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Fan Favorite Has Already Said No to Texas A&M Coaching Job

According to one report, the coach many Texas A&M fans wanted to pursue to replace Buzz Williams has already said no to the Aggies.
Matt Galatzan|
Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland stands on the sidelines during the second half against the Florida Gators
Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland stands on the sidelines during the second half against the Florida Gators | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Texas A&M Aggies

Once Buzz Williams was officially leaving Texas A&M for the Maryland Terrapins job, an overwhelming majority of Aggies fans would have loved for Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland to be the first call made by Athletic Director Trev Alberts.

Unfortunately for the Aggies, it appears this was never a realistic option for either party.

According to On3's Pete Nakos (premium content) McCasland was contacted by the Aggies in regards to the opening, but quickly turned down the idea of replacing Williams.

Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland watches play downcourt during the first half against the Arkansas Razorback
Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland watches play downcourt during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

And to be fair, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

A move from Lubbock to College Station - as much as Aggie fans won't want to hear it - would have only been considered a downgrade for McCasland. Texas A&M is not a destination school in college basketball, even compared to Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders invest heavily into their basketball program - and are among the heavy hitters in the Big 12 alongside Arizona, Kansas, and Iowa State. While the Aggies are at best a mid-tier SEC program, that is in need of ostensibly an entirely new roster.

That said, it is easy to see why the Aggies would have coveted McCasland in the first place.

Over the past two seasons, he has guided the Red Raiders to back-to-back tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight this season - something Williams could never do. He also got North Texas to 31 wins in 2022, and led them to a March Madness berth in 2020-21.

Regardless, this surely stings for Aggie fans, especially considering that it appears Chris Beard was never really an option either, and was reportedly using the Aggies as leverage for a raise.

And now, they likely will be forced to look toward a mid major candidate, rather than one with Power 4 experience.

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.

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