Texas Longhorns fire basketball coach Rodney Terry

AUSTIN - After a disappointing exit from the play-in game for the NCAA Tournament, the Texas Longhorns have fired head basketball coach Rodney Terry.

Terry, who had three years left on his contract, was 40-29 in his two full seasons as head coach.

Rodney Terry's time at Texas

The backstory:

Rodney Terry joined the University of Texas coaching staff as an assistant under Rick Barnes in 2002.

Terry took over as head coach of the Longhorns when then-coach Chris Beard was fired during the 2022-2023 season.

Beard was arrested on a felony family charge and fired by Texas. That charge was later dismissed.

Terry was promoted from assistant coach to the interim head coaching position and led the Longhorns to a Big 12 Conference Tournament win and a trip to the Elite Eight. It was the team's deepest NCAA Tournament run since 2008.

After the season, Terry signed a five-year, $15 million deal to be the team's head coach.

In the 2023-2024 season, the Longhorns went 21-13 and lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

In 2024-2025, the Longhorns started the year ranked No. 19 in the country, but struggled, especially late in the season. Texas finished 19-16, including a 6-12 record in conference play during their first season in the Southeastern Conference. 

The Longhorns came into this year's NCAA Tournament having to win a play-in game to earn an 11-seed. Terry's team blew a 13-point lead against Xavier.

Terry's tenure has been marked by an inability to land top recruits outside of SEC Player of the Year Tre Johnson.

No top high scholl players are currently committed to join the Longhorns next season.

What they're saying:

"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," Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said in a statement. "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."

"It was a dream of mine to be the head coach of the Longhorns, and I’ve been able to live that dream," Terry said in a statement released by the school. "I’ll forever be a Longhorn."