Villanova Coaching Search: Could Wildcats Pounce On Rodney Terry?

One of the first surprises of the 2025 men’s basketball coaching cycle came on March 20 when reports surfaced that the Texas Longhorns plan to let go of head coach Rodney Terry after three seasons, all of which ended with an NCAA Tournament appearance.

With Villanova in the market for a new head coach in the wake of Kyle Neptune’s firing and Terry, who took Texas to the Elite Eight in 2022, suddenly available, could the Wildcats make a splash hire?

First and foremost, it’s important to note why the Longhorns want to move on from Terry after a brief run of resounding success… and that they haven’t officially dismissed him yet.

Although they began the season ranked No. 19 in the country, the Longhorns struggled to adapt to the jump from the Big 12 to the SEC, quickly falling out of the AP Poll and struggling to an uninspiring 6-12 mark in conference play. They still managed to qualify for the tournament, making the First Four as a No. 11 seed, but immediately saw their season end with an 86-80 loss to Xavier.

Expectations rest higher than that in Austin, apparently, although the Longhorns made the tournament in just two of four seasons prior to Terry taking over… and probably would’ve missed out in 2020 as well had the season not been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If Texas does end up cutting Terry loose, Villanova wouldn’t need to worry about a contract buyout, which could pose a problem in their pursuit of other targets like UCLA’s Mick Cronin. Stay tuned.

In order to receive to the minute updates on Villanova’s coaching search, enter your e-mail in the right-hand side box at the top of this article for a free subscription to Philadelphia Sports Now.