It Looks Like Sean Miller Might Have the Texas Longhorns Back on Track

Sean Miller is holding Texas basketball to a higher standard — and it's showing on the court.

Jan 14, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller celebrates a win against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The odds were far from in the Texas Longhorns’ favor as they warmed up on the Moody Center court in preparation for a Wednesday night game against undefeated No. 10 Vanderbilt.

But a Vegas statline didn’t deter​​ the Longhorns from playing their best game of the season, slamming the Commodores 80-64 for back-to-back ranked victories that weren’t just wins — they were badly-needed upsets that almost felt miraculous to a Texas team that is now 2-2 in conference play.

Four days before, the Longhorns pulled off a four-point nail-biter against No. 13 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. At the time, the upset seemed almost too good to be true, like a fluke in which Texas pulled itself together to rally for some kind of dignity after holding a losing record in the SEC.

Sean Miller, Texas Longhorns "Learning From Failure"

Jan 10, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) shoots against Alabama Crimson Tide guard Houston Mallette (95) during the second half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | David Leong-Imagn Images

But with Texas having an even better game against an even better team, the question has to be asked: Is this team back on track to bring the Longhorns back into college basketball relevancy?

Head coach Sean Miller, in the first year of his tenure with Texas, has been begging for a turn-around. After the win over Vanderbilt, Miller emphasized the importance of using failure to push forward.

“Learning from failure, learning from a tough loss, learning from a bad game — what do you got to do? Number one, you have to own it,” Miller said. “You have to truly understand that there are things that you can do better … And then the final part is the one that might be the most difficult: Next opportunity. You have to forget what happened and now say ‘I got a brand new opportunity to be better and do things better.”

Loved this answer from Coach Miller about learning from failure....#Texas | #HookEm pic.twitter.com/4n67MbQNG8

— anne-parker coleman (@anneparkercole1) January 15, 2026

Miller’s coaching style has created a big buzz around the Texas basketball community. He publicly calls players out, explains benching decisions and doesn’t hesitate to sit out even his best starters if their mentality doesn’t match their physical talents.

After a 101-98 overtime loss to Mississippi State in this season’s SEC opening game, Miller criticized his team’s overall basketball IQ. Following a loss to Tennessee, Miller explained his decision to sit starters Jordan Pope, Dailyn Swain and Matas Vokeitatis in the second half by questioning their hunger to play and actually succeed.

Before this week, the Longhorns were 9-6 overall and winless in conference play. They struggled to hold their own against teams like Arizona State despite showing flashes of potential in close games against No. 6 Duke and No. 3 UConn.

Miller’s public lambasting has resulted in a change on the court in a short time — at least in the last two games. Pope, at point guard, has made incredible progress, playing over 30 minutes after sitting the bench against the Volunteers a week ago.

Tramon Mark, one of the more consistent players throughout this season, is averaging 19.8 points per game in conference play so far. Swain, usually explosive offensively, followed Miller to Texas after playing under him at Xavier. He’s made significant progress on his rebounds and assists since watching the second half of the Tennessee game from the sidelines.

With two major wins under their belt, Texas is now 11-6 and No. 6 in the conference. In terms of anticipating March, the two upsets might not just be resume-builders — they may be just the kind of kick that the Longhorns need to play like they actually want to compete in the Madness.

Unranked Texas A&M will be the next test for Texas to prove that it truly is moving differently. With the Aggies visiting the Forty Acres, and with last season’s history of pulling off major upsets against the rival school, the Longhorns will need to exhibit consistency on top of the fire they showed this past week in order for them to truly be back on the right track.