Rodney Terry facts for kids
Terry in 2017
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 27, 1968 Angleton, Texas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1986–1990 | St. Edward's |
| Position(s) | Point guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1990–1991 | St. Edward's (assistant) |
| 1991–1993 | Bowie HS (TX) (assistant) |
| 1993–1995 | Somerville HS (TX) |
| 1995–1996 | Angleton HS (TX) |
| 1996–1998 | Baylor (assistant) |
| 1998–2002 | UNC Wilmington (assistant) |
| 2002–2011 | Texas (assistant) |
| 2011–2018 | Fresno State |
| 2018–2021 | UTEP |
| 2021–2022 | Texas (assistant) |
| 2022–2023 | Texas (interim HC) |
| 2023–2025 | Texas |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 225–193 (.538) (college) 64–34 (.653) (high school) |
| Tournaments | 4–4 (NCAA Division I) 0–1 (NIT) 4–2 (CBI) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| MWC tournament (2016) Big 12 tournament (2023) |
|
| Awards | |
| Sporting News Coach of the Year (2023) | |
Rodney Eric Terry (born March 27, 1968) is an American college basketball coach. He was most recently the head coach for the men's basketball team at the University of Texas at Austin.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Rodney Terry was born in Angleton, Texas. He went to Angleton High School and later played college basketball at St. Edward's University in Austin. He was an amazing player and became the all-time leading scorer for his team. This record still stands today! In 1990, Terry graduated from St. Edward's with a degree in business. He also studied physical education.
Coaching Career Highlights
Starting as a Coach
Terry began his coaching journey right after college. He was an assistant coach at St. Edward's for one season (1990–91). After that, he became an assistant coach at James Bowie High School in Austin from 1991 to 1993.
His first job as a head coach was at Somerville High School in Somerville, Texas. In two seasons (1993–1995), his team won 49 games and lost 21. He even led Somerville to the state semifinals in 1994. Terry then coached at Angleton High School for a year. Overall, his high school coaching record was 64 wins and 34 losses.
In 1996, Terry moved to college basketball. He became an assistant coach at Baylor University. After two years, he joined the coaching staff at UNC Wilmington (UNCW) in 1998. He helped UNCW reach the NCAA Tournament in 2000 and 2002. In 2002, UNCW made history by winning their first NCAA Tournament game, beating USC.
On June 11, 2002, Terry became an assistant coach at the University of Texas. He was a key part of recruiting talented players like Kevin Durant. During his time at Texas, the team made it to the Final Four in 2003 and the Elite Eight in 2006 and 2008.
Leading the Fresno State Bulldogs
On April 7, 2011, Rodney Terry became the head coach at Fresno State. In his first season (2011–12), the team won 13 games. The next year, Fresno State joined the Mountain West Conference.
In the 2013–14 season, Fresno State had a great year, winning 21 games. They even played in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) postseason tournament. This was their first time winning 20 games and playing in a postseason tournament since 2007. Fresno State lost in the CBI finals. Because of his success, Fresno State extended Terry's contract.
The team continued to improve. In 2015, Fresno State beat #25 San Diego State, which was their first win against a ranked team since 2002.
The 2015–16 season was a big one for Terry and Fresno State. They won 25 games and won the Mountain West Conference tournament. This win earned them a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Coaching the UTEP Miners
On March 12, 2018, Terry became the head coach for the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) men's basketball team. In late 2019, Terry had a health issue and missed a game. He was expected to recover fully. After a strong start to the 2019–20 season, the Miners faced some challenges.
In April 2021, Terry left UTEP to return to Texas as an assistant coach.
Returning to Texas
Rodney Terry was named the interim head coach for the Texas Longhorns on December 12, 2022, after the previous coach left. He led the team for the rest of the season. Under his leadership, Texas won their second Big 12 tournament title. They also reached the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023, which was their best performance since 2008.
On March 27, 2023, Terry was officially named the full-time head coach for Texas.
Terry led Texas to the NCAA Tournament in all three seasons he was the head coach. In 2024, they advanced to the Round of 32. After losing a game in the NCAA Tournament in 2025, he was no longer the coach for the program.
Personal Life
Rodney Terry is a Christian. He has spoken about his strong faith and belief.
