Tag: Chris Beard

College basketball coaching carousel: Major programs with openings across the landscape

Breaking down the current job openings across college basketball and who could be on their way to fill them.

The annual NCAA Tournament is just a few days away from ‘Selection Sunday’ but that isn’t the only action going on across the college basketball landscape.

We are seeing plenty of openings for major programs. One program that has already filled their vacancy are the Syracuse Orange. On the same day it was announced that Hall of Fame head coach Jim Boeheim would step down, the school announced that Adrian Autry would take over.

Another notable name could be returning to college basketball as LSU Wire reports that Will Wade is closing in on a deal with McNeese. He was fired by the Tigers after it was revealed that he was hit with five Level I violations.

Thus far we have seen a total of six major programs in college basketball with vacancies yet to be filled. College Sports Wire breaks each one down along with who is seen as the top candidate.

Report: Former Texas HC Chris Beard in talks with Ole Miss

Chris Beard is already hearing his name discussed in major coaching searches. 

Former Texas men’s basketball coach Chris Beard is already hearing his name discussed in major coaching searches. Continue reading “Report: Former Texas HC Chris Beard in talks with Ole Miss”

Texas HC Rodney Terry makes Naismith Coach of the Year watchlist

Rodney Terry is in the running for Naismith Coach of the Year.

Texas’ Rodney Terry received a significant honor on Friday. News broke that Terry was nominated to the Naismith Coach of the Year late season watchlist.

The national recognition Terry is receiving adds perspective to what he has accomplished this season. The former UTEP head coach began the season as an assistant under Chris Beard. On the day of the Rice game, the now acting head coach of the Texas Longhorns had chaos dropped in his lap.

When the Beard news broke it seemed like the beginning of a lost season for Texas. Somehow Terry managed to keep his team engaged as they gradually went from average to good again.

The first game after Beard saw Texas defeat Rice in overtime. From there, the Longhorns kept winning. Over the last couple months Texas defeated TCU, Baylor and Kansas State to top the Big 12 standings.

Doubt still remains about the team, but the Longhorns are presumably in contention for most or all of their preseason goals. Give Rodney Terry the credit for steadying the team’s focus this season.

Charges dropped against former Texas HC Chris Beard

Chris Beard’s charges were dropped as of Wednesday.

Former Texas basketball head coach Chris Beard is in the news again. On Wednesday, news broke that domestic violence charges were dropped against Beard.

What that means with regard to what happened on the night in question is anyone’s guess. Either he didn’t do what he was accused of doing or his fiancé or the legal system just didn’t pursue the matter further.

That the charges were dropped certainly doesn’t make Beard guiltless, but it means his circumstances won’t get worse than they are presently.

Texas continues its surprise run with acting head coach Rodney Terry, who has the Longhorns at 20-6 with a 13-week streak of weeks in the Top 10.

We will continue to monitor Chris Beard’s future moving forward.

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LOOK: Texas Tech fans camp outside gym ahead of Texas game

Texas Tech fans are already ready to get inside the gym.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders (13-12) are ready to face the Texas Longhorns (20-5). Continue reading “LOOK: Texas Tech fans camp outside gym ahead of Texas game”

Texas HC Rodney Terry makes a strong case for long-term success

Another day, another game won by Rodney Terry’s adjustments.

The Texas Longhorns are distancing themselves from the pack following wins over No. 7 Kansas State and No. 11 Baylor this week. They are in position to win a Big 12 regular season title in basketball.

Finishing first in the regular season standings was once a pipe dream for the program. Now Texas is on the verge of not only winning the conference, but running away with it.

Rodney Terry deserves the credit for the run. Basketball is a players game, but what he has accomplished as acting head coach is nothing short of incredible.

Terry was placed in a nightmare scenario when handed the reins to lead the team. His ability to steady the ship in chaotic circumstances alone is praiseworthy. Albeit, it’s not the most impressive part of his resume.

The Longhorns head coach is making game-winning adjustments to erase double-digits deficits. He is coaching.

As far as I’m concerned Terry can coach circles around Shaka Smart. In addition, he embodies all the traits that Texas fired Chris Beard for lacking. Quite frankly, he’s winning the right to be the head coach for the foreseeable future.

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Looking at the last 10 hoops matchups between Baylor and Texas

Can Texas finally beat Baylor?

The Texas Longhorns have a huge matchup with the Baylor Bears on Monday night. The basketball game presents Texas with an opportunity to beat Baylor for the first time in seven tries.

The Longhorns have been abysmal against Baylor in recent seasons. They have Shaka Smart to thank for much of that, but even Chris Beard couldn’t earn a win over the once sleeping giant.

Baylor has won 12 of the last 13 meetings dating back to 2016. Since they met in the 2009 Big 12 tournament, the Bears are 21-8 against the Longhorns.

While Scott Drew’s team is not the juggernaut it has been the last three seasons, Baylor is still a formidable foe for Texas.

Here’s a look at the last 10 meetings between the two teams.

When will college basketball analysts take Texas seriously?

After winning eight of Rodney Terry’s first nine games, it’s time to take the Longhorns seriously.

The Texas Longhorns are 15-2 with a resume that rivals the top teams in the country. You wouldn’t know it by the rankings.

The Longhorns ranked No. 10 in last week’s Top 25. Three-loss Gonzaga, who they beat by 19 points earlier this season, ranked ahead of Texas. The two-loss Tennessee Volunteers, who lost to the Colorado Buffaloes (11-8) ranked five spots ahead of Rodney Terry’s team.

After two impressive comeback victories this week, Texas is every bit as worthy of recognition as any other 2-loss team. The Horns erased an 18-point lead against No. 17 TCU before defeating Texas Tech on Saturday.

Losing head coach Chris Beard understandably led to questions about the team’s championship viability. That said, after winning eight of Terry’s first nine games, perhaps it’s time to take the Longhorns seriously.

Here’s a look at what Texas has accomplished this season.

Texas begins life after Chris Beard against Oklahoma State on Saturday

So far, Texas is 0-1 in the trap game portion of the conference schedule.

Texas travels to play Oklahoma State on Saturday. It will carry added significance for the team as it moves forward. Continue reading “Texas begins life after Chris Beard against Oklahoma State on Saturday”

Opinion: Whoever coaches Texas basketball must embody self control

Good communicators can lead with self control.

Rodney Terry is Texas’ head basketball coach for the rest of the season. This comes after the firing of Chris Beard for cause on Thursday.

The move should mean Texas will seek a leader who better models the traits that the University values. Among those traits should be a leader who embodies self control, in the same way that John Wooden led the UCLA Bruins. Wooden’s philosophy revolved around limiting emotion and simply doing one’s job.

For too long we’ve considered berating players a necessary part of coaching. In reality, it only displays a lack of self restraint that can manifest itself away from the basketball court.

If you can’t impress an idea upon those you lead without yelling, you’re simply a poor communicator. In addition, that coach telegraphs that he lacks control over his life.

For the program to better reflect its best ideals, it needs a coach who gains players respect without needing to yell for it. If he can prove to win in the postseason, Rodney Terry could be that coach for Texas.

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