Of all the outcomes of Texas' shocking appearance in the NCAA Tournament, blowing a double-digit lead was one of the worst.
Now, the Longhorns are heading home and the future of head coach Rodney Terry is more uncertain than ever –– with most fans leaning toward his firing as the desirable outcome.
How far does Texas need to make it in the NCAA Tournament for Rodney Terry to keep his job?
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) March 19, 2025
At one point, the Horns had built a 13-point lead, which was decreased to a 47-39 lead at halftime, and Texas was dominant throughout most of the matchup. However, as the second half progressed, Terry's squad looked more and more like the inconsistent team that fans grew used to during the regular season.
Despite a 23-point game by freshman star Tre Johnson as well as senior center Kadin Shedrick and senior guard Tramon Mark scoring in the double digits, anything the Texas offense put forward wasn't enough to hold off the Xavier Musketeers.
By the end of regulation, Xavier had come back from the once-13-point deficit to send the Longhorns packing and add even more head to Terry's seat as the Texas head coach.
Also read: If Texas parts way with Rodney Terry, the Horns are running out of replacement options
Terry added time to his tenure in Austin with the Horns' run in the SEC Tournament, which they appeared in the quarterfinals before losing to Tennessee. But, a blown lead to a non-SEC opponent in the Final Four round of the NCAA Tournament may have spelled ruin to Terry's time with Texas.
With the loss, the Longhorns dropped to 19-16 overall, with a conference record of 6-12 from the regular season –– a far cry from what the Texas athletic department expects from its programs.
Terry became the men's basketball head coach in 2022, following the departure of former HC Chris Beard. Since then, the team has regressed under his guise. In 2023, the Horns appeared in the Elite Eight. In 2022, the Horns appeared in the Round of 32. Now, the Horns failed to reach the Round of 64.
While the hopes for Texas' postseason are decidedly squashed, the fate of Terry's job hangs in the balance. However, if Longhorn nation had its way, the Horns would have a new head coach sooner rather than later.