The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Rodney Terry named Men's Basketball head coach
03.28.2023 | Men's Basketball
Terry elevated from Interim Head Coach and becomes the 26th coach in UT program history.
AUSTIN, Texas — Rodney Terry has been named the 26th head basketball coach at The University of Texas, Vice President/Director of Athletics Chris Del Conte announced Monday. Terry, who turned 55 on Monday and who held the title of Interim Head Coach since Jan. 5, was introduced at a Tuesday press conference on the UT campus.
"Like I always say to my guys every day, it's a great day to be alive," Terry said. "It's a great day to be a Longhorn. God puts you right where you are supposed to be. I want to thank Chairman Eltife, President Hartzell and Athletics Director CDC. This is an opportunity of a lifetime. To be the head coach here, it's a dream come true for myself. I'm a native Texan and a Texas guy through and through."
"This brand right here is incredible. It's powerful," Terry added. "It made me leave a head coaching job because of the experience and because it's elite. It's the elite of the elite to be at The University of Texas. We have elite coaches on this on this campus. We have elite student-athletes on this campus. We feel like we have the best of all worlds. We have the incredible academic education that you're going to get while you're here. You're going to get an elite level basketball experience. You get to live in one of the best cities in the country and continue to grow. And you're going to have an incredible alumni base that you're going to continue to have an opportunity to network with and get to know, as well."
Terry was named Acting Head Coach at The University of Texas a few hours prior to the Dec. 12 home game against Rice. He was named Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the 2022-23 season on Jan. 5. Beginning with a home overtime win against Rice on Dec. 12, Terry guided the Longhorns to a 22-8 record that included the Big 12 Tournament title and a run to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight.
A former head coach at Fresno State and UTEP for a combined 10 seasons, he sports an overall head coaching career record of 185-164 (.530) in 11 total years. Terry, who has 27 years of collegiate coaching experience including nine as an assistant previously with the Longhorns from 2002-11, was in his second year as Associate Head Coach at Texas prior to being named Interim Head Coach.
"Coach Terry is just an incredible individual, a class act, and I cannot think of a better role model for our student-athletes," said Kevin Eltife, Chairman of the UT System Board of Regents. "What he's done this season, and how he moved the team forward is phenomenal. Of course, we all want to win a national championship, and that day will come. But, Coach Terry, his staff and the players won more than a national championship this year, they won our hearts, and we will forever be grateful for that."
Terry was tabbed Sporting News National Coach of the Year on March 8, becoming the first coach in program history to earn the prestigious honor. He is one of 20 finalists for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award and one of 25 finalists for the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year. Terry guided the Longhorns to eight wins against AP Top 25 opponents (vs. No. 17 TCU, vs. No. 11 Baylor, at No. 7 K-State, vs. No 23 Iowa State, vs. No. 3 Kansas twice, vs. No. 22 TCU and vs. No. 13 Xavier). UT went 8-1 under Terry this season in games decided by five points or less OR in overtime.
Texas completed the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 29-9 (12-6 Big 12, second) and ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll. The No. 5 spot marks a tie for the highest ranking in the final AP poll by the Longhorns. UT also was No. 5 in the final AP poll during the 2002-03 Final Four season. The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 and eighth time in program history. Texas captured its second Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title in program history, defeating No. 3 Kansas, 76-56, in the championship game in Kansas City, Mo.
"We think about how we get to decisions as a leadership team, and I want to say thank you to Coach Terry for making this decision easy," said Jay Hartzell, UT President. "He had a very long job interview, and I would say he nailed it. He won with class, dignity, and grace. And seeing the family spirit, the culture of our team, and the way they rallied behind their coach and leader, got us here today. These players and coaches made us all proud that they're a part of our university and we look forward to an incredibly bright future under Coach Terry's leadership."
The 29 wins were the third-most in a single season in program history, as UT went 31-7 in 2007-08 and 30-7 in 2005-06. The Longhorns compiled a 10-7 record against AP Top 25 opponents in 2022-23. This set a school single-season record for most wins in a year against AP-ranked teams, as UT previously went 8-5 in 2003-04. Texas posted a 6-3 mark against AP Top 11 foes during the 2022-23 season and tied a program single-season record for most games played (38).
Through games of March 26, the Longhorns are one of three teams to rank in the top 15 in KenPom in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. Texas (15 offense, 13 defense) is joined by UConn (3 offense, 11 defense) and Houston (11 offense, 5 defense). Since the Big 12 moved to an 18-game round-robin schedule starting in the 2011-12 season, Texas reached the 12-win mark for the first time in league play (12-6 record). Seventeen of UT's 29 victories this season were by at least 10 points.
"It's a great day to be a Longhorn," said Chris Del Conte, UT Vice President and Athletics Director. "We are so excited to have Coach Terry leading our men's basketball program, and I do want to thank all of those that helped make it happen. We have incredible leadership in our chairman of the board of regents and our president, and every decision we make at The University of Texas involving our athletic department, we do it together. Chairman Eltife and President Hartzell are great friends and great counsel, every conversation we have is always putting Texas first and foremost, and they're such a big part of this great day for Longhorn Nation."
"To get to this day, you have to think back to the Rice game on December 12th and the journey Coach Terry and our team took us on," Del Conte added. "We gave Coach Terry the whistle that night and said go earn this job, it belongs to you. How the team responded that day, we knew we had the right man for the job. From that day on, I watched his leadership, saw him thrive under pressure, and how he handled the team. I would go in the locker room after games and you could see the team banding together. We knew we had a guy that loved Texas, his team and that he was our guy, but I wanted to see what he would continue to do. I needed each and every one of us to know he was the right man, and I needed our team to know he was the right man. Our players, staff and Coach Terry trusted the process and went on to accomplish great things. They galvanized Longhorn nation, and Coach Terry's leadership was second to none. He and this team taught us so many lessons in handling adversity, they galvanized around their team and took the country by storm. It was so much fun to watch them and be a part of. We are here today because Coach Terry took that whistle and he earned it, and a reckoning is coming because of him."
In his first year back in Austin in 2021-22, Terry helped the Longhorns to a 22-12 overall record (10-8 Big 12 Conference, fourth). Texas earned an 81-73 win over Virginia Tech in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64, marking the school's first NCAA tourney win since 2014, before falling to No. 10/9 (No. 3 seed) Purdue in a hard-fought battle in the Round of 32.
The 22 total wins by the Longhorns were the most since Texas had 24 victories in 2013-14. UT, which appeared in every Associated Press Top 25 poll except one during the season, placed No. 25 in the final AP poll. This marked just the second time Texas had been in the final AP poll since the 2010-11 season (UT was No. 9 in the final poll in 2021). The Longhorns reached the 20-win mark in the month of February for the first time since 2013-14 and reached the 20-win mark in the regular season for the first time since 2015-16.
Playing in the toughest league in the country, the Big 12 featured a pair of No. 1 seeds in Kansas and Baylor, the eventual national champion (Kansas), two additional Sweet 16 teams and six total NCAA tourney squads (all six won their respective NCAA Round of 64 games). Texas played AP-ranked opponents in eight of its last 11 games and faced 10 NCAA Tournament opponents in a total of 16 games. In their two matchups against the national champion Jayhawks, the Longhorns earned an impressive 79-76 home win over No. 8/8 Kansas (Feb. 7) and took the No. 6/7 Jayhawks to overtime on Senior Day in Allen Fieldhouse before falling 70-63 (March 5).
All five Texas starters (Timmy Allen, second team; Marcus Carr, third team; Christian Bishop, honorable mention; Andrew Jones, honorable mention; Courtney Ramey, honorable mention) earned spots on the Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Award teams, selected by the league's head coaches. The Longhorns led the Big 12 and finished No. 10 in scoring defense (60.6 ppg), ranked second in the league and No. 22 nationally in turnover margin (+3.4) and second in the league in turnovers per game (11.5), showcasing a culture of defense and ball security.
Texas was No. 15 in the final KenPom analytics rankings. UT finished No. 14 in the nation in defensive efficiency (91.6) and No. 26 nationally in offensive efficiency (112.5). The Longhorns were one of 10 teams to rank in the Top 30 in both offensive and defensive efficiency in 2021-22, joining Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Baylor, Arizona, Villanova, UCLA, Auburn and Illinois.
On the recruiting trail, all the Texas staff did in their first full cycle in 2022 was ink a four-man freshman group that was ranked as the No. 5 recruiting class in the country by Rivals and 247 Sports. The class featured a pair of McDonald's All-Americans in Dillon Mitchell and Arterio Morris, marking the first time since 2016 and just the fifth time in program history that the Longhorns have had two signees named to the prestigious roster in the same year (2004, 2006, 2010, 2016 and 2022). Texas also added a pair of transfers through the portal in Tyrese Hunter (Iowa State), the 2022 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and Sir'Jabari Rice (New Mexico State), who both led their former teams to wins in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Prior to returning to Austin, Terry spent three seasons (2018-21) as the head coach at UTEP and posted a 29-27 record in his final two years in El Paso. In his second season (2019-20), the Miners registered a 17-15 overall mark, winning nine more games than the previous year. UTEP posted its first winning season in four years and tallied a 13-4 record in the Haskins Center, its best home mark and most home wins in four seasons. The Miners defeated New Mexico State and New Mexico in the same season for the first time since 2008-09. UTEP also recorded its largest comeback victory in program history, overcoming a 24-point deficit against UTSA to win 80-77 in overtime.
Terry helped develop Bryson Williams, who earned All-C-USA first team and NABC District 11 first team accolades following the 2019-20 season. Williams became the first UTEP player in five years to claim first-team all-league recognition and the first since 2010 to garner the mention from the NABC. In Terry's first season (2018-19), he helped Efe Odigie earn All-C-USA Freshman team accolades, as Odigie averaged a double-double (12.7 ppg, 10.1 rpg) for the season. Odigie was the first Miner to average a double-double since the 1981-82 season, and his rebounding average set a UTEP freshman record.
Terry worked for seven years (2011-18) as the head coach at Fresno State University, guiding the Bulldogs to an overall record of 126-108. He posted 20-win seasons in four of his last five years and double-digit win totals in Mountain West Conference play in each of his last four seasons. Fresno State recorded 21 victories in 2013-14, 25 in 2015-16, 20 in 2016-17 and 21 in 2017-18. The Bulldogs went 10-8 in the Mountain West in 2014-15, 13-5 in 2015-16 (second place) and 11-7 in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
During the 2015-16 season, Terry led the Bulldogs to a 25-10 record and the Mountain West Conference Tournament championship. Fresno State advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001, and the 25 wins marked the third-most in school history.
Terry guided Fresno State to an appearance in the NIT in 2016-17 and the finals of the CBI in 2013-14. His 2014-15 team recorded the school's first win over a Top 25 opponent (San Diego State) in 13 years. The 2013-14 Bulldogs, who rallied from a 1-7 start in league play to finish 9-9, notched the program's first 20-win season and postseason appearance in seven years. During Terry's second season in Fresno (2012-13), the Bulldogs claimed their first-ever win at UNLV.
Terry spent nine seasons (2002-11) as an assistant coach under Rick Barnes at The University of Texas. During those nine years, the Longhorns posted an overall record of 232-80 (.744) and made nine NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by four trips to the Sweet 16 (2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008), three Elite Eights (2003, 2006 and 2008) and one Final Four (2003).
A total of 10 McDonald's All-Americans made their way to the UT campus during this stretch, including Brad Buckman (2002), LaMarcus Aldridge (2004), Daniel Gibson (2004), Mike Williams (2004), D.J. Augustin (2006), Kevin Durant (2006), Jai Lucas (2007), Avery Bradley (2009), Cory Joseph (2010) and Tristan Thompson (2010). The two-person class of Joseph and Thompson ranked as the No. 8 recruiting class in the country by ESPN. UT's three-man freshman class in 2009 was ranked No. 3 nationally by Rivals and No. 4 by ESPNU. The seven-man freshman class in 2006 was tabbed as the No. 3 class in the country by Rivals and Scout. Texas' five-man freshman class in 2004 featured three McDonald's All-Americans and was tabbed the No. 1 class in the nation by Hoop Scoop.
UT climbed to the top of both major national polls (AP and USA Today Coaches) on Jan. 11, 2010, marking the first time in program history that the Longhorns had been the top-ranked team in the nation in either major poll. Texas held the top spot in both polls for a two-week stretch. UT set a school record for most wins in a season (31-7) in 2007-08. While using a starting rotation that featured four freshmen (including eventual consensus National Player of the Year Kevin Durant) and a sophomore in 2006-07, the Longhorns went 25-10 and advanced to the NCAA Second Round. In 2005-06, Texas posted a 30-7 record and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight. The Longhorns registered a 25-8 mark and reached their third straight Sweet 16 in 2003-04. In Terry's first season in Austin (2002-03), UT tallied a 26-7 record and advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 1947, a span of 56 years.
Texas claimed two National Player of the Year winners during Terry's previous stint, T.J. Ford (2003) and Kevin Durant (2007). UT boasted three consensus first-team All-Americans (Ford in 2003, Durant in 2007 and D.J. Augustin in 2008), and Augustin claimed the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard in 2008.
The Longhorns had 13 players drafted in the nine years under Terry, including nine first-round selections and five lottery picks: T.J. Ford, No. 8 by Milwaukee in 2003; Royal Ivey, No. 37 by Atlanta in 2004; LaMarcus Aldridge, No. 2 by Chicago in 2006; P.J. Tucker, No. 35 by Toronto in 2006; Daniel Gibson, No. 42 by Cleveland in 2006; Kevin Durant, No. 2 by Seattle in 2007; D.J. Augustin, No. 9 by Charlotte in 2008; Avery Bradley, No. 19 by Boston in 2010; Damion James, No. 24 by Atlanta in 2010; Dexter Pittman, No. 32 by Miami in 2010; Tristan Thompson, No. 4 by Cleveland in 2011; Jordan Hamilton, No. 26 by Dallas in 2011; and Cory Joseph, No. 29 by San Antonio in 2011.
Both Aldridge (2006) and Durant (2007) were selected as the No. 2 overall picks in their respective drafts, and UT became the first school to have a Top Two pick in consecutive NBA Drafts since DePaul in 1981-82. Texas also was the only school in the nation to have a Top 10 pick in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 NBA Drafts.
Terry joined Rick Barnes' staff at Texas on June 11, 2002. For seven weeks prior to coming to UT, Terry served on Jerry Wainwright's staff at the University of Richmond after spending the previous four seasons under Wainwright at UNC Wilmington.
While at UNC Wilmington, Terry was instrumental in helping the program produce three postseason appearances in his four years. The Seahawks advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1999-2000 and 2001-02 and reached the postseason NIT in 2000-01. During his final year with the Seahawks (2001-02), UNCW posted a 23-10 overall mark, setting a school record for most victories in a season. The Seahawks also collected their first NCAA Tournament win in school history, upsetting USC 98-89 in overtime in the first round.
UNCW registered an overall record of 71-51 (.582) during Terry's four seasons. In his second year, Terry helped the Seahawks land a top 30 national recruiting class according to Hoop Scoop. In 2001-02, Terry was named the co-mid/low-major Assistant Coach of the Year by TheInsiderHoops.com, sharing the honor with Valparaiso's Scott Drew (now the head coach at Baylor).
Prior to his time at UNCW, Terry served two years as an assistant coach at Baylor University (1996-98). Brian Skinner was selected as the No. 22 overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1998 NBA Draft.
He spent one season (1995-96) as the varsity coach at Angleton (Texas) High School and two years as the head coach at Somerville (Texas) High School. Terry posted a 15-13 mark at Angleton and a 49-21 overall record at Somerville, where he led the school to the Class 2A state semifinals in 1993-94. He also worked for two years (1991-93) as an assistant coach at Austin Bowie (Texas) High School.
A native of Angleton, Texas, Terry started his coaching career as an assistant coach at his alma mater, St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. He worked for one season (1990-91) at St. Edward's before moving on to his post at Bowie High.
Terry graduated from St. Edward's University in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a minor in physical education. During his collegiate career, he was a three-year starter at point guard and a three-time Academic All-Big State Conference selection. The Hilltoppers won the Big State Conference title during his freshman season in 1986-87, and he also served as team captain during his junior and senior campaigns.
The Rodney Terry File
|
Hometown |
Angleton, Texas |
|
Education |
St. Edward's University, bachelor's degree, business administration, 1990 |
Terry's Coaching Experience
|
Years |
School |
Position/Title |
|
Dec.-Mar. 2022-23 |
Texas |
Interim Head Coach |
|
2021-22 |
Texas |
Associate Head Coach |
|
2018-21 |
UTEP |
Head Coach |
|
2011-18 |
Fresno State |
Head Coach |
|
2002-11 |
Texas |
Assistant Coach |
|
1998-2002 |
UNC Wilmington |
Assistant Coach |
|
1996-98 |
Baylor |
Assistant Coach |
|
1990-91 |
St. Edward's |
Assistant Coach |
Terry's Year-by-Year Coaching Resume
As a Collegiate Head Coach
|
Year |
School |
Overall W-L |
Conf W-L |
Postseason |
|
2011-12 |
Fresno State |
13-20 |
3-11 |
- |
|
2012-13 |
Fresno State |
11-19 |
5-11 |
- |
|
2013-14 |
Fresno State |
21-18 |
9-9 |
CBI runner-up |
|
2014-15 |
Fresno State |
15-17 |
10-8 |
- |
|
2015-16 |
Fresno State |
25-10 |
13-5 |
NCAA Round of 64 |
|
2016-17 |
Fresno State |
20-13 |
11-7 |
NIT Round of 32 |
|
2017-18 |
Fresno State |
21-11 |
11-7 |
- |
|
2018-19 |
UTEP |
8-21 |
3-15 |
- |
|
2019-20 |
UTEP |
17-15 |
8-10 |
no postseason (COVID-19) |
|
2020-21 |
UTEP |
12-12 |
8-8 |
- |
|
2022-23 |
Texas |
22-8 |
12-6 |
NCAA Elite Eight |
|
Totals |
11 seasons |
185-164 (.530) |
93-97 (.489) |
2 NCAAs (3-2) |
