One of the country’s richest athletic departments is looking for a new men’s basketball coach.
Texas and Rodney Terry are parting ways, a source briefed on the move confirmed Sunday, after an 86-80 loss to Xavier in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four. It’s the Longhorns’ second consecutive one-and-done appearance in March Madness since Terry led them to the Elite Eight as the interim head coach after Chris Beard’s firing in 2023.
If not for that Elite Eight trip, Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte likely never would’ve hired Terry — who otherwise went 163-156 in ten seasons as Fresno State and UTEP’s head coach — in the first place. But that run essentially forced Del Conte’s hand.
The two seasons since, though, have proven that Terry, 56, was in a little over his head. Texas struggled to tread water in the brutal SEC this season, finishing 6-12 in conference play, and was the 14th and final league member to make the field. Despite the presence of likely lottery pick Tre Johnson, who scored a team-high 23 points against Xavier, Texas’ offense this season was often erratic and lacking ball movement. After Xavier retook the lead late on Wednesday night, Texas responded by settling for back-to-back stepback jumpers, which both resulted in empty possessions. That was basically the writing on the wall for the end of Terry’s tenure.
Now a school and fan base with virtually unlimited resources are back to the drawing board — which may not be the worst thing.
How good is the job?
Texas isn’t a basketball blue blood, but the Longhorns are as well-positioned as anyone to thrive in the modern era. Texas is the only SEC opening this coaching cycle (so far), and competing in the best conference in America, which just shattered the single-season record for NCAA Tournament bids from one league, is a huge enticement. The built-in recruiting advantages of being the biggest fish in one of the most talent-rich states in the country are notable. And there is a deep pool of NBA stars who have passed through Austin in the last two decades, from LaMarcus Aldridge to Kevin Durant to Jarrett Allen. (Johnson will join that list come June, when he becomes the program’s sixth first-round pick since 2015.) Prospective recruits are well aware they can springboard from Austin to the NBA.
As for resources, Texas has everything a coach could possibly need to succeed at the highest levels of the sport. Per US Department of Education data from 2022-23, the most recent year for which tax information is available, Texas was sixth among all public schools in men’s basketball spending. That trailed only Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Texas Tech, and Indiana — and, notably, was ahead of hoops heavyweights like Tennessee, Kansas, and Arizona. Think of it like this: If the Longhorns’ deep pockets were enough to propel them to consecutive College Football Playoff appearances, couldn’t they help make a similar splash in men’s basketball?
Call list (in alphabetical order)
Royal Ivey, assistant coach, Houston Rockets: Ivey, who played at Texas from 2000 to ’04, would fit the current trend of young NBA assistants getting college head coaching jobs. (Utah and Florida State have gone that direction already this cycle, and BYU — which did so last offseason — earned a No. 6 seed and is one of the hottest teams in the country entering March.) Ivey has been on various NBA staffs since 2016 and also received major accolades for his work in helping to build the South Sudan national team, which made the 2024 Paris Olympics. Ivey had his supporters (including Kevin Durant) back in 2021 before the school hired Chris Beard, and he could garner support again this cycle. — Jim Root
Sean Miller, head coach, Xavier: From Xavier, to Arizona, back to Xavier, to … Texas? It’s been a wild ride for Miller, going from NCAA purgatory back to the bright lights — but this seems not only possible, but rather likely at this point. Industry chatter suggests that Miller would’ve been high on Del Conte’s wish list back in 2023, before he formally elevated Terry, and that should once again be the case. Miller ending the Longhorns’ season in the First Four, and Del Conte getting an up-close-and-personal look at him, will only add to the smoke here. — Brendan Quinn
Grant McCasland, head coach, Texas Tech: Could the state survive another Lubbock-to-Austin defection, or would the ground simply collapse beneath everyone? McCasland hasn’t posted a losing season as a head coach at Arkansas State, North Texas and now Texas Tech. He’s clearly emerging as one of the elite coaches in the country. He also has a buyout north of $8 million. Maybe that’s too hefty a number, even for Texas, given all the other complicating factors involved. But McCasland wins. Everywhere. — Brian Hamilton
Quin Snyder, head coach, Atlanta Hawks: Snyder would fit Del Conte’s desire to land a big name. According to an agency source, Snyder has been putting out staff feelers. The former Missouri coach hasn’t worked in college basketball since 2006, but that doesn’t seem to matter as much in the name, image and likeness era. He’s familiar with Austin, having resurrected his career with the G-League franchise there after his exit at Missouri. The timing isn’t ideal, and he still has two years left on a lucrative contract with the Hawks, but if he really does have interest in returning to the college game, this would be a great landing spot. — C.J. Moore
Brad Underwood, head coach, Illinois: This makes too much sense to ignore. The 61-year-old first made a name for himself at Stephen F. Austin, going 89-14 with three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, before moving from Nacogdoches to Oklahoma State to Illinois. There have long been rumors of mutual interest between Texas and Underwood, or at least curiosities. Fact is, here’s what Underwood would do at UT: Get dudes and win games. Taking Illinois to the Elite Eight last year finally cleared Underwood’s résumé of a bad rap for early March losses. Now he’s back in the tournament for the fifth straight year, this time with a No. 6 seed. — Quinn
Buzz Williams, head coach, Texas A&M: There was some smoke around Williams before Indiana finalized things with Darian DeVries. Texas already poached A&M’s baseball coach this year; why not the basketball coach, too? If Williams is looking for a reset, this would be a heck of a spot to do so. And Texas could do a lot worse than a 62.3 winning percentage and three straight NCAA appearances in College Station. — Quinn
And the hire is…
Miller, if Del Conte goes the college route, or Snyder, if he follows the emerging trend of back-to-school hires from the NBA. Both would constitute the “big name” that Texas is supposedly after, and both have proven they can X-and-O with the best of their peers. Miller turns 57 in November, and Snyder turns 59 in October, so in theory, you’re hiring either with the intention that you’ll have them for a decade or so. Miller’s understanding of the way the sport has changed would probably make for a more seamless transition, but Snyder’s NBA experience would pay obvious recruiting dividends from the get-go. — Brendan Marks
(Photo: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)
