Texas Longhorns Bringing Back Former Assistant Coach

The Texas Longhorns are hiring a familiar face to Sean Miller's coaching staff.

Jan 13, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Jerome Tang and associate head coach Ulric Maligi in the second half during the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

AUSTIN -- After securing some key roster retentions, the Texas Longhorns are bringing back another familiar face, this time on the coaching staff.

Per multiple reports Thursday, Texas is adding Kansas State assistant coach Ulric Maligi to Sean Miller's staff. He was on staff in Austin for the first year of the Chris Beard era but left to join Jerome Tang and the Wildcats ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Maligi has also had assistant coaching stops at Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and SMU.

The Longhorns have started to build a roster for Miller's first year by landing a commitment from Xavier transfer Dailyn Swain along with retaining players like Tramon Mark and Nic Codie. Chendall Weaver and Jordan Pope are also expected to return but there hasn't been an official announcement.

From a coaching and personnel standpoint, Miller has also retained Chris Ogden as Texas' General Manager along with bringing in Xavier assistant coaches David Miller, Adam Cohen and Ryan Anderson, according to CBS college basketball insider Jon Rothstein. He also reports that Ryan Reynolds will be the new director of basketball operations at Texas.

During his introductory press conference, Miller talked about his approach to the SEC next season. It's clear Maligi is excited about the staff's vision or else he wouldn't have left K-State as Tang's top assistant.

"Certainly recognize there's a number of programs in the SEC that are playing a style that is unique, using the three point shot more than ever before, playing at a pace that maybe the great teams of the past didn't necessarily play as fast, but that's what I believe in," Miller said. "But I do want to say this, there's no way you can do it by scoring and out scoring people in college basketball, the defense is so much a part of the talent that you have when you think of basketball, people think of talent on the offensive end, I can make the case, talent, size, quickness, shot blocking, positional height, that right there impacts the defensive side of the ball, perhaps even more here you have to be great at both."

Miller has already put together a solid foundation for next season but there remains a ton of work to do in order to make the roster complete headed into 2025-26.