Unsurprisingly, the Texas Longhorns fired men’s basketball head coach Rodney Terry on Sunday. However, is his replacement a massive upgrade?
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte confirmed he moved on from Terry in a statement. Per Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman, Xavier head coach Sean Miller will be hired to replace him.
Xavier beat Texas 86-80 in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament, but the reported hiring of Miller may not thrill Texas fans.
He served as Arizona Wildcats HC from 2009-21 until he was fired. In his last season with the program, the NCAA penalized Arizona for recruiting violations and academic misconduct. In December 2020, Arizona gave itself a one-year postseason ban for its scandal.
During his tenure at Arizona, Miller and Co. made seven NCAA Tournaments and three Elite Eights. However, the Wildcats failed to make the Big Dance in his last three seasons.
In his first season in his second stint at Xavier, Miller went 27-10 and made the Sweet 16. His last two seasons were less successful. During this span, the coach went 38-30 and won one NCAA Tournament game.
Terry went 62-37 in three seasons at Texas and made the NCAA Tournament each season. When he was an interim during the 2022-23 season, he guided the Longhorns to the Elite Eight, where they lost to the Miami Hurricanes.
Miller could do more at a program with deeper pockets, like Texas. In August 2024, On3’s Pete Nakos ranked the Longhorns’ name, image and likeness collective — Texas One Fund — as the third-biggest in college sports.
Still, Miller is moving from the Big East to the SEC, a much better league. The 2025 NCAA Tournament featured a record 14 teams from the conference.
Del Conte has nailed his previous hires, including football HC Steve Sarkisian and women’s basketball HC Vic Schaefer. If Miller flops, it would be considered Del Conte’s first whiff.
Miller’s résumé doesn’t suggest he’ll transform the program into a powerhouse.