MEMPHIS, Tenn. — What's Jack Easterby doing with the Aggies?
Either leading the team chapel service or just visiting, depending on who you ask.
KHOU 11’s Jason Bristol saw Easterby in the interview room in Memphis on Friday night following Texas A&M’s win over Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament, wearing an A&M credential.
Easterby is the controversial former executive vice president of the Houston Texans; the subject of a Sports Illustrated cover story entitled “Jack Easterby’s Rise to Power and the Chaos That Followed.”
He was fired by the Texans in October 2022.
Bristol posted two photos of Easterby on X, formerly known as Twitter, which have been seen more than 70,000 times. Nearly all of the reaction to Easterby’s presence has been negative.
When asked Saturday about Easterby, Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams said that Easterby has no official role with program.
“No, he's just visiting,” Buzz said, adding he’s known ‘Coach Jack’ Easterby for more than a decade. ”He's just here at the game.”
Earlier, however, Aggies guard Jace Carter mentioned Easterby has been with the team since March 2, at the Georgia game.
“He leads our chapel,” said Carter. “He's led our chapel ever since. This is a good dude. Prays really hard for us.”
The Aggies won five in a row before falling to Florida in the SEC tournament.
When asked about Easterby, Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV said Saturday in the Aggies locker room that, “We have chapel every morning and 'Coach Jack' has come in and made a mark on our program."
When looking for clarification about Easterby’s role, a member of the Texas A&M athletics communications staff traveling with the team said Easterby’s presence is how Williams described it, that "he’s a friend of the program."
Texas A&M meets Houston on Sunday night for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.