If the Texas Longhorns and former head coach Rodney Terry part ways, the Texas men's basketball team will need a new head coach. With few head coaches to choose from who aren't actively with another program, the Horns are most likely going to need to poach an HC from another team.
So, with the candidate pool rapidly shrinking, which head coaches should Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte target to become the Horns' next head coach?
Will Wade has coached the McNeese State Cowboys for just two years but has already led the team to two NCAA Tournament berths including this year's run to the Round of 32. While Wade recently agreed to be the next head coach of the NC State Wolfpack, the Longhorns could most likely lure him to Texas with a sizeable contract.
The very head coach who just knocked Terry and the Longhorns out of the Big Dance could be exactly who Texas goes after for their new head coach. Miller has coached the Xavier Musketeers since 2022 and has won 68 percent of his games with the team.
Over the last three years, Miller has led Xavier to two NCAA Tournaments including an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen to cap off the 2023 season.
Dana Altman has turned the Oregon Ducks into a powerhouse program during the month of March. Entering the Big Ten Tournament, Oregon was the winningest program in the month since 2010, when Altman took over the program.
His experience at both Oregon and Creighton gives him the resume that Altman would need to take over a program like Texas and he is a widely respected head coach.
This season T.J. Otzelberger gained the respect of the nation as he led the Iowa State Cyclones to a 24-9 finish and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He previously coached at South Dakota State and UNLV before taking over the Cyclones in 2021.
Over the last four seasons, Otzelberger has won over 68 percent of his games and has taken Iowa State to four consecutive appearances in the Big Dance, including two runs to the Sweet Sixteen.
Yes, Rick Pitino's career has been marred with scandals and oustings. However, he has worked his way back to the top on every, single, occasion.
From Hawai'i to Syracuse to the Boston Celtics to the New York Knicks to Louisville, Pitino is a damn good basketball coach. Currently at St. John's, Pitino has led the Red Storm to a 50-17 overall record since 2023 and a No. 2 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Pitino has won two National Championships with seven Final Four appearances and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. To put it simply, he has the work to prove his worth, despite his iffy past.