The Texas Longhorns men’s basketball team has moved on from Head Coach Rodney Terry and is expected to hire Xavier Head Coach Sean Miller for the role.
Terry was informed by the university about the decision on Sunday following three seasons in which he led the program to an overall record of 62-37 with multiple NCAA tournament appearances.
These appearances included one appearance in the Elite Eight during the 2023 season while he was serving as the interim head coach, though Texas has not advanced past the first weekend of games over the last two seasons.
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said in a statement that Terry led the program in a “first-class manner” and “accomplished some great things” during his time with the Longhorns.
“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,” he added in the statement.
Now, Texas will turn its attention to Miller, one of the most experienced coaches in collegiate basketball. Miller recently knocked the Longhorns out during the First Four portion of the NCAA tournament.
Miller is reportedly the target for the Longhorns and the expectation is that a deal will be “completed in the near future,” according to ESPN.
Del Conte reportedly did extensive research on Miller before Terry was hired for the role in 2023, with the athletic director now circling back to the Xavier head coach just two seasons later.
Miller has a career record of 185–87 during his eight seasons with Xavier, including a 9-6 record in the NCAA tournament, which has resulted in two appearances in the Elite Eight and one appearance in the Sweet 16, according to CBS News.
Xavier will now have to begin searching for a new coach just days after the ending of a season in which the team had an overall record of 22-12 and finished fifth in the Big East standings.
The NCAA coaching carousel has prompted some strong opinions about the current process, with ESPN analyst Jay Bilas pointing to the hypocrisy of coaches leaving universities before the season ends.
Bilas responded on social media to a post regarding McNeese State’s Will Wade leaving the university to become the head coach at North Carolina State, which was announced before the team played in the NCAA tournament.
“Remember, the Coaches’ Portal is always open … funny how nobody complains about “loyalty” or “tampering.” That’s reserved for players only,” Bilas wrote in the post.
Bilas is referring to the backlash many collegiate players receive following announcements about potential transfers, though many are seemingly unbothered by the same decisions being made by coaches.
Although many have pointed to these issues and wondered whether the NCAA will implement regulations, it is unlikely that the association will make major changes to this aspect of collegiate sports.