AUSTIN (KXAN) — Just two days after making the decision to not renew Karen Aston’s contract, UT Athletic Director Chris Del Conte found her replacement to lead the Longhorns’ women’s basketball program.
Vic Schaefer will take over as Texas’ next head coach, according to a tweet from Del Conte. Schaefer was previously the head man at Mississippi State.
“We had great conversations with him, we’ve received incredible recommendations, and he’s just a tremendous person, anyone who follows college basketball knows Coach Schaefer,” Del Conte said in a statement. “He’s a proven winner, and I’m so fired up to have him and his family here at Texas!”
In Starkville, Schaefer enjoyed tremendous success building the Mississippi State into a national power. He led the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championship games in 2017 and 2018, but fell short of the national title.
In 2018, the Bulldogs won a program record 37 games.
“I am humbled and honored to represent such a tradition-rich program, and truly grateful to Chris Del Conte and President Fenves for this incredible opportunity,” Schaefer said. “Knowing what I know from 35 years of coaching and a lifetime in the state, the storied history of Texas Women’s Basketball is something very special to be a part of. I certainly feel really fortunate and just truly humbled to be entrusted with the opportunity to build on the years of success and help lead the Longhorns back where they belong – among the nation’s elite.”
Schaefer received numerous coaching accolades during an eight-year tenure at Mississippi State. He won the Naismith National Coach of the Year in 2018, and was voted SEC Coach of the Year three times in his eight seasons in Starkville.
Mississippi State won the SEC regular season title in back-to-back seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
This past season, Mississippi State finished 27-6 overall, with a 13-3 record in conference play before the NCAA canceled all sports due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Schaefer was born in Austin, but raised in the Houston area attending Houston Lutheran High School. He’s a graduate of Texas A&M and spent time as an assistant with the Aggies, but will now be donning the burnt orange of Texas.