What is Motivating Texas Men’s Basketball Heading Into Their Season

In March, the Texas Longhorns released head coach Rodney Terry at the end of the men’s basketball season. The decision came after the Longhorns had their season cut short and lost to the Xavier Musketeers in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament.

After this, Texas hired former Xavier head coach Sean Miller ahead of the 2025-26 season. With the Longhorns’ season opener scheduled for Nov. 4 against the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils, Miller discussed what is motivating him as he enters his debut season as head coach for Texas.

“One thing that you learned very quickly at the University of Texas is, you name the sport (and) they're trying to win the national championship,” Miller said on Tuesday at SEC Media Days.

Sean Miller Strives to Maintain the Culture of Excellence

Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel on Oct. 14, 2025 in Birmingham, Alabama. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

“I go to watch a women's volleyball game, (and) Jared Elliott, the coach, and they're right there,” Miller said. “You know, they have an amazing team… the pageantry in that gym, watching our women's volleyball team is like something that I've never seen before.”

With seven matches remaining before their SEC Volleyball Tournament starting Nov. 21, Miller mentioned the outstanding coaching behind the currently undefeated (14-0) Texas volleyball team. However, his praise didn’t stop there.

“In the spring, I watched Coach (Jim Schlossnagle) and the baseball team, number one seed in the NCAA Tournament; the place was packed,” Miller added. “I watched our women's softball team win the national championship, and just what that felt like in the city of Austin.”

Last season, in his Longhorns debut, Schlossnagle elevated Texas baseball to a 44-14 record, in which they also reached the NCAA Austin Regional tournament. However, softball’s successful 2025 campaign contributed heavily to the mentality at Texas of reaching towards excellence.

“So, you know, what I would tell you is (that) we're surrounded by excellence as a basketball program, and to me, that's what we're here to establish,” Miller said. “To grow, to build something that's been good.”

Coming off the 2024-25 season, the Longhorns lost 10 players, with five entering the portal and three to the NBA. So, with six returners and eight fresh faces to the Longhorns’ roster, Miller adds that he’s applying the winning mindset to his own coaching.

“That's something that I think you have to embrace when you're at a place like the University of Texas,” Miller said. “But look, I would rather be surrounded by excellence than anything other than that, and that's what we have.”

The Longhorns will take the court in Charlotte, North Carolina for their season opener on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7:45 p.m. CT.