Texas Makes Final Decision On Basketball Coach Rodney Terry
03/23/2025 02:03 PM
Texas men's basketball head coach Rodney Terry will not return for a fourth season.
According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello and multiple reports, the Longhorns fired Terry on Sunday. Their 19-16 season ended with a First Four loss to Xavier on Wednesday.
Terry went 62-37 after replacing Chris Beard, who was fired amid domestic violence charges later dropped, during the 2022-23 season. Texas kept Terry as the permanent head coach after he led Texas to a Big 12 title and Elite Eight appearance.
The Longhorns returned to the NCAA tournament last year, falling to Tennessee as a No. 7 seed in the second round. Yet the program joined a stronger-than-ever SEC this season.
Texas started the season ranked No. 19 in the AP preseason poll, but the Longhorns went 6-12 in conference play. They were nevertheless one of 14 SEC teams invited to the Big Dance.
Up by as many as 13, Texas stumbled down the stretch of Wednesday's 86-80 loss to Xavier. The Longhorns scored 33 second-half points at UD Arena.
"Thank you Longhorn Nation for your consistent support," Terry wrote Friday on social media. "And a special thanks to all of our players, coaches and staff for your commitment and continuing to stay the course all season. Love you guys."
Texas brass must have been impressed by Xavier's comeback. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports identified Musketeers coach Sean Miller as one of athletic director Chris Del Conte's top candidates for the head coaching vacancy.
The Houston Chonicle's Kirk Bohls also said Texas is talking to Miller about the job, but the process remains ongoing. Del Conte has reportedly left "no stone unturned" in the job search, considering St. John's Rick Pitino, Alabama's Nate Oats, and Illinois head coach Brad Underwood in pursuits that "didn't go anywhere."
Related: Three Coaches Fired During First Weekend Of NCAA Tournament
