UTEP hires Rodney Terry as men’s basketball coach

The rumors have been silenced and Fresno State's Rodney Terry was appointed as the 19th head coach in UTEP men's basketball history Monday afternoon.

Last year, Terry led the Bulldogs to a Mountain West Conference Tournament title run and took them to one NCAA Tournament, one NIT appearance and one CBI finals.

As soon as he is approved by the UT System Boards of Regents, Terry will be officially hired. His introductory press conference will probably be next week.

“I’m super excited about an unbelievable opportunity at the University of Texas at El Paso,” he said.  “It’s a program that has experienced a very high level of success and has a great basketball tradition that I’m looking forward to building upon.”

His former team in Fresno State saw their season come to a close last Thursday in the Mountain West Tournament after losing to San Diego State and finished 21-11 overall.

Through seven seasons, Terry posted a 126-107 overall record.

UTEP did not have to buyout Terry's contract since he signed a new contract after last season to include a no buyout clause. Also, Mountain West Wire reported that he mede close to $650,000 at Fresno State, which is about $50,000 more than former coach Tim Floyd made at UTEP.

Multiple reports surfaced this morning and last night saying Terry said he has taken Fresno State as far as he can.

The move will bring Terry back home to the Lone Star State, where he grew up. He played college basketball at St. Edward's University in Austin and then coached throughout Texas as an assistant with Baylor (1996-98), UNC Wilmington (1998-02) and Texas (2002-11) prior to landing the head coaching position at Fresno State.

He has coached a total of 13 players at Texas that were chosen in the NBA draft, including five lottery picks in T.J. Ford in 2003, LaMarcus Aldridge in 2004, D.J. Augustin in 2006, Kevin Durant in 2007 and Tristan Thompson in 2010.

Here's what UTEP President Diana Natalicio and UTEP Athletic Director said about the hire:

“We are delighted to welcome Coach Terry to El Paso and we’re excited about the future of UTEP Basketball under his leadership,” Natalicio said.  “He’s enjoyed a very successful tenure as Fresno State’s head coach, and he’s well-known as an effective recruiter with deep ties to the Lone Star State.  We look very much forward to bringing him back to Texas to usher in a new era of Miner Ball.”

“We are very pleased to welcome Rodney Terry to the UTEP family,” Senter said.  “He’s a great fit for us with his Texas connections and his proven track record as a coach and recruiter.  He’s a proven winner and will represent this proud program well.”