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The University of Texas announces Sean Miller as their new men’s basketball coach Tuesday, March 25, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Remember when a college basketball coach <\/a>could build a cohesive roster over two or three seasons?<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n It isn\u2019t that type of party anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the Wild West of hoops now ruled by the transfer portal and NIL<\/a>, core groups rarely stay together for long, so most of these programs are in a constant state of rebuild. New Texas hire Sean Miller <\/a>had to hit the hardwood running this spring when he replaced Rodney Terry days after his Xavier Musketeers eliminated the Longhorns from the NCAAs. Because success won\u2019t settle for anything less.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a faster way of doing business; similar to how Miller wants his offense to play.<\/p>\n MORE CEDDY: Horns sit atop the AP poll but can they stay there?<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In the ultra competitive new age, recruiting has taken on a different face and unlike football, basketball teams don\u2019t have as large of a war chest. Coaches live with the reality that if they miss on who they believe is a difference-maker, it will be a long season and, in some cases, a short tenure. The game has changed and those who adapt the quickest stand the best chance for success. Miller has two decades as a head coach on his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and he has been a consistent winner in the\u00a0NCAAs with eight trips to the Sweet 16 and four to the Elite Eight.\u00a0<\/p>\n But even someone of his vast experience has had to steady his boat to the changing tide in the college game.<\/p>\n Now five months into the job after signing a six-year, $32 million deal, Miller told reporters that the spring and summer flew by as he was adding pieces to the roster.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels like a lot of different things are happening,\u201d Miller said. \u201cYears ago when you would take over a new program, it was about establishing your new staff, getting to know your current roster, and acclimating yourself to the new university. Now, there’s decisions on roster-building that have to be made almost in the first couple of weeks of being at a new place.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n MORE: Who made plays in the football scrimmage?<\/a><\/p>\n As the Horns prep for the 2025 season <\/a>opener Nov. 4 against Duke in Charlotte, Miller and every other coach worth his or her salt is working at a frenzied pace to get the best product on the floor with the hope that it will eventually develop into a unit that can make some noise in March.<\/p>\n There is no realistic replacing of SEC scoring champion Tre Johnson, <\/a>who went to the Washington Wizards with the sixth overall pick of the NBA draft, and any tourney run the Horns experience can only come if Miller\u2019s core veterans take a massive step forward in production \u2014 guards Tramon Mark<\/a>, Chendall Weaver and Jordan Pope.<\/p>\n Texas guard Tramon Mark, right, brings the ball up the court against Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier during Tennessee’s win in an SEC Tournament quarterfinal game in Nashville, Tenn. last season.\u00a0<\/p>\n Andrew Nelles\/The Tennessean<\/p>\n Sean Miller to his guards: Get out and run<\/p>\n With Johnson and last season\u2019s second-leading scorer Arthur Kaluma no longer part of the mix after going 19-16, the returning guards are going to have to be the story.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The hope is Mark will be up to speed by the opener after undergoing labrum surgery. The hope is the former Houston Cougar will be cleared for full contact in the next couple of weeks. Mark\u2019s game took off late in the season with the move to point guard, and Miller believes a healthier outlook could add up to more consistency on the offensive end his senior year.<\/p>\n Miller also wants them running whenever possible \u2014 after misses and makes. Mark will have to be the engine.<\/p>\n \u201cTramon has scored over 1,000 points and he’s been in a Final Four,\u201d Miller said. \u201cHe’s played at a very high level. He’s played at Texas, so to be able to welcome him back in his last year is exciting, and we have a number of different players that fit into that category. So I think the experience, I think it’s the first ingredient that I feel really good about when I look at this coming year.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n