Rodney Terry is officially the new head men’s basketball coach at the University of Texas.
According to ESPN, the school agreed to a five-year deal with the former interim coach on Monday, following the team’s best season in 15 years, and introduced him at a press conference in Austin on Tuesday morning.
“We’re here for Coach Terry, who is an incredible individual and a class act,” chairman of the Texas Board of Regents, Kevin P. Eltife, said as he addressed the crowd. “I cannot think of a better role model for our student-athletes than Rodney Terry. What you’ve done this season and how you’ve moved this team forward is phenomenal.”
After further opening remarks, Coach Terry was officially introduced by the vice president and director of athletics, Chris Del Conte.
“It’s a great day to be a Longhorn,” Del Conte said as he took the podium. “These decisions are never easy, and I’m an emotional person, but I don’t make decisions based on emotions…”
“Coach Terry, we gave you the whistle, and we said, ‘Go earn this job. It belongs to you,” he continued. “Block out all the noise. Block out everyone here that’s going to say, ‘He can’t do the job.’ Block out everything that we can do. You galvanized a nation. Your leadership was second to none…”
“We are here today because the whistle was given to you on December 12, but you took the whistle, and you earned it. A reckoning is coming because of you.”
Terry took over on an interim basis after head coach Chris Beard was arrested for a domestic violence incident and placed on leave. In his place, Terry took the Longhorns to their best finish to a season since 2008.
“Today marks a new and exciting chapter in the 20-plus [year] relationship that I’ve had on the Forty Acres,” Terry said as he addressed the crowd. “I came here as an assistant with Rick Barnes, and we had an incredible run. We won at a very high level, but I was always one of those guys who was aspiring to want to be an elite, high major coach.”
“That was my goal, and I’m getting a chance to live that out right now at the University of Texas. I’m so proud and honored to have that opportunity.”
“We’re going to celebrate what this team did this season,” Terry added, “and as we get back to work and start building on that momentum we’ve established, we’re going to continue to put a great product on the floor. One that’s going to make you proud on and off the court and represent the university the right way — in a first-class manner.”
Terry becomes a Division I head coach for the third time in his career and the 26th in Texas history. He previously spent 10 seasons as the head coach at Fresno State and UTEP.