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  • Rodney Terry Named The Clarence "Big House" Gaines College Basketball Coach Of The Year

Rodney Terry Named The Clarence "Big House" Gaines College Basketball Coach Of The Year

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Basketball

University of Texas Men's Basketball Head Coach Rodney Terry has been named the Clarence "Big House" Gaines College Basketball Coach of the Year, the National Sports Media Association (NSMA) announced.

The Gaines Awards which began following the 2010-11 season are presented to the head coach in NCAA Division I and II who may not earn recognition from mainstream outlets.

An NSMA committee votes on the awards at the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's tournaments. The Gaines Awards will be presented at the 63rd annual NSMA awards banquet on June 26 in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Gaines was the legendary head basketball coach at Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University who led his teams to 828 wins during his 47 seasons as head coach, including the 1967 NCAA Division II National Championship. That team was led by Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, who went on to an NBA Hall of Fame career. Among the other notable players Gaines coached were Cleo Hill, the first NBA first-round draft choice from a historically Black college or university, and sports media personality Stephen A. Smith. A former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Gaines was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982 and passed in 2005.

Terry was named the 26th head coach in Men's Basketball program history at The University of Texas on March 27. Terry, who turned 55 on the date of the announcement, had held the title of Interim Head Coach since Jan. 5.

Terry was previously named Acting Head Coach at The University of Texas a few hours prior to the Dec. 12 home game against Rice. He later was named Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the 2022-23 season on Jan. 5. Beginning with a home overtime win against Rice on Dec. 12, Terry guided the Longhorns to a 22-8 record that included the Big 12 Tournament title and a run to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight.

Terry was tabbed 2023 Sporting News National Coach of the Year, becoming the first coach in program history to earn the prestigious honor. He also was one of 20 finalists for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award and one of 25 finalists for the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year.

The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 and eighth time in program history. UT captured its second Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title in program history, defeating No. 3 Kansas, 76-56, in the championship game in Kansas City, Mo. The Longhorns earned a No. 2 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, marking the highest seed for Texas in the NCAA tourney since 2008 (also a No. 2 seed).

Texas completed the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 29-9 (12-6 Big 12, second) and ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll and No. 7 in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll. The No. 5 spot marked a tie for the highest ranking in the final AP poll by the Longhorns, as UT also was No. 5 in the final AP poll during the 2002-03 Final Four season. The No. 7 spot marked the third-highest ranking in the final Coaches poll in program history and highest since a No. 5 ranking following the 2007-08 season.

The 29 wins were the third-most in a single season in program history, as UT went 31-7 in 2007-08 and 30-7 in 2005-06. The Longhorns compiled a 10-7 record against AP Top 25 opponents in 2022-23, and the 10 wins were the most in the nation against AP-ranked foes. The 10 wins against AP-ranked opponents also set a school single-season record, as UT previously went 8-5 in 2003-04. Texas posted a 6-3 mark against AP Top 11 foes during the 2022-23 season and tied a program single-season record for most games played (38). UT began the year at No. 12 in the preseason AP poll and spent all 19 weeks of the poll in the top 12, including 17 consecutive weeks in the top 10. That marked the longest such stretch since Texas was in the top 10 for all 19 polls during the 2002-03 Final Four season.

After taking over the head coaching role on Dec. 12, Terry guided the Longhorns to eight wins against AP Top 25 opponents (vs. No. 17 TCU, vs. No. 11 Baylor, at No. 7 K-State, vs. No 23 Iowa State, vs. No. 3 Kansas twice, vs. No. 22 TCU and vs. No. 13 Xavier). UT went 8-1 under Terry's leadership during the 2022-23 season in games decided by five points or less OR in overtime.

The Longhorns were one of three teams to rank in the top 15 in KenPom in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. Texas (15 offense, 13 defense) was joined by UConn (3 offense, 7 defense) and Houston (11 offense, 5 defense). Since the Big 12 moved to an 18-game round-robin schedule starting in the 2011-12 season, Texas reached the 12-win mark for the first time in league play (12-6 record). Seventeen of UT's 29 victories during the 2022-23 season were by at least 10 points.