Grant McCasland’s wife, Cece, went from being a Texas Tech soccer player to a passionate rock climber and business owner.
Highlights
- Grant McCasland’s wife, Cece, initially decided not to play soccer in college but, after praying about it, walked on during her sophomore year.
- Grant and his wife met through church activities, and Cece credits her youth pastor with teaching her “everything about a personal walk with God.”
- Cece approaches her marriage to a coach with understanding and insight, noting that she knew she would marry someone who prioritized “spiritual things first, family things second and sports were going to be third.”
Grant McCasland has established himself as one of college basketball’s rising coaching stars, bringing a winning mentality and family-focused approach to every program he leads.
Named the 19th head coach in Texas Tech program history on March 31, 2023, McCasland made an immediate impact in his first season.
He guided the Red Raiders to the 2024 NCAA Tournament with a 23-11 overall record and finishing ranked No. 22 nationally.
The journey back to Lubbock represents a full-circle moment for McCasland, who began his coaching career as Texas Tech’s Director of Operations from 1999-2001.
His coaching resume showcases consistent success across multiple levels of college basketball.
Prior to returning to Tech, McCasland led North Texas for six seasons, culminating in a 31-7 record and NIT Championship in his final year.
His teams were defensive juggernauts, leading the nation in scoring defense in his final two seasons by allowing just 55.7 points per game.
McCasland’s coaching path has been marked by rapid success at every stop.
He began his career as head coach at Midland College at the age of 27, leading the team to an NJCAA National Championship in 2007.
After successful stints at Midwestern State, five years as an assistant at Baylor, and a 20-win season at Arkansas State, McCasland built North Texas into a Conference USA powerhouse.
He earned C-USA Coach of the Year honors in 2020 and led the Mean Green to their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory when they upset Purdue in 2021.
An Irving, Texas native, McCasland played college basketball at Baylor as a walk-on from 1995-99.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor in 1999 and completed his master’s at Texas Tech in 2001.
Through 10 seasons as an NCAA head coach, McCasland has amassed an impressive 234-100 overall record, including a 178-88 mark at the Division I level.
Cece McCasland’s Passion For Texas Tech And Life As A Coach’s Wife
For Cece McCasland, the move to Texas Tech represented a homecoming.
A former Red Raider soccer player, Cece can now proudly display her Texas Tech gear after years of having to be discreet during Grant’s tenure at Baylor. Cece shared,
“I had to be a closet Tech fan the five years we were at Baylor. I would have on Texas Tech socks, a Baylor t-shirt, a Texas Tech hat and just hoped everybody had fun. But I always wanted Tech to win.”
lubbocklights
Beyond basketball, Cece is passionate about rock climbing. She recently partnered with inSPIRE Rock to break ground on a new indoor climbing gym in Lubbock set to open in 2025.
“It’s just literally a dream come true,” Cece said about the climbing facility.
Grant and Cece’s story began in Irving, Texas, where they met through church activities as high school students.
Though they were good friends who shared limos to two proms (with different dates), their relationship remained platonic throughout high school.
Grant went on to Baylor, while Cece followed her heart to Texas Tech.
At Tech, Cece walked on to the soccer team as a sophomore, and during her playing days, she experienced memorable victories over Texas and Texas A&M.
One of her favorite memories as a Tech student was witnessing Zach Thomas’s late pick-six to beat Texas A&M 14-7.
Their paths crossed again when Grant took a position as Director of Basketball Operations at Texas Tech while Cece was completing her final season of soccer.
What started as a friendship blossomed into love after a serendipitous phone call when Grant was trying to reach Cece’s roommate. Grant recalled,
“I told her I loved being friends with her, but it was more than that. I loved her. And she said, ‘Well, I’ve always loved you too.’ I drove to her apartment and from that day on, we knew we were going to get married.”
lubbocklights
Today, the McCaslands balance family life and basketball with intentionality.
They have four children: Amaris, Jett, Jersey, and Beckett. Grant ensures his family remains integrated with the program, often bringing them to practices and games.
The McCasland family has embraced life in Lubbock, living on 10 acres with farm animals, including six miniature donkeys.
Additional Information
- Before pursuing coaching, McCasland considered various career paths, including starting a laundry business with his college friend Chip Gaines.
- McCasland ran his own janitorial cleaning service from fifth grade through high school, with clients including a preschool with particularly challenging toilets to clean.
- His decision to become a coach was partly influenced by Billy Gillespie (who later had a controversial tenure at Texas Tech), who told McCasland he could be a good coach despite the rarity of Gillespie giving compliments.
