The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 512-471-5816
Third Season as Head Coach at Texas
13th Season at Texas
Rodney Terry was officially named the 26th head coach in Men’s Basketball program history at The University of Texas on March 27, 2023. Terry celebrated his 55th birthday on the date of the announcement.
Terry completed his second season as head coach and his 12th year in association with The University of Texas during the 2023-24 campaign. In his first two years as head coach of the Longhorns, Terry has guided Texas to a 43-21 (.672) overall record including a 4-2 mark in NCAA Tournament contests. The Longhorns have posted 11 victories against AP Top 25 opponents during Terry’s first two years as head coach.
A former head coach at Fresno State and UTEP for a combined 10 seasons, he sports an overall head coaching career record of 206-177 (.538) in 12 total years. Terry, who has 29 years of collegiate coaching experience including nine as an assistant previously with the Longhorns from 2002-11, had returned to the Forty Acres in the role of Associate Head Coach prior to the 2021-22 season and took over the head coaching duties at Texas on Dec. 12, 2022.
Over the last three years in Austin, Terry has helped the Longhorns post a 72-34 (.679) overall record including a 5-3 mark in NCAA Tournament games. Texas has advanced to at least the NCAA Round of 32 in each of the last three seasons, including making a run to the NCAA Elite Eight in Terry’s first year as head coach in 2022-23. This marks the first time Texas has won its NCAA First Round game in three consecutive seasons since UT won four-straight NCAA First-Round games from 2006-09. The Longhorns are one of just eight programs nationally to advance to at least the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in each of the last three years, joining Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Michigan State and Tennessee.
During the 2023-24 season, Texas posted a 21-13 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. UT finished at No. 25 in the final KenPom team rankings, recorded five Quad 1 wins and earned three victories against AP-ranked opponents. The Longhorns were one of 11 teams to rank in the top 31 in KenPom in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency.
Dylan Disu was named the Big 12’s Most Improved Player, becoming the first Texas player to claim the honor since it began during the 2019-20 season, and earned first-team All-Big 12 mention from the coaches. Max Abmas garnered a spot on the first-team All-Big 12 team from the media and the five-person Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. In addition, Abmas was named the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Division I Men’s Basketball Team Member of the Year, while Disu was named the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Terry was named Acting Head Coach at Texas a few hours prior to the home game against Rice on Dec. 12, 2022. Beginning with an overtime victory that night, Terry guided the Longhorns to a 22-8 mark that included the Big 12 Tournament title and a run to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight. Texas concluded 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 and No. 7 in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll.
Terry was tabbed 2023 Sporting News National Coach of the Year, becoming the first coach in program history to earn the prestigious honor. He was named the Clarence “Big House” Gaines College Basketball Division I Coach of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Terry also was 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.
The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 and eighth time in program history. UT 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. The Longhorns earned a No. 2 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, marking the highest seed for Texas in the NCAA tourney since 2008 (also a No. 2 seed).
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 and No. 7 in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll. The No. 5 spot marked a tie for the highest ranking in the final AP poll by the Longhorns, as UT also was No. 5 in the final AP poll during the 2002-03 Final Four season. The No. 7 spot marked the third-highest ranking in the final Coaches poll in program history and highest since a No. 5 ranking following the 2007-08 season.
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, and the 10 wins were the most in the nation against AP-ranked foes. The 10 wins against AP-ranked opponents also set a school single-season record, 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 single-season school record for most games played (38). UT began the year at No. 12 in the preseason AP poll and spent all 19 weeks of the poll in the top 12, including 17 consecutive weeks in the top 10. That marked the longest such stretch since Texas was in the top 10 for all 19 polls during the 2002-03 Final Four season.
After taking over the head coaching role on Dec. 12, 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’s leadership during the 2022-23 season in games decided by five points or less OR in overtime.
The Longhorns were one of three teams to rank in the top 15 in KenPom in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. Texas (15 offense, 13 defense) was joined by UConn (3 offense, 7 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 during the 2022-23 season were by at least 10 points.
Marcus Carr claimed first-team All-Big 12 honors, becoming the first UT player to receive first-team All-Big 12 accolades since Isaiah Taylor in 2015-16. Sir’Jabari Rice was tabbed the National Sixth Man of the Year by College Hoops Today (Jon Rothstein) in addition to earning the league’s Sixth Man Award. Rice also was named a third-team All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Newcomer Team selection. In addition, Timmy Allen was selected as an honorable mention All-Big 12 pick.
In addition to driving UT’s success on the court, Terry has helped the Longhorns create a true home court advantage in the first two seasons inside Moody Center, the $375 million world-class arena located on campus that opened in April 2022. Texas has registered a 30-5 record in Moody and has averaged 10,819 fans per game during the arena’s first two years. The arena’s official capacity is 10,763 but there is a standing-room only area in the upper concourse for UT students used as overflow for the Corral, the official UT student section which surrounds 270-degrees of the court.
Texas played in front of a sellout crowd in all 17 contests (16-1 record) in Moody Center and averaged 10,965 fans per game during the 2022-23 season. The Longhorns posted a 6-0 record against AP Top 25 opponents that year, including a 3-0 mark against AP Top 10 foes with wins over No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 3 Kansas and No. 7 Creighton. Texas also won its Throwback Game in historic Gregory Gymnasium on the UT campus and posted an overall mark of 17-1 in home games in 2022-23, tying the school record for most home wins in a season (also went 17-1 in 2007-08).
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.
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 Collegiate Coaching Experience
|
Years |
School |
Position/Title |
|
2023- |
Texas |
Head Coach |
|
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 Head 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 |
|
2023-24 |
Texas |
21-13 |
9-9 |
NCAA Round of 32 |
|
Totals |
12 seasons |
206-177 (.538) |
102-106 (.490) |
3 NCAAs (4-3) |
