Rodney Terry expected to be named permanent head coach of Longhorns men's basketball
Rodney Terry is expected to have the interim tag removed and be named the Longhorns’ permanent head men’s basketball coach, Inside Texas has learned. Terry, who joined former head coach Chris Beard’s staff ahead of the 2021-22 season, has a decade of head coaching experience and has spent almost 30 years on a Division I bench.
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Terry, who became Texas’ acting head coach on December 12, 2022 in the wake of Beard’s arrest, then interim head coach following his dismissal on January 5, guided the Longhorns to a 22-8 mark, a second-place finish in the Big 12, a Big 12 Tournament title, and the program’s first trip to the Elite Eight since 2008 after his elevation. The Longhorns defeated Colgate, Penn State, and Xavier on their way to the Elite Eight before losing to Miami (Fla.) on Sunday in the Midwest regional final.
Previously at UTEP, Terry was head coach of the Miner program for three years. His last season in El Paso was his best with the one-time national championship program, with a 12-12 record and an 8-8 mark in Conference USA. Prior to his time at UTEP, Terry was head coach at Fresno State. In 2016, he led the Bulldogs to one of its six NCAA Tournament appearances in program history. He compiled a 163-156 record as a head coach in Fresno and El Paso.
Terry spent 2002-2011 on the Texas bench as an assistant under Rick Barnes. He was part of a program that reached the Final Four in 2003, the Elite Eight on three occasions, and the Sweet 16 four times while in Austin. Before his first stint at Texas, Terry was an assistant at Baylor and UNC-Wilmington. He began his coaching career as a high school coach in Somerville and Angleton, the latter being his hometown.
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Terry has been instrumental in recruiting and roster building with the Texas Longhorns program since his return to Austin. He was the primary recruiter for 2023 On3 Industry Ranking 5-stars Ron Holland and A.J. Johnson. He had a part in the recruitments of Marcus Carr, Timmy Allen, Sir’Jabari Rice, and others.
In the years under Barnes at Texas, Terry’s long standing recruiting connections were key in the signings of Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, Myck Kabongo, J’Covan Brown, Dexter Pittman and a number of others that suited up for the Longhorns.
A graduate of St. Edward’s University in Austin, Terry, 55, was named Sporting News’ national coach of the year in 2023.
