The next phase of Dogus Balbay's basketball career begins at Texas
Slipped into Texas head coach Rodney Terry‘s Monday Zoom meeting with the media was the fact that former Longhorn guard and three-time EuroLeague champion Dogus Balbay is working with the program.
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A Texas spokesperson said Monday Balbay does not have a title and is not an official member of the staff or athletic department, but is coming by to work with Terry’s program in a support capacity.
Balbay, who retired from professional basketball in December, played three seasons for the Longhorns from 2008-11. He averaged 3.7 points but was one of the best defenders in the Big 12 and college basketball during his career.
While not officially on staff, Terry sang Balbay’s praises and explained how the idea of him working in a support role came about.
“Dogus was one of those guys who came back this summer,” Terry said. “He was still trying to decide whether or not he was going to retire or play one more season. He visited with us about possibly embarking on a coaching career or still staying attached to the game in some capacity. The thing I said to him was go back home and decide what you want to do, and if you decide that you want to come back we’d love to start trying to help you get started with your career in some capacity, whether that’d be in college, professionally where you’re working as a scout, just let me know what you’re trying to do and we’d be more than willing to try to help you get your career started.
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“Dogus was one of my all-time favorites to coach. A lot of times coaches don’t want to say we have favorites, but Dogus Balbay is one of those kind of guys you want in the foxhole with you. He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever had a chance to coach. I told him to come back and be around our program. He decided to retire, and said ‘you know what coach, I just want to come back and be around in some capacity, see if I can mentor the young guys, and be around.’
“We’ve been able to work through that a little bit. He’s not a full-time guy on our staff, but he’s a guy in a support role that really mentors our guys and does a good job communicating with them.”
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Other Longhorn alums are currently part of Terry’s program. Jonathan Holmes, who also enjoyed a multi-year international basketball career, is currently a graduate assistant for the Longhorns. Chris Ogden is currently the program’s general manager. Tristen Licon is a graduate assistant alongside Holmes.
The Longhorns will face a sixth consecutive ranked opponent for the first time in program history on Tuesday when the No. 14 Iowa State Cyclones travel to the Moody Center for a 7 p.m. tip on Longhorn Network.
