3:10 pm update
Statement from Chris Del Conte, UT Vice President and Lois and Richard Folger Athletics Director:
“This was a very difficult decision and one that we put a great deal of thought, consideration and discussion into as we evaluated where we are as a men’s basketball program. My philosophy has always been to wait until the end of the season and review every facet of our program before making any final decisions, and we’ve been doing that since our heartbreaking First Four loss in the NCAA Tournament. In looking at everything over the past three seasons, our first year in the SEC this past year, and where we’re headed in the future, Coach Terry and I have decided it is in the best interest of The University of Texas to move in a different direction. Coach Terry has led our program in a first-class manner, and we’ve accomplished some great things. He did a tremendous job in his first season helping to manage a very difficult situation, and we’re truly grateful for that. We appreciate all he’s done for our student-athletes and program and wish him the best in the future.”
Statement from Rodney Terry:
“I am so appreciative to have served The University of Texas and our men’s basketball program for 13 seasons. It was a dream of mine to be the head coach of the Longhorns, and I’ve been able to live that dream. I want to thank all of our coaches and current and former players who not only helped us win a lot of games, but more importantly represented this great university in a first-class manner. Thank you to Longhorn Nation, our student section “The Corral,” and all of our wonderful donors and supporters who have been consistently great to me and our program. I’ll forever be a Longhorn.”
*****
12:40 update: A source close to the Texas men's basketball program has confirmed that Chris Del Conte has notified Rodney Terry that he will not be retained as head basketball coach.
****
A few things to pass along...
a. Xavier's Sean Miller keeps being mentioned a lot, but no one seems to be doing so with reckless excitement. It feels like Miller is the floor for a hire and there's still some vetting taking place.
b. One source mentioned that hiring Miller would be a very "Steve Sarkisian-like" hire because while he might not move the needle on the national media level upon his arrival, he would represent an upgrade of what Texas currently has and he might just be the kind of upgrade that would net better results than the program has consistently seen for the last half-generation or so.
c. I have not been told that the job has been offered yet.
d. I wouldn't expect Del Conte to leave Rodney Terry twisting in the wind much longer.
e. The finances of making a splash hire remain problematic. Alabama's Nate Oats was mentioned as a person of interest, but that's a bit of a joke because the Longhorns wouldn't come within a 1,000-foot pole of touching his buyout, even if he wanted to come to Austin.
f. Texas isn't really competing with the big dogs in recruiting from an NIL standpoint and that reality makes the job a little less coveted than you might expect. For instance, KU's Bill Self has spent between 6.5-7.0 million per year in NIL in each of the last two years, "He's just chosen some dogs, but he can buy any player he wants," a source told me this weekend. I was told that KU guard commit Darryn Peterson is going to make 3+ million in what is expected to be his only season in a KU uniform and that doesn''t even include the million or so he'll be receiving from Adidas. A source told me that the coach that Texas hires would have to be ok with living in the middle class of NIL spend in men's basketball and that will cause some doors to close before they ever open.
Statement from Chris Del Conte, UT Vice President and Lois and Richard Folger Athletics Director:
“This was a very difficult decision and one that we put a great deal of thought, consideration and discussion into as we evaluated where we are as a men’s basketball program. My philosophy has always been to wait until the end of the season and review every facet of our program before making any final decisions, and we’ve been doing that since our heartbreaking First Four loss in the NCAA Tournament. In looking at everything over the past three seasons, our first year in the SEC this past year, and where we’re headed in the future, Coach Terry and I have decided it is in the best interest of The University of Texas to move in a different direction. Coach Terry has led our program in a first-class manner, and we’ve accomplished some great things. He did a tremendous job in his first season helping to manage a very difficult situation, and we’re truly grateful for that. We appreciate all he’s done for our student-athletes and program and wish him the best in the future.”
Statement from Rodney Terry:
“I am so appreciative to have served The University of Texas and our men’s basketball program for 13 seasons. It was a dream of mine to be the head coach of the Longhorns, and I’ve been able to live that dream. I want to thank all of our coaches and current and former players who not only helped us win a lot of games, but more importantly represented this great university in a first-class manner. Thank you to Longhorn Nation, our student section “The Corral,” and all of our wonderful donors and supporters who have been consistently great to me and our program. I’ll forever be a Longhorn.”
*****
12:40 update: A source close to the Texas men's basketball program has confirmed that Chris Del Conte has notified Rodney Terry that he will not be retained as head basketball coach.
****
A few things to pass along...
a. Xavier's Sean Miller keeps being mentioned a lot, but no one seems to be doing so with reckless excitement. It feels like Miller is the floor for a hire and there's still some vetting taking place.
b. One source mentioned that hiring Miller would be a very "Steve Sarkisian-like" hire because while he might not move the needle on the national media level upon his arrival, he would represent an upgrade of what Texas currently has and he might just be the kind of upgrade that would net better results than the program has consistently seen for the last half-generation or so.
c. I have not been told that the job has been offered yet.
d. I wouldn't expect Del Conte to leave Rodney Terry twisting in the wind much longer.
e. The finances of making a splash hire remain problematic. Alabama's Nate Oats was mentioned as a person of interest, but that's a bit of a joke because the Longhorns wouldn't come within a 1,000-foot pole of touching his buyout, even if he wanted to come to Austin.
f. Texas isn't really competing with the big dogs in recruiting from an NIL standpoint and that reality makes the job a little less coveted than you might expect. For instance, KU's Bill Self has spent between 6.5-7.0 million per year in NIL in each of the last two years, "He's just chosen some dogs, but he can buy any player he wants," a source told me this weekend. I was told that KU guard commit Darryn Peterson is going to make 3+ million in what is expected to be his only season in a KU uniform and that doesn''t even include the million or so he'll be receiving from Adidas. A source told me that the coach that Texas hires would have to be ok with living in the middle class of NIL spend in men's basketball and that will cause some doors to close before they ever open.
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