Rick Barnes Shared Heartfelt Conversation With Rodney Terry After Firing

The Texas Longhorns fired former head coach Rodney Terry last week, following an up-and-down regular season and a disappointing showing in the NCAA Tournament.

It was a move that was widely expected after the Longhorns blew a big lead to the Xavier Musketeers in the First Four Round, prematurely ending the season on a sour note for the third-year head coach.

Terry, of course, had been around the program for much longer than that, serving as an assistant under both Chris Beard from 2021-22 before taking over as the interim coach, and for 10 seasons under now-Tennessee coach Rick Barnes from 2002-2011.

On Wednesday, Barnes shared his thoughts on the firing of his old assistant, and the conversation they shared afterward.

Texas Longhorns head coach Rodney Terry meets Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes ahead of the game at the Moody Center | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I talked to him obviously before he had heard, and you know, he was hoping to have a chance to talk about it with (Texas AD) Chris Del Conte and see if there was a way moving forward,” Barnes said during the Volunteers media availability, via On3's Voltquest. “But after it happened... I called him back after I’d gotten the news and before I could even say anything, he said, ‘Coach, I’m good. I know God’s got a plan for me. (God) brought me here, he’s got something planned.’

"And I think he’s just in a good place as a person, but you know, Rodney was a part of that program as an assistant (and as a) head coach for 11 or 12 years, and obviously was there when we had some good runs.”

During their time together, Terry helped Barnes take the Longhorns program to new heights, reaching their first ever Final Four in the 2002-2003 season, two Elite Eights, and reaching the tournament in every year they spent together.

As a result, they grew very close, and have stayed in contact for now over a decade since parting ways.

And Barnes knows that Terry will land on his feet, wherever he decides to go, or whatever he chooses to do.

“Rodney’s a good man. I thought the staff did a good job with their team. He’ll be fine,” Barnes said. “Whatever he decides to do. I think he’s already had opportunities that maybe he passed on. But I love Rodney. It warmed my heart when I heard him say that God had a plan for him because I believe that. I think he’s got a plan for all of us. I think he’s sovereign. I don’t think his sovereignty has ever lost. So he’ll put him where he wants him to be.”

The former Longhorns coach will take to the hardwood, Friday night at 6:39 pm vs. the Kentucky Wildcats.