Top-dollar for top-tier coaches has the entire Texas Longhorns athletic department enjoying success

The University of Texas prides itself on having an elite athletic department from top to bottom. Football may draw the most attention, and its success helps to drive the success of others, but it goes the other direction, too.

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In sports where Texas has unquestionable advantages due to the resources individual programs are able to martial at their discretion, the Longhorns are enjoying undeniable successes. And several of those sports have top-dollar head coaches overseeing those achievements.

The three sports on display in the past few days — women’s basketball, baseball, and softball — illustrate that capability well. But so do others things seen in the 2024-25 athletic year.

Led by Vic Schaefer, the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team just reached the Final Four for the first time in over 20 years and after several agonizing losses in the Elite Eight. Schafer was considered to be one of the best coaches in the sport at Mississippi State. When Chris Del Conte saw a chance to make a splash hire upon the expiration of Karen Aston’s contract, he made one of the biggest splashes possible.

What’s followed? Two Big 12 Tournament titles, a Big 12 regular season title, a Southeastern Conference regular season title, three elite eights, and this year’s Final Four.

On the diamond? No. 5 Texas just took the first two games of its series against No. 3 Georgia, its fourth SEC series win in as many tries. Jim Schlossnagle has revitalized the Longhorn baseball program and has Texas not just contending in the toughest conference in college baseball, but excelling. Time will tell if the Horns can sustain this run this year, but it’s hard not to think Schlossnagle has something special churning at the Disch.

When Del Conte saw the chance to make a splash hire after dismissing David Pierce, he made one of the biggest splashes possible.

Texas’ softball program had plateaued under Connie Clark. After making four Women’s College World Series in her first 10 seasons, Texas made just one more in her next 12 and failed to advance past the regional round in 10.

When Del Conte saw the chance to make a splash after letting Clark’s contract expire, he made one of the biggest splashes possible in Oregon’s Mike White.

White won five Pac-12 titles at Oregon and advanced to five WCWS. At Texas, he has elevated the program to near the top of the sport. Texas has twice advanced to the championship series of the Women’s College World Series, won a Big 12 Championship on the way out of the conference, and is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation by Softball America ahead of SEC peers like No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 4 Texas A&M, and No. 5 LSU, to name a few.

Oh by the way, Teagan Kavan threw a no-hitter at Missouri yesterday.

it's a NO-NO for @teagan_kavan 🤘#HookEm | @TexasLonghorns pic.twitter.com/VmN12oBEn5

— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) April 5, 2025

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Texas just won its 16th national championship in men’s swimming and diving, the first under new head coach Bob Bowman. After Eddie Reese retired following the 2024 season, Texas swiped Bowman from Arizona State… after the Sun Devils took home the national championship.

It’s athletic department-wide at this juncture. Track under Edrick Floréal produces Olympians, championship teams, and just saw Leo Neugebauer take home The Bowerman, track and field’s version of the Heisman. Where’d Texas find Floréal? At Kentucky after a strong career that started at Stanford.

Beach volleyball is exceling under Stein Metzger, who the Longhorns snagged from UCLA after two national championships and two title match appearances for the Bruins.

Texas has spent top dollar to succeed in sports where its vast resources can put elite coaches in position to reach elite perches. And it’s also spent top dollar to swipe coaches from other schools that can’t match the financial might that’s behind the programs on the 40 Acres.

That’s not to say that the Longhorns’ home-grown or longtime coaches aren’t getting the job done. Jerritt Elliott won back-to-back titles for Texas volleyball in 2022 and 2023 and finished second in the SEC in 2024 with a Sweet 16 appearance. Angela Kelly’s soccer team won the SEC Tournament during their first year in the league.

But they’re more examples of how Texas and Del Conte can do more for an entire athletic department than many programs can do solely for their football team.

There’s a significant focus placed on football and men’s basketball in modern college athletics, and for good reason. They’re the money-makers for everyone, and that’s where some departments invest the most energy. That makes any accomplishments in those sports all the more sweeter, just ask Steve Sarkisian. That makes the failures all the more disappointing, just ask the basketball team that came back from Dayton.

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But Texas focuses on everything. And its ability to spend on everything, namely top quality coaching desired by other programs, is a big reason why the Longhorns are at or near the top in many of its athletic ventures.