'He Knows How To Win,' Texas Longhorns' Seniors Reflect On Why They Picked Schaefer

On senior day, the four seniors reflected on why they chose to play for Vic Schaefer

Texas Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer stands with the four seniors on his team, Rori Harmon, Shay Holle, Taylor Jones and Aaliyah Moore during senior day honors following the Longhorns' win over the Florida Gators, March 2, 2025. With the 72-46 win over the Gators, the Texas Longhorns become regular season SEC Champions. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

AUSTIN - Following No. 1 Texas' dominant win over Florida, the Longhorns stayed on the court for two ceremonies, the SEC Championship trophy presentation and senior day. One senior, Shay Holle, decided to stay at Texas even after she wasn't recruited by head coach Vic Schaefer. She shared what he means to her.

In five years, Holle became the winningest player in program history with an 80% win percentage and won four conference championships.

"Coach Schaefer means a lot to every single one of us, (he's) more than just a coach," Holle said. "When we first came here, we were 18 years old, he helped us grow up, our families trusted him. We trusted him. He's taken that on, and he takes that so seriously, he knows that it's more than just basketball, which I think I appreciate so much, because it really is crazy to look back to when I was a freshman and just 18 years old, I didn't know what was going on. And now being here, I'm 23, and it's just like, seeing how our relationship has grown is really special. But he just pours everything into us that he has; you can just tell with his passion and just how much he cares. And so I just hope that none of us take that for granted, because it is really special."

Holle, a fifth year also got to witness her teammates deciding to play for Texas and be part of their journeys. Sixth-year Taylor Jones spent three years at Oregon State before transferring to Texas to finish out her career.

"When I was getting recruited to come here, he was one of the only coaches that I had that didn't sugar coat what it would be when I came here," Jones said. "He said, 'if you like, want to win, it's not going to be easy.' And I really respected that. Coming here every single day, we're challenged, and practices are not easy. They're tough. They'll challenge you every single day, and it has directly reflected on us winning, and I think that I really appreciate him for his ability to develop me as a player, and as a person too. I've grown a lot since I've been here, and like Rori said, how (Coach Schaefer) leads by faith. I grew up in a faithful household, and having someone that we look up to that really leans on God is really, really powerful, and I think that's why we are where we are."

The Texas Longhorns celebrate their regular season SEC Championship after beating Florida at home in the Moody Center, March 2, 2025. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rori Harmon and Aaliyah Moore came in together as part of the 2021 recruiting class. The two are the only ones left from their class and have grown closer over the four years they have played together.

"Shay said it all basically, it's really not even about basketball, just the respect that you have from him," Harmon said. "Obviously, we're winning games because of how great of a coach he is, and, of course, our team is just really good. I think when I realized that we're seniors and the cameras and the pictures and what our parents were saying, we really did come here, like, a long time ago, I was shedding tears. So I was like, 'wow,' to be able to see and reflect back on like how I was when I came here, when I first got here, and to who I am now, he plays a really big part in that. My parents truly trust me too, but they truly trusted him to basically shape me in who I am today. The four most important years of your life are in college, in my opinion. So just to he's, he's taught a lot about faith and just keeping your faith. And I really appreciate that, because that's truly, how I feel and how I see the world, and so I can't really say a lot, because it's it's a lot to say, and I don't want to be sitting here the whole time talking about it, but it's just really appreciated and that I truly do respect this man."

Harmon and Moore have won conference championships in every year but each of them has suffered a torn ACL. Now, each of them has an extra year of eligibility, but neither has announced their intentions to return or not.

"Being a kid from Oklahoma that decided to go to, you know, Texas, obviously, a lot of people had a lot to say about that, but I knew why I wanted to come and Coach Schaefer was a big part of that," Moore said. "I mean, I knew at Mississippi State, he knew how to win. I grew up watching them in the Final Four almost every year. And I was like, that's where I want to be. And so when he did make the transition to Texas, and it was not too far from home, and I talked to him, I was like, 'Yeah, this is gonna be good, this is gonna be a good four years.' And it's crazy, now I'm sitting here and it's been four years, he's a big part of the reason why I wanted to come here. The man knows how to win, and I can show it with the four rings that I will be wearing. But yeah, I just, yeah, just thank you to coach Schaefer. I've grown a lot as a player on and off the court, and wouldn't have happened without him."

Because of Schaefer's coaching, Texas won the SEC regular season title in its first year in the league, ending South Carolina's historic 57-game conference win streak. Schaefer was also named USA Today Sports Coach of the Year and has led the Longhorns to the No. 1 overall ranking for the first time since 2004.

Now, the Longhorns will head to the SEC tournament and look to win the title as the second-seed. Their first game will be on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. on SEC Network.

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