Vanderbilt Hires Former Texas Coach Rodney Terry as Assistant

Terry brings SEC and NCAA Tournament experience to Commodores' staff.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 2:07pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the fractured, overlapping action of a college basketball game, with sharp planes of navy blue, gold, and white representing the dynamic energy of the sport.Vanderbilt's new assistant coach Rodney Terry brings a wealth of NCAA Tournament experience to the Commodores' bench.New Orleans Today

Vanderbilt has hired Rodney Terry, a former head coach at the University of Texas, as an assistant coach for their men's basketball team. Terry spent the 2025-26 season as a scout for the New Orleans Pelicans and as an analyst providing color commentary on college basketball games, particularly in the SEC.

Why it matters

Terry's hiring brings valuable head coaching experience and knowledge of the SEC to the Vanderbilt program as they look to build on their recent success and return to the NCAA Tournament. His track record of leading teams to conference titles and deep tournament runs could provide a boost to the Commodores' coaching staff.

The details

During his time as head coach at Texas, Terry led the Longhorns to an Elite Eight appearance in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and the 2023 Big 12 Tournament championship. Prior to that, he was the head coach at UTEP and Fresno State, guiding the Bulldogs to the 2016 Mountain West title and an NCAA Tournament berth.

  • Terry spent the 2025-26 season as a scout for the New Orleans Pelicans and as an analyst for ESPN.
  • He was on the sidelines for multiple Vanderbilt games at Memorial Gymnasium throughout the 2025-26 season.

The players

Rodney Terry

A former head coach at the University of Texas, UTEP, and Fresno State, who has been hired as an assistant coach for the Vanderbilt men's basketball team.

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The takeaway

Vanderbilt's hiring of Rodney Terry as an assistant coach brings a wealth of head coaching experience and knowledge of the SEC to the program, which could provide a valuable boost as they look to build on their recent success and return to the NCAA Tournament.