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LIVE UPDATES: Rodney Terry introduced as head coach of Texas men's basketball coach

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•03/28/23•

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Rodney Terry (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Rodney Terry will be officially introduced as the 26th head coach of the Texas men’s basketball program at a press conference on Tuesday morning.

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Inside Texas is on hand to provide live updates from the introduction, with Terry and other University of Texas dignitaries expected to be attendance.

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Live Updates

Texas players have arrived in support of Terry, including Marcus Carr, Christian Bishop, and others including assistant coach Brandon Chappell. Longhorn legend TJ Ford, and others have arrived along with members of Terry’s family.

Also in attendance is the Worlds Strongest Man, Mark Henry. Dillon Mitchell and Dylan Disu have also filtered into the press conference. The entire roster is here.

DeLoss Dodds, Chris Plonsky have also made their way here.

Kevin Eltife: “We’re here for Coach Terry, who is just an incredible individual, a class act. I cannot think of a better role model for our student athletes than Rodney Terry. What you’ve done this season and how you’ve moved this team forward is phenomenal.”

Jay Hartzell: “You had a very long job interview, and I would say you nailed it. You won with class, dignity, and grace, and to see the family spirit, the culture of this team, and the way they rallied behind their coach — their leader — got us here today. We’re proud to be here.”

Chris Del Conte: “To the staff and the coaches that were around our program, boy, you put our team in a great position. The scouting, the preparation, everything you did was unbelievable. It does not go unnoticed. I just want to publicly thank you all because it was awesome.”

Chris Del Conte: “Coach Terry, we gave you the whistle and we said ‘go earn this job, it belongs to you.'”

Chris Del Conte explains that on December 13, he and Eltife knew that Rodney Terry was the right man for the job.

Rodney Terry: “Like I always say to my guys every day, it’s a great day to be alive, men! It’s a great day to be a Longhorn.”

Rodney Terry: “Thank you for giving me this opportunity. Your alignment is what allows us to build a championship level program, and we appreciate your support for our men’s basketball program as we continue to develop young men and work towards playing in a Monday night championship game.”

Rodney Terry to his team: “No team faced the challenge you guys faced this year, and you met every challenge head on. So, so, proud of you guys for what you’ve done this season, what you did for this university.”

Rodney Terry says his goal, even while an assistant coach under Rick Barnes, was to be an elite high-major coach.

Rodney Terry said he purchased a home in Austin during the COVID-19 pandemic, “not even knowing I’d have an opportunity to come back and be a part of this university again.”

Rodney Terry says he spoke with Tennessee coach Rick Barnes, Shaka Smart, Rodney Page, DJ Augustin, LaMarcus Aldridge and others when he learned he would be the full-time head coach.

Rodney Terry thanks Texas donors and The Corral: “We have a home court at the University of Texas.”

Rodney Terry: “I know my father’s up in heaven today, he’s up with his horns up high.” — “He probably has his Big 12 or Elite Eight ring on.” — Terry mentions he would give his father his championship rings.

Rodney Terry mentions he wants to build a dynamic team with an ability to score in different ways. Explains how the defense needs to travel.

Rodney Terry: “Our foundation will be about our identity. What’s our identity, guys?” The Texas players in attendance: “Defense.”

Rodney Terry: “I’m excited and I’m honored to be your basketball coach at the University of Texas.”

Rodney Terry: “I felt confident the whole time. I’ve prepared my whole life for this opportunity.”

Rodney Terry on lessons learned as a head coach: “The 10 years that I was a head coach, you’re literally working so hard. I went to two situations where they were total rebuilds. Even as you got the program where you wanted it, you would still fight each day to continue to keep the program there. I think I never really got the chance to enjoy it as you build it and you have a level of success.”

Rodney Terry: “Having a chance to step back that one year, it put a lot of things in perspective. I vowed to myself that if I ever got another opportunity as a head coach, I was going to be Rodney Terry.”

Rodney Terry on discussions with Ron Holland and AJ Johnson: “When you sign recruits, recruits are going to come to your program based on the guys you have in our program. Our best recruiters are our players and our players did a great job in hosting those young men and making sure those guys feel a part of our family.” — Terry said that he headed up the recruiting piece on Holland and Johnson.

Rodney Terry: “It’s been very surreal to be honest with you. I was hoping for a Final Four for a birthday present. That would have been an incredible birthday present, right? We were working with our guys and working our tails off. We were right there.”

Rodney Terry: “You can’t find a more Texas guy than Rodney Terry.”

Rodney Terry on his staff and re-recruiting the current roster: “Our staff, from the day one when we faced adversity and the challenge that we did — we already had great, great chemistry — but from that point on we banded together like no other in terms of a band of brothers.”

Rodney Terry: “I’m hoping that our whole staff is back, we go on another run, and we do this again.”

Rodney Terry: “This brand right here is incredible. It’s powerful. It made me leave a head coaching job because of the experience, and because it’s elite. The elite of the elite are at the University of Texas.”

Rodney Terry on the moments after he signed his contract: “It feels like you’re still living a dream right now, to be honest.”

Rodney Terry in response to the notion this is ‘Chris Beard’s team’: “I think our entire staff really helped lay the foundation for this team. Obviously, Chris was our leader in terms of the architect of making final decisions, on putting individual guys with our team. But we all had a say in who we brought into our program.”

Rodney Terry said Chris Beard reached out to him on Monday and the two exchanged congratulatory messages.

Rodney Terry on his father: “He would be beaming down and have so much pride right now in terms of what’s happening.”

Rodney Terry: “Having the Moody Center has been incredible for us.” — “It’s the best in the world right now in all regards.”

Rodney Terry: “The thing that has made myself most proud of myself is the way I’ve worked with these guys. I think I’ve truly stayed to my word of really enjoying every day with those guys.”

Brock Cunningham askes Rodney Terry what the first thing he’ll do as the head coach. Terry says he’ll talk to the team, sit down, and visit about the year, and offer gratitude for what they accomplished this year.

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