Rodney Terry explains how much of a role questions about full-time job played last year

There was not too much athletic director Chris Del Conte could do with the Texas basketball coaching search. Rodney Terry made it near impossible for anyone but him to earn the job after making the Elite Eight. Throughout the journey though, many asked if having the interim tag was going to distract the Longhorns and specifically, Terry.

Terry says there was “no thought” on a daily basis about him potentially getting the full-time job. He was more focused on firstly, attempting to win the Big 12. The goal was accomplished in Kansas City, with Texas winning the Big 12 Tournament.

But more than anything, Terry was just enjoying the ride. He’s talked multiple times about how much he loved the group in Austin last season. Wanting to go through the experience and see them succeed on the court was Terry’s main goal.

“I think between me and my staff, I think the thing we were committed to was trying to enjoy the journey with this group,” Terry said via The Field of 68. “We had a really good group going that we enjoyed being around every single day. Whether it was on the court, in the film room, individually meeting with guys. We just loved being around those guys and that group. I think we got lost in that and trying to put those guys in the best position to be successful.”

Realistically, Texas could have crumbled after Chris Beard was moved away from the team. Losing a head coach for off-the-court reasoning in the middle of the season creates a ton of distractions. Playing in the Big 12, arguably the top conference in the country last season, did not help the case.

Terry was able to keep the ship more than floating. At times, Texas thrived and proved to be a real contender in March. Making the Elite Eight proves that enough, even having a double-digit lead against Miami before suffering a come-from-behind defeat.

By that point, everyone thought Terry was going to be the one Del Conte hired. But until then, there was doubt surrounding from the outside. Not from the inside.

Working with a veteran group of players worked for Terry, getting him the job. He will focus on what they accomplished on the court though, taking silverware back to Austin while being so close to making a Final Four appearance. A great run many did not expect in the middle of December.