Since taking over as Texas’ women’s basketball coach in 2020, Vic Schaefer has turned the Longhorns into a perennial national title contender.
Under his direction, Texas has made six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The Longhorns have reached the Elite Eight in four of those trips and earned a Final Four berth in 2025. Schaefer is looking to take things a step further this year.
Here are five things to know about Schaefer:
1. The basics
Sports Roundup
Position: Head coach
Coaching record: 478-211 (177-39 at Texas)
Years at Texas: 2020-present
Previous head coaching stops: Sam Houston, Mississippi State
2. His success carried over from his last stop
Schaefer had already established himself as one of the top coaches in his profession when he was at Mississippi State. He led that program from 2021-20, guiding the Bulldogs to a 221-62 record.
Mississippi State made five NCAA Tournament appearances under Schaefer, reaching the national title game in 2017 and 2018. Schaefer was in the midst of another successful campaign at Mississippi State in 2019-20 (27-6 record) before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season.
He was hired as Texas’ head coach in April 2020.
3. He was an Aggie
Schaefer has strong ties to the state of Texas. While he was born in Austin, he grew up in the Houston area and attended Houston Lutheran High School. He played several sports as a high schooler, including basketball.
After spending two years at Alvin Community College, Schaefer studied at Texas A&M. He graduated from A&M in 1984.
Schaefer even helped the Aggies win a national championship in 2011. He was the associate head coach on Gary Blair’s A&M staff when the Aggies claimed their first national title.
4. He landed his first head coaching gig at a Texas school
Schaefer’s first swing at head coaching came in 1990s. He led the Sam Houston State women’s basketball program for seven seasons from 1990-97. He posted an 80-110 record at the school.
5. His family members are also coaches
Schaefer’s daughter, Blair, is currently on the Texas staff as an assistant. This is her fourth year with the Longhorns. Blair played at Mississippi State from 2014-18 before becoming the program’s coordinator of player development for the 2019-20 season.
According to Texas Athletics, Schaefer’s wife, Holly, was previously an assistant coach at UT Arlington.