Texas Tech basketball coach Chris Beard is a man of his word. And as one of the world’s most public fan of Whataburger, that meant everyone at a Lubbock wedding ate well over the weekend.
Texas Tech fan Rylee Albracht tweeted at Beard last August asking him how many retweets she needed to get for Beard, fresh off leading Texas Tech to within a play of the national championship, to officiate her wedding. Beard responded by telling her that if Texas Tech filled up its student section (4,500 students) for the season opener, he would attend the wedding and would provide Whataburger for everyone in attendance.
Fast forward to Nov. 5, and Texas Tech hit Beard’s attendance threshold, meaning he had a wedding to attend.
Perhaps the best part of those pictures was Beard’s Whataburger facemask.
Beard’s first recorded Whataburger mention came after Texas Tech upset Kansas in Lawrence in 2018, and Beard was asked what his team had that Kansas lacked.
“I don’t know if we have an edge on Kansas in anything,” Beard said. “We have Whataburger in Texas. I don’t think y’all do. That’s an advantage.”
Later, in that year’s NCAA Tournament, Beard was asked more about his fast food preference, including what he likes to order there.
“That’s the only thing, on this Whataburger ride we’re on, there’s a lot of other places, too. But Whataburger is a great place,” Beard said, per the Dallas Morning News. “I think breakfast, we go taquito. If my girlfriend is not with me or my daughters, I’ll go extra cheese. During the day, I’m pretty easy, it’s just a one, mustard, pickle cheese only. I’ll go with the milk shake. Another thing I learned from Coach Knight, a root beer milk shake. I almost got this at Sonic one time with Coach. The lady is like so you want a milk shake with root beer in it? No. I want a root beer milk shake. You want the root beer to substitute the milk? No, I want a root beer milk shake. That is when Coach Knight and I were on I-20 going to I think to Rockwall High School on that one.
“But no, back to Whataburger, I do enjoy a milk shake, but I never substitute that as my drink,” Beard said. “Even in the days where I didn’t have much money, and I’m very fortunate now, I’m blessed, I would never be the guy that substituted it. I would go ahead, man, I’ve got to get the unsweet tea, and then I get the milk shake, too.
“Another great thing about Whataburger, too, have you ever been to Whataburger at 2:00, 3:00 in the morning? Don’t go through the drive through. Go in next time, and just get a corner booth and just watch America,” Beard said. “Just watch it. You’ll see so many cool things at Whataburger. You will see a guy pick up a tab for somebody else. You’ll see somebody clean up a plate that wasn’t his. You’ll see some of the bad things in America, too, at a Whataburger late, but I love people watching, and that’s one of the many things I do.”
