When The University of Texas at Austin fired Rodney Terry after three seasons as head coach of the men’s basketball team, it caught the attention of college basketball fans everywhere. Terry had led the Longhorns to the Elite Eight in 2023 after taking over midseason, securing the full-time job with high expectations. But after back-to-back seasons without advancing past the second round and a First Four exit in 2025, Texas chose to move on. In a program loaded with NIL money, top-end resources and a passionate fan base, even relative success was not enough. It begs the question — can letting go of a successful coach ever be justified?

There’s no easy answer. In some cases, a coach’s firing proves to be a disastrous decision. Jerry Jones’ firing of Jimmy Johnson after two straight Super Bowl titles remains one of the biggest self-inflicted setbacks in NFL history. Though the Dallas Cowboys won another title in 1995, they never returned to that level of dominance and have been stuck in a cycle of dysfunction ever since.

That kind of miscalculation stretches beyond the professional level and into the college ranks as well. The University of Nebraska fired Frank Solich after a 10-win season in 2003, driven by the unrealistic expectations set by the Tom Osborne era. The program subsequently fell into a two-decade spiral that continues to this day. At Texas Tech University, firing Mike Leach in 2009 ended the best stretch in program history and left a void the Red Raiders still have not filled.

Still, there are times where moving on pays off. The Philadelphia Eagles let go of Andy Reid in 2012 after years of coming up short. With smart hires and strong front office moves, the franchise won Super Bowls in 2018 and 2025. The Cleveland Cavaliers fired David Blatt midseason in 2016 despite a strong record. Promoting Tyronn Lue led to a historic championship run and proved to be the right move, as he remains one of the NBA’s top head coaches, albeit with another team. And while parting ways with Jim Harbaugh seemed risky for the San Francisco 49ers, the hiring of Kyle Shanahan brought the team back to prominence with multiple Super Bowl appearances.

Story continues below advertisement

What all these cases show is that there is no blanket answer. Every coaching change is a gamble, and context is everything. There are instances where a coach clashes with management or loses the locker room, leading the team to move on — even when the results on the field are good. Sometimes the expectations are simply too high, and even consistent success feels underwhelming. Other times, coaches are let go because of off-field issues or controversy, and whether that is justified depends on the institution’s values. The firing of Bobby Petrino at The University of Arkansas, for example, was necessary due to off-field misconduct and personal scandals that made his position indefensible. But with Mike Leach, there is still the sense Texas Tech prioritized image and politics over what he built.

Rodney Terry’s firing at Texas makes sense when considering the pressure of the job. The Longhorns have the money, facilities and location to be a national title contender. Finishing with a 19-16 record and bowing out in the First Four was not going to cut it. In today’s college basketball world, the right coach with the right NIL and transfer portal approach can turn a team around fast. That is the standard now, and Terry did not meet it.

Firing a successful head coach is never black and white. It depends on the expectations, the long-term plan and whether there is a clear path to something better. If a program takes that kind of risk, it has to be calculated carefully because getting it wrong can haunt a team for years.