The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Men's Basketball Strength and Conditioning Coach
Second Season at Texas
After spending five seasons working alongside Chris Beard as the head strength and conditioning coach with the men’s basketball program at Texas Tech, John Reilly begins his second year as Men’s Basketball Strength and Conditioning Coach at The University of Texas. Reilly brings 11 years of collegiate coaching experience to the Texas staff.
In his first year in Austin, Reilly 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.
During Reilly’s five years (2016-21) with Beard at Texas Tech, the Red Raiders posted five straight winning seasons and an overall record of 112-55 (.671), including an impressive 9-3 mark in NCAA Tournament contests. Prior to Beard’s arrival, the program was coming off five losing seasons in the six previous years. Texas Tech advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history in 2018 and returned the following season with a trip to the 2019 National Championship Game, which included a school-best 31 victories. After the 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, the Red Raiders advanced to the 2021 NCAA Tournament Second Round.
Texas Tech registered a 74-13 mark in home games at the United Supermarkets Arena in this five-year stretch, including a 33-12 record in Big 12 contests. Keenan Evans (2018 consensus second team) and Jarrett Culver (2019 consensus second team) each earned All-America honors, and Texas Tech produced a total of 13 All-Big 12 selections and 21 Academic All-Big 12 honorees during the past five years.
Three Texas Tech players were selected in the NBA Draft under Reilly’s watch. Zhaire Smith became the second NBA Draft first-round pick in program history, when he was selected No. 16 overall by the Phoenix Suns (traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on draft night). Jarrett Culver was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Jahmi’us Ramsey was selected No. 43 overall in the 2020 Draft by the Sacramento Kings.
During the 2020-21 season, the Red Raiders tallied an 18-11 mark (9-8 Big 12) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round. Texas Tech earned a 65-53 win over Utah State in the NCAA First Round before falling to Arkansas, 68-66. The Red Raiders were ranked in The AP Top 25 throughout the entire season for the first time in program history, reaching as high as No. 7 in February and sitting at No. 21 in the final poll. The quartet of Mac McClung (second team), Terrence Shannon Jr. (third team), Kyler Edwards (honorable mention) and Kevin McCullar (honorable mention) earned All-Big 12 honors, while McClung claimed spots on the NABC and USWBA all-district teams. In addition, a school-record six players garnered Academic All-Big 12 team recognition.
During the shortened 2019-20 season (COVID-19), Texas Tech posted an 18-13 record and tied for third in the Big 12 with a 9-9 league mark. The Red Raiders defeated No. 1 Louisville 70-57 at the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden and registered an 88-42 home win against TCU, marking the largest margin of victory (46 points) in Big 12 play in program history. Jahmi’us Ramsey (second team) and Davide Moretti (honorable mention) earned All-Big 12 honors, while Ramsey and Shannon claimed spots on the Big 12 All-Freshman team.
The 2018-19 team earned a 31-7 record and a national runner-up finish, setting a school single-season mark for most victories. The Big 12 Conference co-champions (14-4), the Red Raiders defeated Northern Kentucky and Buffalo in the first and second rounds in Tulsa. Texas Tech followed with wins against Michigan and Gonzaga in Anaheim to reach the Final Four for the first time in program history. The Red Raiders knocked off Michigan State 61-51 in the national semifinals and took Virginia to overtime in the National Championship Game before falling 85-77. Culver earned consensus second-team All-America honors and was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, the first player in Texas Tech history to receive the accolade. Culver (first team), Matt Mooney (second team) and Tariq Owens (honorable mention) claimed All-Big 12 honors.
The 2017-18 Red Raiders posted a 27-10 mark and advanced to the program’s first NCAA Elite Eight. Beard led his team to NCAA tourney wins over Stephen F. Austin and Florida in the first and second rounds in Dallas. The Red Raiders followed with a 78-65 victory against No. 2 seed Purdue in the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual National Champion Villanova in the Elite Eight. Texas Tech finished second in the Big 12 Conference with an 11-7 record and earned a No. 6 ranking in the final USA Today/Coaches Top 25 poll. The Red Raiders were ranked in the top 15 of The AP poll for the final 10 weeks of the regular season, including six weeks in the Top 10. Keenan Evans claimed consensus second-team All-America honors, and Evans (first team) and Zhaire Smith (honorable mention) garnered All-Big 12 accolades.
In his first season at Texas Tech (2016-17), the Red Raiders posted an 18-14 record including a 16-3 mark in home games. Texas Tech registered three wins against AP ranked opponents, defeating No. 4 Baylor (84-78), No. 7 West Virginia (77-76 ot) and No. 25 Kansas State (66-65). Evans (third team) and Zach Smith (honorable mention) claimed All-Big 12 honors.
Before his time in Lubbock, Reilly worked on the strength and conditioning staff for four years (2012-16) at North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C. In his first season at North Carolina Central (2012-13), he supervised the entire Olympic sports program. Reilly then served as the department’s head strength and conditioning for three years (2013-16).
Reilly helped the NCCU men’s basketball team win the program’s first Division I regular-season conference title and conference tournament title while advancing to the school’s first NCAA Tournament during the 2013-14 season. The Eagles posted a 28-6 mark, setting a single-season Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) record for most victories, including a 15-1 record in league play. NCCU also earned back-to-back MEAC Football championships and claimed Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoff berths in 2014 and 2015.
Reilly spent one year (2011-12) on the Football strength and conditioning staff at The University of Texas, working under both Jeff Madden and Bennie Wylie. The Longhorns posted an 8-5 mark during the season, including a 21-10 win against California in the Holiday Bowl. He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant strength coach at his alma mater, Brigham Young University, and the University of Michigan in 2011 prior to joining the Texas staff.
Reilly was a track and field multi-event athlete at BYU, helping the Cougars win the Mountain West Conference Indoor Track & Field title in his junior season (2010). He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science from BYU in 2011. Prior to attending BYU, Reilly served a two-year mission in Rio de Janiero, Brazil (2005-07), where he learned to read and speak fluent Portuguese.
A native of Killeen, Texas, Reilly is a certified collegiate strength coach from the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association. He is certified in Applied Functional Science (CAFS). Reilly credits coaches Jeff Madden, George Smith, Bennie Wylie, Donnie Maib, Mike Favre, Bo Sandoval and Brandon Johnson for personal and professional mentorship and development in the field of strength and conditioning.
Reilly and his wife, Jessica, have three children, Preslyn, Sienna and John.
The John Reilly File
|
Hometown |
Killeen, Texas |
|
Education |
Brigham Young University, bachelor’s degree, exercise science, 2011 |
|
Wife |
Jessica |
|
Children |
Preslyn, Sienna, John |
Reilly’s Coaching Experience
|
Years |
School |
Position/Title |
|
2021-present |
Texas |
Men’s Basketball Strength & Conditioning Coach |
|
2016-21 |
Texas Tech |
Strength & Conditioning Coach, Men’s Basketball |
|
2013-16 |
North Carolina Central |
Head Strength & Conditioning Coach |
|
2012-13 |
North Carolina Central |
Head Strength Coach, Olympic Sports |
|
2011-12 |
Texas |
Strength & Conditioning Staff, Football |
|
2011 |
Michigan |
Volunteer Assistant Strength Coach |
|
2011 |
BYU |
Volunteer Assistant Strength Coach |
