Texas Coach Rips Team After Lopsided Loss to Vanderbilt

Vic Schaefer calls out Longhorns' lack of heart and toughness following 86-70 defeat

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Texas Longhorns women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer delivered scathing criticism of his team's performance following a 86-70 loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores. Schaefer called out his players' lack of heart, toughness and physical play, saying it was the "softest team" he's had in years.

Why it matters

The Longhorns were ranked highly and had just two losses on the season before the Vanderbilt game, making the lopsided defeat even more surprising. Schaefer's fiery comments highlight the high expectations he has for his team and his willingness to publicly call them out when they fall short.

The details

Texas fell behind by 12 points in the first quarter and never recovered, trailing by as many as 26 points in the third quarter. Schaefer ripped his team's effort, saying they "whine, complain" and have "no heart." He added that Vanderbilt played "tougher, physical, [and] aggressive" while his squad was "soft."

  • The game took place on Thursday, February 14, 2026.

The players

Vic Schaefer

The head coach of the Texas Longhorns women's basketball team.

Texas Longhorns

The women's basketball team from the University of Texas, which entered the game with a 23-2 record and ranked highly in the national polls.

Vanderbilt Commodores

The women's basketball team from Vanderbilt University, which was ranked 5th in the nation and also entered the game with a 23-2 record.

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What they’re saying

“It's the first time at Texas I feel like my team was out-toughed; the other team played harder. And just quite frankly, we had no heart. You want to ask me what does it take to win at this level, what's it going to take for my team, you got to have heart, we got no heart.”

— Vic Schaefer, Head Coach, Texas Longhorns (Sports Illustrated)

“And I just thought they were more tougher, physical, aggressive, we whine, complain, we just have no heart. At the end of the day, that's what is evident to me, we have no heart, we're not tough and my staff and I are really frustrated that we're coaching that.”

— Vic Schaefer, Head Coach, Texas Longhorns (Sports Illustrated)

“That's my team, but it's so disappointing, it's probably the softest team I've had in years.”

— Vic Schaefer, Head Coach, Texas Longhorns (Sports Illustrated)

What’s next

The Longhorns will look to bounce back on Sunday, February 15th when they travel to take on the #22 Tennessee Volunteers.

The takeaway

Schaefer's scathing criticism of his team's effort and toughness highlights the high standards he has set for the Longhorns, who were ranked highly but suffered a lopsided defeat. The coach's willingness to publicly call out his players' lack of heart and physicality shows he is demanding more from this squad as they aim to rebound against a tough Tennessee team.