Chris Del Conte has reportedly moved quickly to announce the replacement for Rodney Terry.
When Texas Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte hired former basketball coach Chris Beard, the two met in Plainview, just 45 minutes north of Lubbock, where they finalized Beard’s move from the Texas Tech Red Raiders over breakfast at McDonald’s.
When Del Conte recruited his longtime friend Jim Schlossnagle from College Station to become the new baseball coach, the athletic director waited by the cemetery for Schlossnagle to wrap up his final duties at Texas A&M after their loss in the College World Series finals.
When Del Conte hires a replacement for head men’s basketball coach Rodney Terry, who was fired after two seasons, including leading the Longhorns to their first Elite Eight appearance since 2008, there may not be an immediately memorable story. However, one thing is certain after Del Conte’s seven-plus years in the role: he will act swiftly once he informs Terry of the decision.
The name that has generated the most attention so far is Xavier head coach Sean Miller, who ended Texas’ season—and Terry’s tenure—on Wednesday during the First Four.
According to basketball analyst Jeff Goodman, Del Conte had considered Miller two years ago before Terry guided the Longhorns to the Elite Eight as interim coach. Miller’s name quickly surfaced as a leading candidate for the job, with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein among the first to report Terry’s firing.