Does Texas HC need a deep NCAA Tournament run to save job? | Yardbarker
Texas Longhorns head coach Rodney Terry yells out to players during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Moody Center. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
On Sunday, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee possibly gave Texas Longhorns head coach Rodney Terry an opportunity to improve his job security.
Surprisingly, the Longhorns were one of the last four teams in the 68-team field, even though they went 19-15 and 6-12 in SEC play. On Wednesday, Texas will face the Xavier Musketeers (21-11, 13-7 Big East) in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, on truTV at 9:10 p.m. ET.
The winner of that game will play No. 6 seed Illinois (21-12, 12-8 Big Ten) in Milwaukee on Friday.
The Selection Committee's Last Four In #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/kq9on3UsR9
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2025
THE BRACKET #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/fo6lA8hJ7g
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2025
Although the Longhorns made the Big Dance, Terry may still need a deep run to solidify his future with the program. On Sunday morning, before the bracket was revealed, ESPN's Pete Thamel suggested the coach is still on the hot seat.
"One thing to keep in mind athletic director Chris Del Conte's hiring history shows he tends to have a candidate lined up before making a decision on his current coach, notably what he did with Tom Herman before he transitioned to Steve Sarkisian [in football], and that happened in baseball and women's basketball," Thamel said on "College Basketball Live" (h/t On3's Alex Byington).
Thamel added Del Conte considered other candidates before promoting Terry to full-time HC in March 2023.
"Before promoting Terry last time, Del Conte did a lot of legwork on [Atlanta Hawks head coach] Quinn Snyder and Xavier's Sean Miller," Thamel said. "Don't expect Snyder to be a candidate this time around, but do expect Del Conte to swing at the biggest names in the sport."
Terry has made three NCAA Tournament trips in three seasons with Texas. During the 2022-23 season, the Longhorns made the Elite Eight.
However, the program has lost momentum in recruiting. 247 Sports ranks the Longhorns' 2025 class — which has only one commit — second to last in the SEC.
A strong showing in March Madness could attract more recruits and help Terry prove he's the right guy for the job.
Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.
