second time.

He wanted to land in a place that believed in him and could help him progress even more. He was also going through the NBA Draft process where he worked out for New York, Golden State, Indi ana, Atlanta and Sacramento. He learned something new each time. When the Red Raiders were recruiting him, Adams and his staff had a large enough sample size to understand his talent. After making the Sweet 16 last season, four straight NCAA Tournaments and consistently being atop defensive rankings, Tech also had something to lure him in. Even after he commit ted to Tech, he said it was about “50-50” on coming to Lubbock or staying in the NBA Draft.

“When I was going through the NBA process of working out for teams and talking to GMs, it kept coming back to me that Texas Tech was the best spot for me this year,” Fardaws says. “They broke it down for me by showing me that I needed to improve defensively. Defense at another level that is NBA translatable is what they said. I agreed. Told them I was ready for any challenge.”

It’s 1:57 in the afternoon when the meeting with Adams and a group of staff members begins. In a circle on the outdoor patio, Fardaws is joined by Darryl Dora, Scherbenske, George Neilson and Luke Adams. The group of coaches have been an important part of his life since recruiting began and even more so when he first arrived on campus to begin work in June. He bought into them. They bought into him. They’re all in this together.

What can we do better to help you? What do you think your fighting weight is? What do you think you do best? This is how Adams begins the meet ing. Asking questions. Listening to the responses.

“I’ve had a great experience so far,” Fardaws tells the coaches. “I’ve loved the team and work ing with Coach Darby. I’ve seen improvements in every area we’ve worked on this summer. It was a great eight weeks of getting better. We’re go ing 100 percent in my individuals. It’s really been quality time every time we get to work.”

Adams listens as Fardaws gives his self-assess ment, occasionally stopping him to give his opinions and to ask the coaches their thoughts. He starts listing positives, emphasizing skillset, height, impact on defense and offense. He tells him that he thinks he can be the most impact ful player on the team, but that he will have to embrace that role.

“It really all comes down to you,” Adams says. “We love you. We love the way you play and the person you are. I want you to see yourself as being our George Foreman. See yourself as a champion. Be a leader by playing hard all the time and influence your teammates. You can do that. We know you can.”

There’s a sense that this has been the message Adams has wanted Fardaws to understand from the beginning. The one he needs him to embrace before the season begins. Maybe he hasn’t told Fardaws it every day, but more than likely some one has heard it. “What do you guys think,” Adams asks the circle.

“Have confidence in yourself,” Neilson says. “You’ve done this against high-level competi

tion and have played really well. You’re one of the most talented players I’ve ever been around in college. You can dribble, pass and shoot re ally well for your size. Just believe in yourself. You need to approach each day by going out and dominating. You can take over when you’re playing with the confidence that you’ve earned.”

“I’m always screaming at practice, ‘go score’,” Dora says. “We believe in you. Coach wants you to go get it. We need you to go get it.”

“You have a switch,” Scherbenske adds to the conversation. “Your skill set is unbelievable, but when you start playing with that ‘dog’ it takes it to another level. We think you can be a monster for our team. That’s why you’re here.”

Adams reemphasizes to him that the coach ing staff sees him as a highly intelligent play er. That’s important. There were times when Fardaws thought his size was the most import ant part to the game. Now, in his fifth year in the college basketball game, he understands there is a lot more than his physicality. “Daws,” Adams says. “Own what is yours and you’ll be great.” As the meeting starts to wind down, Adams makes another emphasis. He wants him to get stronger with his jump hook and his dribble down. He wants to maximize his ability and tal ent. “Keep working on those things,” Adams says. “Catch the ball and be a threat right away. Don’t wait for the defense to get set. Attack.”

Fardaws has spent the past 30 minutes on the patio enjoying a 100-degree Texas summer and open dialogue of his work from the past eight weeks when the session wraps up. He stands and gives each of the coaches a hug. Adams is

still seated. “Block more shots. Rebound on both sides of the court. Let’s improve our decision making. Can we get three assists a game from you?” Adams adds before standing up and giving Fardaws a hug. “We’ll do anything we can to help you. We love you.”

“Love you too, coach,” Fardaws says as he steps back inside.

Few players in the nation will have a resume re motely resembling Aimaq’s when he steps onto the court as a Red Raider later this fall for the first time. He’s already recorded 1,056 points and 918 rebounds through three collegiate sea sons and will enter next season third on the ac tive career list with 11.1 rebounds per game and fifth with 41 double-doubles. His 41 double-dou bles have come in 83 games played and he’s av eraging 12.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in his career (16.9 ppg./14.2 rpg. the past two seasons). Those 41 double-doubles came in the past two seasons, without one in his first year Mercer and then without one in only 13 of 54 games at Utah Valley.

He’ll turn 24-years-old midway through this season and has produced staggering numbers throughout the years. In high school, he averaged 27.5 points, 17.8 rebounds, 5.8 blocks and 2.5 as sists per game in his final season at Richmond’s Steveston-London Secondary. His team won two city titles and three district titles. He earned three city MVPs and three district MVPs. As a junior, he scored 40 points and secured 32 rebounds in a state championship loss. “That’s honestly the first moment I thought about playing in the NBA one day,” he says. In his senior season, his hometown newspaper writer Mark Booth penned this in the Richmond-News, “That breeze coming from Mc Nair Secondary on Thursday night was probably the collective sigh of relief from opposing coaches knowing Fardaws Aimaq had played his final game in the Richmond Senior Boys Basketball League. The 6-foot-10 Grade 12 standout put on one final show in front of a capacity crowd with 44 points and 25 rebounds in leading the Steveston-London Sharks to their second straight city championship in a 94-87 win over the McMath Wildcats. In an era where true post players in the Richmond League are as rare finding an empty parking spot at Cost co on Saturdays, Aimaq has been a difference maker the past two seasons.”

His legend was growing, but despite interest from programs throughout the college bas ketball landscape, Fardaws decided to attend prep school at Bridgton Academy in Maine where he averaged 18.6 points and 13.8 re bounds. It was his first time away from his parents and forced him to grow.

“Once I started seeing progress through the hard work that I was putting in and had people believ ing in me, I felt the sky was the limit,” he says. “I’ve worked to get the confidence I have right now. Some young guys come in thinking they’re

about to take over the world. I wasn’t like that. I had height and size from the beginning, but mentally I needed to develop. I needed to work and see results to build my confidence in the game.”

Fardaws was a freshman at Mercer the same season Tech was making its run to the 2019 Final Four in Minneapolis. He would average a teamhigh 5.3 rebounds despite logging only 14.9 min utes per game. Playing in 29 games and starting five, the season was far from dominant with him scoring just 5.0 points per game, but solid pro duction did show him what was possible. He had a season-best 13 rebounds in a win over Wofford, went for 14 points against Georgia Southern and came close to his first career double-double with 11 rebounds and nine points against Chattanoo ga. Those are solid numbers, but consistency wasn’t there like it would soon be at Utah Valley. His view of himself as a freshman at Mercer is drastically different than now.

“I was 280 pounds after my freshman year at Mercer,” he says. “I had to change that and work on my skill level. I learned that college basketball was going to be a grind after that season. It’s not easy. I know I could have done more there if I was in the same mentality I am right now. I needed to mature. You live and you learn.”

After a year in Maine and one in Macon, Georgia, Fardaws was ready to make his third move along this journey. His time at Mercer showed some promise, but it also exposed some realities. A coaching change was made by administration and as he accessed his situation, he started thinking a change of his own was needed. This would be his first time in the transfer portal and brought interest from programs at various lev els throughout the nation. At 6-11, interest will always be there, but remember, he had only av eraged just over five rebounds and points per game in his first season in limited minutes. His resume didn’t pop, but Utah Valley University head coach Mark Madsen saw the potential in the big man. Even as we come to today, three years after Madsen and Fardaws connected for the first time going into the 2019-20 season, you can tell that going to Utah Valley was one of the best decisions he’s made.

It’s that way because there wasn’t any tension about leaving UVU for Texas Tech. No ill will. This summer’s decision to transfer wasn’t about anything but opportunity. At Tech, he knew that he would be putting himself in a position to play against the best competition in the nation on a nightly basis. Every game would be on ESPN and home games would be sold out. Utah Val ley was special for him though. It still is. There’s no doubt choosing to play there changed his life and set him up for success. He maintains respect for having received great coaching at Utah Valley for three seasons from Madsen and his staff. Madsen played in the Final Four while a student-athlete at Stanford and won NBA Cham-

pionships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001 and 2002. He was teammates with Shaq and Kobe before going into coaching and the main reason Fardaws decided to attend Utah Valley. “Coach Madsen showed me things I never knew before. In that short amount of time, my eyes opened up, and I said, ‘I have to play for that dude’.” Fardaws said about his recruiting visit to Utah Valley in an ESPN feature written by Kevin Connors last season.

“Fardaws Aimaq is not only an immensely tal ented player, but he is always working,” said Madsen for this story, two months after Fardaws had transferred to Texas Tech. “In our condition ing tests he was almost running with the point guards. His drive to win is special. He is the con summate professional.”

“It was very rewarding and humbling playing at Utah Valley,” Aimaq says. “We had a great coaching staff that put us in position to succeed. They believed in me and helped me develop on the court and as a person. I needed that. There’s no way I lead the country in rebounding if they hadn’t worked so hard with me. They worked with me on my skill and strength all the time. They saw where I could get to before I even did.”

Utah Valley is the largest university in the state of Utah with over 40,000 students. It’s just a 10-minute crosstown drive to Brigham Young University but would take 14 hours if you wanted to travel by car from Lubbock. The Wolverines play out of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) that is currently constitut ed with Texas athletic programs from Abilene Christian, Sam Houston, SFA, UT Arlington and UTRGV. To the west of campus is Utah Lake,

Salt Lake City is to the north and to the east is mountain ranges and national forests. This is where Fardaws became the “Big Maple”. Where he forced the nation to take notice of the basketball program in Orem.

For two seasons at Utah Valley, Fardaws dom inated. He earned WAC Player of the Year and WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020-21 and was named WAC Defensive Player of the Year again last season. He played in 54 games at Utah Valley, averaging 16.9 points and 14.2 rebounds per game for the Wolverines. Like a caged Wolverine (UVU mascot reference), Fardaws came out fighting right away after a redshirt season in 2019-20 due to his transfer. His first game at UVU saw him go off for 24 points and 18 rebounds against Adams State, his last was 20 points and 11 rebounds in a 2022 WAC Tournament second-round loss to Abilene Christian. Those performances and the other 52 games between them produced 765 total rebounds with 191 coming on the of fensive end.

As a sophomore, Fardaws led the nation with 15.0 rebounds per game and was eighth with 14 double-doubles. His 15.0 rebounds per game where the first time a player in the NCAA aver aged over 15 rebound since the 1979-80 season when Larry Smith had 18.1 for Alcorn. That pro duction came in 22 games due to COVID alter ations and included a career-high 25 rebounds against Utah Tech where he also had 18 points. Against Wyoming, he had 27 points and 20 rebounds and went for 29 points and 14 rebounds at Seattle. Game after game he filled the stat sheet and helped Utah Valley to a share of the 2020-21 WAC regular season championship.

“That was a crazy year,” Fardaws says. “I didn’t play the year before and had just been working on getting better. I dreamed of a season like that the whole time. It’s still crazy to think about averaging 15 rebounds a game.”

After exploring NBA Draft options last sum mer, Fardaws officially withdrew his name on July 7, 2021 and announced he’d be returning to Orem. “I’m coming back for my junior year and I’m ready to dominate this conference and am ready to be one of the best players in the country,” said Fardaws when he made his an nouncement. He understood that coming back to play for the Wolverines after posting 15.0 re bounds, 13.9 points and earning the top honor in the WAC would put a target on him. He knew that going through the NBA Draft process was add ed pressure. Coming back meant that he would need to keep improving and show even more. He embraced that. Talked with Madsen about it. De signed a plan to make it happen.

“They pushed me to take on a lot last season,” Aimaq says. “Before the season we talked about me needing to be a guy that scored, rebounded, defended and was the leader at all times. That’s a lot to take on. I was ready for it though. They knew I was. It’s strange, but it was almost like a switch flipped and I was ready for anything they needed me to be for the team.”

In 32 games last season, Fardaws finished with 18.9 points, 13.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game. He led the nation in the regular season with 26 double-doubles, including going for 15/15 at Washington, before completing the year with his 27th in the loss to ACU. It was another dominating season that saw him take some of the NBA Draft process feedback and implement it into his game. Part of that was expanding the court. As a freshman at Mercer he took one 3-pointer all season. He made it. His sophomore season at Utah Valley also saw him take just one 3-pointer. He also made it. Fardaws had already proved to be a beast inside, but he took notes and went to work. Last year, he was 20-for-46 on 3-pointers. That’s a 43.5 conversion rate for someone who had only shot two 3-pointers the past two season combined.

Make no mistake. No one is expecting him to be come Steph Curry though. That’s not who he is. Not who Tech needs him to be. The Wolverines won 20 games last season with Fardaws dom inating inside. He had three games with dou ble-doubles of 20 or more points and 20 or more rebounds. The first came against BYU and is an example of how he had grown from his sopho more to junior season at Utah Valley. In his first matchup against BYU as a sophomore (2020-21), Fardaws was limited to three points and seven rebounds. A year later, he went off for 24 points, 22 rebounds, three blocks, four assists and five steals as the Wolverines earned a 72-65 over time win over No. 12 BYU. It was UVU’s first ever

win over a top-25 opponent and showed Fardaws that the work he was putting in was paying off. “Sometimes shots don’t fall but at the end of the day, our fight, our nastiness, and our ability to get to the paint and get fouled and control the glass showed out tonight. This team is something special and it’s just the start of a great year,” said Fardaws after the game. He was 2-for-4 on 3-pointers against BYU, but had also posted a season-high eight offensive rebounds and se cured his seventh straight double-double.

He would finish the season third nationally over all in double-doubles last season behind only Armando Bacot who had 31 for North Carolina and Oscar Tshiebwe’s 28 after postseason runs. Fardaws was also second in rebounding, behind only Tshiebwe who led the country with 15.1 re bounds per game for Kentucky. He played seven fewer games than Bacot who helped lead UNC to the NCAA Championship Final and two less than Tshiebwe who earned National Player of the Year.

Despite two seasons of dominance, ESPN would rank Fardaws at No. 20 in the college basketball transfer rankings for 2022-23 season, behind eight forwards and two centers.

“I still have work to do,” says Fardaws who chose Tech over Washington, Gonzaga, Iowa and Texas. “I’m motivated.”

“His time is coming,” his dad adds. “We believe in him. “He’s made hard decisions and sacrifices. We believe in him.”

Fardaws made his move to Texas Tech on Monday, May 30. It was a 6 a.m. flight out of Salt Lake City with one stop at DFW before Flight 5822 landed at 11:55 a.m. in Lubbock. His jour ney, the one that started with his parents fleeing Afghanistan, to his time in Maine, Georgia, Utah and now Texas turns out to be one of those sto ries that maybe we haven’t heard so much of. He arrived at Tech as one of the most experienced players on the roster, joining Kevin Obanor who is coming off a season for the Red Raiders where he averaged 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game after he had spent three years at Oral Roberts. Tech only returns three players with 24.3 percent of its rebounding production and 17.9 percent of its scoring from last year’s ros ter. Obanor and Aimaq graduated high school the same year, while D’Maurian Williams (Gard ner-Webb), De’Vion Harmon (Oregon/Oklahoma) and Kerwin Walton (North Carolina) also came in this summer from the portal. Daniel Batcho will played in 33 games last season, averaging 2.7 rebounds and 2.2 points while KJ Allen played in 19. It’ll be a younger team than the past couple of seasons with seven freshman, but it’s a group that Fardaws has enjoyed over the summer.

“I really love the way this team has come together so quickly,” he says. “It’s only been two months since we all got here, but I feel like we’ve built a brotherhood al

ready. When things aren’t going so smooth in the sea son you need to be able to trust the guys next to you. It’s crazy how fast this is all coming together for us.”

Here are some of his teammates and coach es thoughts.

Kevin Obanor, Tech senior forward: His presence in the paint will command a double team. Daws is a very versatile player with very impressive rebounding intangibles.

Al Pinkins, Tech assistant coach: The kid is in the gym 24/7. He is very crafty for his size and his basketball IQ is of the charts. This summer has helped him figure out the pace that you have to play at in the Big 12.

De’Vion Harmon, Tech senior guard: Obviously tall. Strong, super skilled and can really shoot it.

Darby Rich, Tech strength and conditioning coach: We were really pleased with how the training he was doing in the weight room began to carry over to the court as the summer pro gressed. Daws really struggled with the phys icality of our early practices, from holding his ground to actually holding on to the basketball. As he worked to get stronger, you could see his confidence grow, and he became much more ef fective on both ends of the floor.

Lamar Washington, Tech freshman guard: He’s versatile player with amazing strength.

Going into the fifth year of his college career, Fardaws has learned a lot about himself and embraced the idea of constantly challenging him self. He’s coming off two of the most successful

seasons almost anyone could imagine, but has dreams that haven’t been accomplished. Fardaws loved playing at Utah Valley and they loved him. His journey was to take a different path though, one that led him to Texas Tech. He knows with continued hard work and consistency, his goals and accomplishments can continue to grow. The more he achieves, the more he’ll want to continue to grow. That’s who he’s always been. He’s proven to be a consistent grower his entire life.

For everything he’s gone through and every where he’s been, Fardaws knows he’s blessed not to have experienced what his parents did fleeing Afghanistan. He understands his story is unique and it’s made even more remarkable by the jour ney made by Shahnaz and Faramarz.

There’s no comparison to them fleeing a war to his basketball pursuit. At one point in his life, he may not have understood that. He does now. His mindset is sharpened by the example of his parents who sacrificed everything so that one day he and his brother, Faisal, could live this life. Not just of playing basketball. But of actual life, living in peace – not in the middle of war. They wanted to provide opportunities for themselves and their future family. In turn, they also provid ed him motivation and perspective.

So, how does a kid who grew up in Canada to parents who escaped from war-torn Afghanistan make his way to Lubbock, Texas to play at the highest level of college basketball?

“If you love something, you work for it,” his fa ther, Faramarz says.

This is another one of those stories.

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The fundraising team wants every Red Raider Club member to know they are special and that they always have a contact at the Red Raider Club ready to help them with whatever they need.

“The most important thing we do is build relationships. We want every single donor at every level to have a relationship and a contact with someone on our team,” said Andrea Tirey, Senior Associate Athletics Director, Development.

The Red Raider Club raises almost a quarter of the Athletics Department budget – more than $21 mil lion last fiscal year – through the Red Raider Club Annual Fund, which is made up of seat contributions connected to season seats, premium seats and gifts to the Excellence Fund.

Bryan Gates, Associate Athletics Director, oversees of the Annual Fund. Ticket sales are the entry point for many Red Raider Club members, but after that entry point the RRC team does more to start getting to know every member at every level as Tirey mentioned.

“Our team makes sure you have all the benefits you desire like parking, access to post-season tick ets and more based on your membership level and points. We also educate you on the impact you’re making on our student athletes,” said Gates.

Part of that is getting in front of members one-to-one as much as possible.

“We hear people say, ‘I’m not a million-dollar donor.’ It doesn’t matter. If you look at how many gifts we have across our membership tiers, we have a lot more in the middle than we do at the top. It all adds up when you’re trying to hit budget and provide for more than 400 student-athletes. We want to make sure all our members know they’re appreciated and that every single level matters and is critical to our overall success,” he said.

Tirey is excited with her Red Raider Club team.

“I’m really proud of the team we’ve put together. We have the right people in the right chairs. They are all very talented, passionate, and engaging professionals,” she said.

• Cameron Warren: Member of two Red Raider College World Series teams.

• Andrew Sorrells: Member of the 2019 Red Raider basketball team that reached the national championship game, losing to Virginia in overtime.

• Bjorn Thomson: Played tennis for Texas Tech.

Tirey pointed out that six are former college student athletes—three who played at Texas Tech: “They understand the importance of the investment our donors make at every level because they know how it impacted their own lives and the lives of their teammates,” she said.

Audrey Bickel, Solomon Randle and Kevin Torres also played sports at the college level.

Everyone who supports Texas Tech student athletes through donations to the Red Raider Club—big or small—are important.

ANDREA TIREY

TITLE: Senior Associate Athletics Director.

COLLEGE: Undergrad and Master’s from Texas Tech University.

FAVORITE TECH SPORTS MOMENT: I have so many! My dad and I talk about our favor ite sports moments often. Harrell to Crabtree, several College World Series moments, Sweet 16 with Coach Knight, the 2019 Final Four, the Holiday Bowl in San Diego and more! But I also always think back to when I was in middle school sitting with my family in our seats in Section 106 and Zach Thomas intercepted a pass against Texas A&M and ran it in for the winning touch down in the final minute!

HOMETOWN: Midland, Texas .

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: La Jolla, California.

FAVORITE FOOD: Tacos and Sushi.

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Locally Dirks & La Sirena.

FAVORITE MOVIE: My three girls and I love to watch movies together – our favorites this year are In the Heights and Hamilton.

PETS?: Hank the Goldendoodle.

FUN FACT: I love to play Mahjong!

HOBBY: Reading & traveling with fam.

FAVORITE BOOK: Great Expectations.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT FUNDRAISING: I love connecting Red Raiders back to the University. We are, often, the first point of contact for fans, prospects and donors and are able to show these external stakeholders how they can make a difference for our more than 400 student-athletes, 17 programs, and the Double T Brand. I love the passion of our fanbase and seeing the power of philanthropy working every day throughout the Athletics Department is a special opportunity I am very grateful for.

AUDREY BICKEL

TITLE: Director, Annual Fund.

RESPONSIBILITY: Assists with all aspects of annual giving, including solicitations, steward ship and retention and premium seating.

CONTACT ME FOR: General Annual Fund giving questions.

COLLEGE: Ball State University in Muncie, In diana.

STUDENT ATHLETE?: Yes, I was a letterwinner in softball while at Ball State.

FAVORITE SPORT: Women’s basketball.

FAVORITE TECH SPORTS MOMENT: When the men’s basketball team made it to the champion ship game in 2019.

HOMETOWN: Munster, Indiana.

WHAT ARE YOU READING/FAVORITE BOOK: The Harry Potter series sparked my love for reading.

BUCKET LIST: To go skydiving.

PETS?: Two cats named Georgie and Fred.

HOBBY: I love reading, as well as riding my bike and being outdoors.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RED RAIDER CLUB

MEMBERS: Their passion for Tech Athletics and all the student-athletes. They care very deeply for the student-athletes and their well-being.

BRYAN GATES

TITLE: Associate Athletics Director, Red Raider Club. RESPONSIBILITY: Oversight of the Red Raider Club Annual Fund, premium services and work with donors on an individual basis.

CONTACT ME FOR: Questions on Red Raider Club or membership, premium areas, any way to support. We are here to help!

COLLEGE: Texas State University/San Marcos.

HOMETOWN: Houston.

FAVORITE SPORTS: College football, soccer and men’s college lacrosse.

FAVORITE TECH SPORTS MOMENT: The 2019 run to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four and championship game!

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: San Antonio/ Hill Country if staying in Texas, anywhere with mountains and rivers after that!

FAVORITE FOOD: Tough choice between Mexi can food or Thai Food.

FAVORITE MOVIE: Die Hard HOBBY: Cooking and Traveling.

FUN FACT: Proficient in conversational Spanish

FAVORITE MUSIC/ARTIST: Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers.

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Locally Thai Pepper.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: The Office.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RED RAIDER CLUB MEMBERS: Our members care deeply for Texas Tech and the Red Raider Nation is the most supportive fan base I’ve ever been around. They invest with their time, donations and how much they truly care for our Red Raiders. I love wearing the Double T and hearing a “Guns Up!” no matter where we travel!

SABRINA LOMOSAD

TITLE: Assistant Director, Annual Fund.

RESPONSIBILITY: Member benefit fulfillment, Athletics gameday parking, oversee Young Alumni Program, manage trade and Car Coach partnerships, run RRC social media pages.

CONTACT ME FOR: General questions about RRC membership and benefits as well as ques tions on gameday parking for Texas Tech Ath letics events.

COLLEGE: Texas Tech University.

FAVORITE SPORT: College basketball.

FAVORITE TECH SPORTS MOMENT: Tech bas ketball Final Four win vs. Michigan State in 2019.

HOMETOWN: Austin, Texas.

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: The Beach.

FAVORITE FOOD: Sushi.

FAVORITE MOVIE: The Wizard of Oz

WHAT ARE YOU READING/FAVORITE BOOK: Current read, Lies My Teacher Told Me

FAVORITE QUOTE: “Everything happens for a reason.”

BUCKET LIST: Travel out of the country. Pets?: 10-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier named Roscoe.

FAVORITE MUSIC/ARTIST: Hip-Hop/R&B.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RED RAIDER CLUB

MEMBERS: The passion they have for Tech Athletics/the University and their endless support they show for Red Raider student athletes.

SOLOMON RANDLE

TITLE: Director of Development, Major Gifts.

RESPONSIBILITY: Raising money for Texas Tech Athletics. Oversees The Brand, which supports football. Contact for the J.T. & Margaret Talking ton Department of Student Athlete development. CONTACT ME FOR: Anything involving Texas Tech. If I don’t know the answer, I will find out the answer!

COLLEGE: Louisiana Tech University.

STUDENT ATHLETE?: Yes, football. I played linebacker and was a four-year letterman at Louisiana Tech.

FAVORITE SPORT: Football.

FAVORITE TECH SPORTS MOMENT: Favorite recent memory was the 62-yard field goal to beat Iowa State last year. Favorite memory overall, the Crabtree catch of course!

HOMETOWN: Mobile, Alabama.

FAVORITE FOOD: Southern fried chicken. FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Las Brisas South west Steakhouse.

FAVORITE MOVIE: Inception.

WHAT ARE YOU READING/FAVORITE BOOK: The 5 AM Club.

FAVORITE QUOTE: “Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out,” John Wooden.

BUCKET LIST: Visit the Great Wall of China.

HERO/ROLE MODEL: My parents will always be my heroes/role models for the sacrifices they made while raising me and my two siblings.

FUN FACT ABOUT YOU: I played arena football after graduating college.

HOBBY: Hunting, golfing and spending time with family.

FAVORITE MUSIC/ARTIST: Hip Hop and J. Cole.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Breaking Bad

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RED RAIDER CLUB MEMBERS: The generosity and passion of Red Raider Club members is unmatched. They care so deeply for this university and it shows by the way they give back in support of our stu dent-athletes.

CAROL ROBERTSON

TITLE: Chief Analyst.

RESPONSIBILITY: Prospect/Proposal Manage ment, Project Management, RRC Accounts Payable.

CONTACT ME FOR: Anything! If I can’t help you, I’ll get you where you need to go.

COLLEGE: Texas Tech.

FAVORITE SPORT: Men’s basketball.

FAVORITE TECH SPORTS MOMENT: Most recently, men’s basketball beating Texas at home! From the kids camping out all week, to the gameday atmosphere and ultimately the win!

HOMETOWN: Hobbs, NM.

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Myrtle Beach.

FAVORITE FOOD: Tex Mex.

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Abuelo’s and Dirk’s.

FAVORITE MOVIE: Sweet Home Alabama.

BUCKET LIST: Go back to Aruba … where I was born but have never been back.

HERO/ROLE MODEL: My mom! She’s literally good at everything she does.

PETS?: Two cats, one dog and one grand dog who is at my house a lot.

FUN FACT: Born in Aruba.

FAVORITE MUSIC/ARTIST: Country.

WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU WANT/ WHY: Like Samantha on “Bewitched” … I’d like to snap my fingers and have a clean house/all chores done.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RED RAIDER CLUB

MEMBERS: Their genuine love for Texas Tech, Texas Tech Athletics and our student-athletes … which they show by their financial contributions and by showing up! The spirit, enthusiasm and sense of camaraderie is infectious and makes me proud to be a Red Raider.

CAITLYN SHARP

TITLE: Assistant Director, Donor Relations.

RESPONSIBILITY: Events and stewardship.

CONTACT ME FOR: Donor relations.

COLLEGE: Texas Tech.

FAVORITE SPORT: Basketball.

FAVORITE TECH SPORTS MOMENT: 2019 Final Four.

HOMETOWN: Lubbock.

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: The Bahamas.

FAVORITE FOOD: Pizza … and yes … pineapple absolutely belongs on pizza.

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Orlando’s.

FAVORITE MOVIE: Titanic.

FUN FACT: I’ve worked at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.

FAVORITE MUSIC/ARTIST: Taylor Swift.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Stranger Things.

WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU WANT/ WHY: To fly so I could easily travel the world.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RED RAIDER CLUB MEMBERS: Their kindness, generosity, excite ment, and love for all things Texas Tech.

ANDREW SORRELLS

TITLE: Associate Director/Major Gifts.

RESPONSIBILITY: Developing and implementing strategies to secure major gifts to aid Tex as Tech Athletics. Basketball contact and runs Bone and Air Raiders to support basketball.

CONTACT ME FOR: Major gift inquiries.

COLLEGE: Texas Tech University.

STUDENT ATHLETE?: Basketball.

FAVORITE SPORT: Basketball.

FAVORITE TECH SPORTS MOMENT: The bas ketball team advancing to the national cham pionship game, which was even more exciting because I was a member of the team.

HOMETOWN: North Richland Hills, Texas.

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Beaver Creek in Colorado.

FAVORITE FOOD: Italian.

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Orlando’s.

FAVORITE MOVIE: Molly’s Game

WHAT ARE YOU READING/FAVORITE BOOK: Beyond Order, by Jordan Peterson.

FAVORITE QUOTE: “America is too great for small dreams,” Ronald Reagan.

BUCKET LIST: Ski the Alps.

HOBBY: Golf and ski.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: House.

WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU WANT/ WHY: Teleportation, to efficiently travel.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RED RAIDER CLUB MEMBERS: Their passion and devotion to sup porting Texas Tech Athletics.

BJORN THOMSON

TITLE: Assistant Director/Premium Seating and Annual Fund.

RESPONSIBILITY: Ensuring suites are in order, catering to needs of premium seating members and overseeing a category of the annual fund. Runs Under 40 Program.

CONTACT ME FOR: Premium suite needs or just to talk about the greatest university in the world. COLLEGE: Texas Tech.

STUDENT ATHLETE?: Men’s Tennis, 2016-2020. HOMETOWN: Birmingham, England.

FAVORITE SPORT: Soccer.

FAVORITE TECH SPORTS MOMENT: Texas Tech Tennis winning the Big 12 title in 2016. Specifi cally, Alexander Sendegeya winning the final match.

HOMETOWN: Birmingham, England.

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Picantes.

FAVORITE MOVIE: Whiplash.

WHAT ARE YOU READING/FAVORITE BOOK: Any of the Harry Potters … as we English like to believe it’s real.

FAVORITE QUOTE: “Who do you think you are? I am,” Pete Webber.

BUCKET LIST: To strike out THE Cameron War ren or drain a three over Andrew Sorrells.

HOBBY: Playing a round of golf or trying differ ent bourbon.

FAVORITE MUSIC/ARTIST: Either of the Kings, Elvis Presley/George Strait.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Peaky Blinders

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RED RAIDER CLUB

MEMBERS: I love how much each member truly cares about Texas Tech. I was always told there is something different about West Texas and it took me some years to understand but now I do. There is something indescribable in the air here, a sense of passion for the school unlike anything I have ever seen. Every member shares this passion, and every single member makes me proud to work for this school.

KEVIN TORRES

TITLE: Associate Director of Development/ Major Gifts.

RESPONSIBILITY: Work with our alumni and donors and help them feel connected to the ath letic department and university. Golf contact and runs Tech 18 which supports men’s golf.

CONTACT ME FOR: Any questions you might have regarding Red Raider Club membership, tickets and how to make a gift to the Athletic Department.

COLLEGE: Wayland Baptist University.

STUDENT ATHLETE?: Baseball player.

FAVORITE SPORT: Football.

FAVORITE TECH SPORTS MOMENT: The Crab tree catch!

HOMETOWN: Miami, Florida.

FAVORITE FOOD: Cuban.

WHAT ARE YOU READING/FAVORITE BOOK: Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight.

PETS?: Two Labradors, Ocean & River.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: The Office

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RED RAIDER CLUB

MEMBERS: I love how passionate our Red Raider Club members are about our Athletic Depart ment. It makes it easy for me to come to work and get to work with them because they share the same passion I have for Texas Tech University.

VICKI WARE

TITLE: Assistant Director/Institutional Ad vancement.

RESPONSIBILITY: Financial services and sys tems management.

CONTACT ME FOR: Charitable giving, fund in formation and biographical/data updates.

FAVORITE SPORT: Volleyball.

FAVORITE TECH SPORTS MOMENT: When the crowd is fired up and cheering on our Red Raiders.

HOMETOWNS: I grew up in Canyon and moved to Plainview while still in school.

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: I love to travel, some of my favorite places to vacation are Sa vannah, New York, Florida and Jamaica.

FAVORITE FOOD: I enjoy all food!

BUCKET LIST: Traveling.

HERO/ROLE MODEL: My mom.

PETS?: Three cats, Addi, Elly and Smokey.

HOBBY: Going to concerts and supporting local live music.

FAVORITE MUSIC/ARTIST: I enjoy all types of music especially alternative rock. My favor ite current bands are Twenty-One Pilots, Cage the Elephant, Florence and the Machine and Foo Fighters.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: The Voice. What superpower would you want/why: To fly and be able to go anywhere on a whim.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RED RAIDER CLUB

MEMBERS: I am so proud of the way our Red Raider Club members support of our athletic sports teams and student athletes. Our members truly rally together to support Texas Tech Athletics.

CAMERON WARREN

TITLE: Assistant Director of Development.

RESPONSIBILITY: Fundraising. Baseball contact and runs the Diamond Club to support baseball.

CONTACT ME FOR: If you are wanting to make a gift to Texas Tech athletics.

COLLEGE: Texas Tech University.

STUDENT ATHLETE?: Former Texas Tech base ball player.

FAVORITE SPORT: Baseball.

Favorite Tech sports moment: Playing in Omaha in 2018 and 2019.

HOMETOWN: Midwest City, Oklahoma.

FAVORITE FOOD: Chicken Alfredo.

HERO/ROLE MODEL: My mom because she has put up with me for 27 years and I know that couldn’t have been easy.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Game of Thrones BUCKET LIST: To shoot under par in any round of golf including mini putt putt.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RED RAIDER CLUB

MEMBERS: The commitment and love our Red Raider Club members have for Texas Tech and the student athletes.