Rodney Terry officially named Texas men's basketball head coach

Photo by Zach Smith

Rodney Terry has had many titles in his most recent stint with Texas, but how he coaches hasn’t changed.

The 55-year-old joined the program as an Associate Head Coach in 2021, was named Acting Head Coach last December and was later named Interim Head Coach in January, a position he held for the rest of the season.

Finally, after leading the Longhorns to a Big 12 Tournament title and Elite Eight appearance,

he was named the 26th Head Coach at Texas on Monday.

“I’ve prepared my whole life for this opportunity,” Terry said.

Terry was thrust into a leadership role at Texas after then-head coach Chris Beard was arrested for domestic assault on Dec. 12, course before the Longhorns were set to take on Rice at the Moody Center.

Texas Athletics Direct Chis Del Conte recalls feeling nervous about not knowing what would become of the team after everything transpired.

Terry and the players reassured him with their overtime win against Rice that night and for the rest of the season.

“We gave (Terry) the whistle and said, ‘go earn this job, it belongs to you,’” Del Conte said. “I watched your leadership under pressure and how you handled the team. That whistle was given to him on Dec. 12, he took that whistle and earned it.”

Terry was an assistant at Texas for nine years under coach Rick Barnes from 2002-2011. The Longhorns made nine NCAA Tournament appearances in that span, including three trips to the Elite Eight and one to the Final Four.

The Longhorns had 10 McDonald’s All-Americans during his first stint with the Longhorns, 13 NBA draft picks and three consensus first-team All-Americans and two National Player of the Year winners: Kevin Durant in 2007 and T.J. Ford in 2003.

The Longhorns’ 2023 recruiting class is No. 25 in the nation according to 247Sports and features a pair of five-star athletes in McDonald’s All-American Ron Holland and A.J. Johnson.

Both have stayed committed to Texas despite the turmoil, largely because of Terry.

“He’s going to keep it real,” Ford said. “At the end of the day, when you open your mouth, you’ve got to be a man of your word, and he’s been a man of his word and he’s shot players straight."

Terry spent seven seasons as head coach at Fresno State, finishing with a 126-108 record and one appearance in the NCAA Tournament. From there, he went to UTEP, compiling a 37-48 record in three seasons as head coach, before returning to Austin in 2021.

“Even when you got a program where you wanted it, you were fighting every day to keep the program there,” Terry said. “I never really got a chance to enjoy it. I vowed to myself that if I got another opportunity, I was going to enjoy every day and smile.”

Ever since Terry was named interim coach, the question about the next head coach loomed large over everything that happened around the Longhorns’ program.

When Texas went on its run in the Big 12 tournament, he continued to give all the credit to the players. The fanbase felt he should get the job, and the players continued to show their support and rally behind him.

Now, it’s time for Terry’s moment in the sun.

“It’s been surreal,” Terry said. “I’m a native Texan, and I’m a Texas guy through and through. I’m blessed to be here, live in the moment and have the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s a dream come true.”

—

Originally published March 28, 2023, in the Hill Country News