The same man who ended Rodney Terry’s run as Texas’ head basketball coach in the NCAA Tournament could end up being his replacement. With the Longhorns expected to fire Terry in the coming days, several names have already been brought up as potential replacements, including Xavier’s Sean Miller.
Within hours of Xavier’s 86-80 First Four win, reports of Terry’s firing were already circulating. While several names have already been mentioned, Miller, who guided the Musketeers to the comeback victory, appears to be the Longhorns’ early favorite, according to Kirk Bohls of the Houston Chronicle.
“Texas’ [athletic director] Chris Del Conte usually takes his time to make a change until he has a coach’s successor in place,” Bohls tweeted. “He will swing for the fences and look at Xavier’s Sean Miller and at least three other candidates, including a big prize who is a very long shot to take the job.”
Miller, 56, is three years into his second stint as the Xavier head basketball coach. He previously coached the Musketeers from 2004 to 2009 before accepting the job at Arizona, where he remained for the next 12 seasons. A recruiting scandal ended his run with the Wildcats, leading to his reunion.
Despite the obvious name value Miller provides, he has not been as successful in his current tenure. Xavier was one of the most surprising inclusions of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, barely sneaking into the First Four despite a 1-9 regular season Quad 1 record. Had they not received the favor, the season would have been their second straight March Madness exclusion.
Texas’ other potential Rodney Terry replacements
Once they officially fire Terry, Texas will embark on its third head coaching job search in the past five years. Since firing longtime head coach Rick Barnes in 2015, the Longhorns have seen Shaka Smart, Chris Beard and Terry all pass through their program.
Hoping to end its current carousel, Texas is expected to pull out all the stops in the offseason. Aside from Miller, early candidates include Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger and Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland. South Sudan head coach and Houston Rockets assistant Royal Ivey was also singled out as a darkhorse, though it is unclear if he is the same “long shot” Bohls teased.
Texas will not likely name its next head coach until after the NCAA Tournament concludes. Historically, teams in similar situations have exercised patience to allow potential new candidates to emerge in the March Madness chaos.
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