Just a few hours after news broke that Texas had fired its men's basketball coach Rodney Terry, it was announced that the Longhorns had hired Sean Miller as Terry's replacement.
Miller, who previously coached Xavier, led the Musketeers to a win over Texas in the NCAA Tournament First Four just a few days before taking the job with the Horns. And, yes, the picture above is Longhorn freshman Tre Johnson high-fiving Miller after sinking a three-point shot against the Musketeers.
Only after the news of Miller's hiring had broken did Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte release a statement regarding the firing of Terry:
Statement from Chris Del Conte, UT Vice President and Lois and Richard Folger Athletics Director#HookEm pic.twitter.com/XRhvGAvnsb
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) March 23, 2025
Throughout his head coaching career, Miller has coached teams to a 487-196 overall record. Miller started his head coaching career with the Xavier Musketeers in 2004 before he took over the Arizona Wildcats' program in 2009. Miller stayed with the Wildcats for 12 seasons before returning to Xavier in 2022.
Over the last three seasons, Miller led the Musketeers to a 65-40 record, including a berth into the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 (2023) and this year's Round of 64. In 2024, he and the Musketeers suffered a First Round exit from the NIT Tournament.
Before Del Conte or the Texas athletic department could announce that they had hired Miller, local reporters broke the news:
Sean Miller will be hired as the new head basketball coach at the University of Texas, a high ranking official told the Austin American-Statesman Sunday.
— Cedric Golden (@CedGolden) March 23, 2025
Before Terry and the Longhorns parted ways, he led Texas to a 62-37 overall record, including an appearance in the 2023 Elite Eight, the 2024 Round of 32, and this year's early exit in the First Four.
After defeating Texas in the First Four matchup, Xavier suffered a 13-point loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Round of 64. The Musketeers finished the season ranked fourth in the Big East with a 22-12 overall record.