Rodney Terry, Timmy Allen reflect on first meeting after coaching change

Texas‘ season could have been derailed in December when former head coach Chris Beard was arrested and suspended. But the Longhorns have dealt with the adversity resulting from that development to make a run to the Elite Eight.

Timmy Allen and interim head coach Rodney Terry reflected on that first meeting in December.

“He gave us reassurance of our plan,” Allen said. “He gave us a clear view. He gave us a voice. He gave us a steady voice. And I don’t think you could overlook that. I think a lot of guys on this team were looking for guidance after that, looking for someone to follow, looking for someone to lead by example, and he’s done that flawlessly.”

Terry had been a head coach before for a decade at Fresno State and UTEP but the situation he was dealing with is not one you can prepare for.

Beard, who had the charges of his arrest later dropped, was fired in early January. He has since been hired as the head coach of Ole Miss.

“I don’t think there’s a playbook for what happened in terms of when it happened or how it happened,” Terry said. “I think the one saving grace for myself, I was already in front of our guys. I was kind of a co-head coach with Coach Beard already. So I was already in front of the guys coaching our defense and was always in front of the guys already coaching as opposed to just being an assistant, to where you didn’t maybe have as much input.”

The way Terry acted and spoke during that meeting cannot go unnoticed either. While all the player knew Terry, this was their first impression of him as their head coach.

“In that moment, he wasn’t unprepared,” Allen said. “He looked ready. He looked excited for the opportunity, as he should be. And we had the goal, and we had the plan, and we came here. It’s not going to change because bro fell down. R.T.’s stepping up, and he’s done it flawlessly.”

Rodney Terry explains his message to Timmy Allen and the rest of the Longhorns

Rodney Terry said he has emphasized living in the moment with his team and not letting things outside of their reach impact themselves.

“But I think my one constant message to our guys on that day and moving forward was to live where your feet are, stay in the present right now, and we’re going to control what we can control,” Terry said. “We’re going to continue to have a great season. We’re going to block out all the noise. And we’re going to play for one another, and we’re going to continue to have all our goals and everything that we set out to start the season sit in front of us.”

That has been the case. Texas won the Big 12 tournament championship and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns are 22-7 under Terry.

And now they are one win over No. 5 seed Miami on Sunday away from the Final Four.

“I thought those guys have done a great job of that every single day. Really living where their feet are, trying to really enjoy the moment, enjoy the journey,” Terry said. “I think, a lot like myself, they don’t want this to end.”