One of the country’s richest athletic departments is looking for a new men’s basketball coach.

Texas and Rodney Terry are parting ways, a source briefed on the move confirmed Sunday, after an 86-80 loss to Xavier in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four. It’s the Longhorns’ second consecutive one-and-done appearance in March Madness since Terry led them to the Elite Eight as the interim head coach after Chris Beard’s firing in 2023.

If not for that Elite Eight trip, Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte likely never would’ve hired Terry — who otherwise went 163-156 in ten seasons as Fresno State and UTEP’s head coach — in the first place. But that run essentially forced Del Conte’s hand.

The two seasons since, though, have proven that Terry, 56, was in a little over his head. Texas struggled to tread water in the brutal SEC this season, finishing 6-12 in conference play, and was the 14th and final league member to make the field. Despite the presence of likely lottery pick Tre Johnson, who scored a team-high 23 points against Xavier, Texas’ offense this season was often erratic and lacking ball movement. After Xavier retook the lead late on Wednesday night, Texas responded by settling for back-to-back stepback jumpers, which both resulted in empty possessions. That was basically the writing on the wall for the end of Terry’s tenure.

Now a school and fan base with virtually unlimited resources are back to the drawing board — which may not be the worst thing.

How good is the job?

Texas isn’t a basketball blue blood, but the Longhorns are as well-positioned as anyone to thrive in the modern era. Texas is the only SEC opening this coaching cycle (so far), and competing in the best conference in America, which just shattered the single-season record for NCAA Tournament bids from one league, is a huge enticement. The built-in recruiting advantages of being the biggest fish in one of the most talent-rich states in the country are notable. And there is a deep pool of NBA stars who have passed through Austin in the last two decades, from LaMarcus Aldridge to Kevin Durant to Jarrett Allen. (Johnson will join that list come June, when he becomes the program’s sixth first-round pick since 2015.) Prospective recruits are well aware they can springboard from Austin to the NBA.

As for resources, Texas has everything a coach could possibly need to succeed at the highest levels of the sport. Per US Department of Education data from 2022-23, the most recent year for which tax information is available, Texas was sixth among all public schools in men’s basketball spending. That trailed only Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Texas Tech, and Indiana — and, notably, was ahead of hoops heavyweights like Tennessee, Kansas, and Arizona. Think of it like this: If the Longhorns’ deep pockets were enough to propel them to consecutive College Football Playoff appearances, couldn’t they help make a similar splash in men’s basketball?

Call list (in alphabetical order)

And the hire is…