UTEP Head Coach Rodney Terry

Rodney Terry, was appointed the 19th head coach in UTEP men’s basketball history on March 12, 2018. He is in his third season as UTEP head coach and 10th overall at the helm of a collegiate program.

Terry has chalked up 151 wins as a head coach, while he’s compiled 73 conference victories.

In Terry’s second season at the helm, UTEP won 17 games, nine more than the previous season, while more than doubling its Conference USA wins. The Miners posted their first winning season in four years, and made a return to the C-USA Tournament. UTEP finished with a 13-4 record in the Haskins Center, its best home mark and most home victories in four years.

On Nov. 12, the Miners beat NM State to end a nine-game losing streak to the Aggies, as the last time the Miners had NM State was on Nov. 22, 2014. The Miner defense held the Aggies to 50 points, their lowest point total in a game versus UTEP since Nov. 29, 1983.

On Nov. 19, UTEP defeated longtime rival New Mexico. It was the first time UTEP had beaten NM State and UNM in the same

RODNEY TERRY ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY ‘90 THIRD SEASON AT UTEP 10TH SEASON AS A COACH

season since 2008-09, while it was the first home sweep in the Sun City since 1997.

After beating MEAC runner-up NC A&T and Big West Champion UC Irvine in El Paso on December 16 and 17, the Miners won their first WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational Championship since 2014.

Other highlights during the season included UTEP’s largest comeback win in program history. The Miners found themselves down 24 points to UTSA, only to rally and win 80-77 in overtime on Jan. 15. The historic victory also tied for the 24th-biggest comeback in NCAA history. UTEP scratched out another big comeback victory, this time against Rice on Feb. 22. The Miners rallied from 19 points down, flying past the Owls, 68-62.

The Miners made multiple improvements from year one to year two under Terry. UTEP shot 74.9 percent from the foul line, ranking fourth in C-USA and 54th nationally. The year prior, UTEP shot 66.1 percent from the free-throw line. UTEP’s 451 made free throws last season ranked second in C-USA, while its 602 free-throw attempts ranked fourth. The defense also improved, as the Miners allowed 66.1 points per game from 69.0 the season prior. UTEP also decreased its turnovers, while forcing more turnovers. The Miners ranked fourth in C-USA in blocked shots (103) after ranking 12th the season before.

Terry directed redshirt junior Bryson Williams, who was named to the 2020 All-C-USA first team and the 2020 District 11 NABC first team. Williams was the first Miner in five seasons to earn a first team spot in conference, while he was the first student-athlete since 2010 to earn an NABC honor. Williams finished third in C-USA, averaging 17.8 points per game, ranked fifth in rebounding (7.2 rpg) and 13th in free-throw percentage (81.1). Williams was named the C-USA Player of the Week three times throughout the season. One of the honors came after his 34-point, 10-rebound performance against UTSA on Jan. 15.

Souley Boum also experienced success in his first year as a Miner. The redshirt sophomore led C-USA in free-throw percentage (87.8) and rated 21st nationally. Boum’s single-season performance ranked second in

program history. One of Boum’s more memorable efforts was when he went 14-for-14 from the foul line during UTEP’s victory over Southern Miss, as the Miners finished a combined 34-of37 from the line on Jan. 9.

Daryl Edwards played for Terry as a graduate transfer from LSU. He finished third on the team in scoring while he averaged over 21 points the last eight games of

TERRY FILE

PERSONAL HOMETOWN: ANGLETON, TEXAS

EDUCATION COLLEGE: ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY

PLAYING EXPERIENCE 1986-90: ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY

COACHING EXPERIENCE

2018-PRESENT: UTEP Head Coach

2011-18: FRESNO STATE Head Coach

2002-11: TEXAS Assistant Coach

1998-02: UNC WILMINGTON Assistant Coach

1996-98: BAYLOR Assistant Coach

1995-96: ANGLETON HS Head Coach

1993-95: SOMERVILLE HS Head Coach

1991-93: BOWIE HS [AUSTIN, TEXAS] Assistant Coach

1990-91: ST. EDWARD’S Assistant Coach the season. One of those games included a 34-point outburst against Rice, in which the Miners rallied from 19 points down to claim victory. Edwards was named the C-USA Player of the Week following that performance. Edwards followed that 34-point effort with 26 points, 25 and 22 in the next three games. He was the first Miner in nine seasons to score 22 or more points in four consecutive games.

Overall, the Miners earned four C-USA Player of the Week honors, which were the most since the 2014-15 season.

Terry’s revamped roster for the 2018-19 campaign featured three returnees from the previous season (senior Paul Thomas, and sophomores Evan Gilyard and Kobe Magee), while only seven scholarship players were eligible to play. Four of those scholarship players were true freshmen. Nigel Hawkins, Jordan Lathon, Kaosi Ezeagu and All-Conference USA Freshman honoree Efe Odigie helped lay down coach Terry’s culture and foundation.

Terry won his first game at the helm of the UTEP program on Nov. 6, 2018 – a 90-63 thrashing of UTPB in the Haskins Center. The 90 points were the most ever by a UTEP team during a head coach’s debut. The 27-point victory tied for second-largest for a UTEP coach in his debut.

Prior to C-USA play, Terry’s squad also produced wins against ENMU (66-59), Northwestern State (77-47), UC Riverside (68-56) and closed out the nonconference slate with a 7665 triumph against Wyoming in the Sun Bowl Tournament.

Odigie produced one of the best seasons by a UTEP freshman, leading C-USA in rebounding per game (10.1). Odigie was one of two C-USA players to average a double-double after collecting

12.7 points per contest. Odigie’s rebounding average set a new UTEP freshman record, while his 252 total rebounds ranked second among UTEP freshmen all-time. Odigie was the first Miner to average a double-double since the 1981-82 season, while his 11 double-doubles set a program record by a freshman. Odigie was also the fourth Miner to lead the league in rebounding per game.

Terry directed a pair of freshmen guards in Lathon and Hawkins. Lathon started 27 games and ranked fourth on the squad in points per game (10.9) and total points (294). Lathon led the Miners in assists (74), while ranking second on the team in blocked shots (23). Hawkins led UTEP and ranked sixth in C-USA in free-throw percentage (79.5) and made free throws (97). Hawkins’s made free throws and free-throw percentage both ranked third-best by a UTEP frosh.

Lathon and Hawkins helped chalk up Terry’s first C-USA win as the pair led the Miners to a 65-64 victory against Rice on Jan. 12. Hawkins set a career high with 24 points, while Lathon provided the finishing touches with his buzzer-beating jump shot on the baseline off a full-court pass from Ountae Campbell.

Between the trio of freshman, Odigie (Nov. 26, Dec. 24), Lathon (Dec. 3, Feb. 25) and Hawkins (Jan. 14) combined for five C-USA Freshman of the Week honors. It was the most since the Miners earned six FOTW honors during the 201314 campaign. Odigie finished 20th in C-USA in scoring average, while Hawkins rated 21st. Lathon ranked 15th in C-USA, averaging almost three assists per game.

Ezeagu was the fourth member of the talented freshmen class, as he, Hawkins, Lathon and Odigie set a UTEP freshmen record after combining for 63 points at Marshall on Jan. 31. Ezeagu led the team in blocked shots (24) and was the lone UTEP freshman to play in all 29 games.

The Miners ranked fifth in C-USA, forcing 13.5 turnovers per contest. Their defensive rebounding per game (27.0) also ranked fifth in the league.

Terry emphasizes effort in the classroom as seven Miners earned academic accolades. A year ago, Ountae Campbell, Gilles Dekoninck, Daryl Edwards, Kaosi Ezeagu, Keonte Kennedy, Jordan, Lathon, Aunieus Medrano, Isaiah Rhyanes, Anthony Tarke, Tydus Verhoeven, Eric Vila, Bryson Williams and Jules Williamson were announced to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (3.0 GPA or better). Campbell was also honored as a C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medalist (3.75 GPA or better).

Prior to coming to UTEP, Terry guided Fresno State to a record of 126-108 in seven seasons as head coach (2011-18), including 20-win campaigns in four of the last five years and the 2016 Mountain West Conference Tournament title with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs compiled a 62-58 mark in Mountain West Conference play, with double-digit victories in each of the last four campaigns.

A native of Angleton, Texas, Terry made his return to the Lone Star State. He played his collegiate ball at St. Edward’s University in Austin, and began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant with the Hilltop-

pers in 1990. Following three coaching stints at high schools in the state of Texas – including as the head coach at Somerville HS and his alma mater Angleton HS – Terry served as an assistant coach at Baylor (1996-98), UNC Wilmington (1998-02) and Texas (2002-11) prior to landing the head coaching position at Fresno State.

In seven seasons at Fresno State, Terry coached players who earned a total of 15 All-Conference accolades, including two-time (2015-16) first team All-Mountain West guard Marvelle Harris. In 2018, guard Deshon Taylor became the second Bulldog to garner first team All-League honors under Terry’s watch. Terry also coached second team All-League Kevin Olekaibe (2012) and Tyler Johnson (2014) and third teamers Taylor (2017) and Bryson Williams (2018). He coached the MWC Freshman of the Year Paul Watson in 2014 and the MWC Player of the Year Harris in 2016. Three of his players – Harris (2015-16), Jaron Hopkins (2017) and Taylor (2018) – earned spots on the MWC All-Defensive Team.

Under Terry’s direction, Fresno State forged 21 victories during the 2013-14 season, 25 in 2015-16, 20 in 2016-17 and 21 in 2017-18. The Bulldogs went 10-8 in the MWC in 2014-15, 13-5 in 2015-16 (second place), and 11-7 in both 2016-17 and 2017-18.

In 2016 Fresno State knocked off UNLV (95-82), Colorado State (64-56) and San Diego State (6863) at the MWC Tournament in Las Vegas to earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament – the Bulldogs’ first trip to the “Big Dance” in 15 years. Harris was tabbed the MWC Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Fresno State’s 25 wins in 2015-16 were the third-most in school history and the Bulldogs closed the season strong, winning 11 of their last 12 games. Terry also led Fresno State to an NIT appearance in 2017, and a CBI bid in 2014. The Bulldogs finished runner-up in the CBI in 2014, and their chase to the finals included a 61-56 win at UTEP.

His 2014-15 squad notched the school’s first win over a top25 team (San Diego State) in 13 years. The 2013-14 Bulldogs posted the program’s first 20win season and postseason appearance in seven years while making a dramatic turnaround in MWC play. Fresno State rallied from a 1-7 league start to finish 9-9. During the 2012-13 campaign, the Bulldogs secured their first-ever win at UNLV.

Known as an outstanding recruiting and bench coach, Terry has coached two national players of the year and has been a part of 12 teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

His nine-year tenure as an assistant coach at Texas produced nine NCAA Tournament appearances including a Final Four berth in 2003, trips to the Elite Eight in 2006 and 2008, and four Sweet 16 showings. The Longhorns fashioned a mark of 232-80 during that span, the winningest nine-year period in school history. They posted 30 victories during both the 200506 (30) and 2007-08 (school-record 31) seasons, and 28 during the 2010-11 campaign. In January of 2010, Texas reached the no. 1 spot in the country for the first time in school history.

During Terry’s time on the bench, a total of 10 McDonald’s All-Americans made their way to the UT campus (Brad Buck-

man 2002, LaMarcus Aldridge 2004, Daniel Gibson 2004, Mike Williams 2004, D.J. Augustin 2006, Kevin Durant 2006, Jai Lucas 2007, Avery Bradley 2009, Cory Joseph 2010, Tristan Thompson 2010). Terry also ran point on the recruitment of 2011 UT signee Myck Kabongo, who competed in the 2011 McDonald’s All-American Game. Texas’ recruiting class was rated number one nationally in 2004, third in 2006 and 2009 and eighth in 2010.

Texas’ National Player of the Year recipients were T.J. Ford in 2003 and Kevin Durant in 2007. Ford (2003) and Durant (2007) joined D.J. Augustin (2008) as consensus first team All-Americans during Terry’s time as an assistant, and Augustin claimed the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard in 2008.

In all, Terry coached 13 players at Texas that were chosen in the NBA Draft, including nine firstround selections and five lottery picks in Ford, Aldridge, Durant, Augustin and Thompson. Texas was the only school in the country to have a Top-10 pick in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 NBA Draft, and the Longhorns had three players chosen in 2010 and 2012.

Prior to joining Rick Barnes’ staff in Austin, Terry assisted coach Jerry Wainwright at UNC Wilmington for four seasons. The Seahawks made three postseason tournament appearances during this stretch, reaching the NCAA’s in 2000 and 2002 and the NIT in 2001. During the 2001-02 season, UNC Wilmington set a school record with 23 victories and scored the initial NCAA Tournament win in school history, upsetting USC 98-89 in overtime in the first round. Terry assembled a top-30 recruiting class at UNC Wilmington and, during the 2001-02 season, was named the co-mid/low-major Assistant Coach of the Year by TheInsiderHoops.com, which he shared with Valparaiso’s Scott Drew (now the head coach at Baylor). Prior to joining the staff at UNCW, Terry served two years as an assistant coach at Baylor (1996-98). He spent one season (1995-96) as the varsity coach at Angleton High School and two years as the head coach at Somerville High School. Terry posted a 15-13 mark at Angleton and a 49-21 record at Somerville, leading the school to the Class 2A state semifinals in 1993-94. He also worked for two years (1991-93) as an assistant coach at Austin Bowie High School.

Terry earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Physical Education from St. Edward’s University in 1990. During his collegiate career, he was a threeyear starter at point guard and a three-time Academic All-Big State Conference selection. The Hilltoppers won the Big State Conference title during his freshman season (1986-87), and he served as team captain in his junior and senior campaigns.