Texas Head Men’s Basketball Coach Rodney Terry announced several additions and internal promotions to complete his staff for the upcoming 2023-24 season. Cory Schlesinger has been tabbed Assistant Coach, Director of Basketball Health and Performance, while Byron Jones was named Assistant Coach. Nick Matson will serve as the Men’s Basketball Director of Operations.
Cory Schlesinger brings 14 years of sports performance coaching experience to the Texas staff, including four at the NBA level and 10 in collegiate athletics. He spent the last four years as Director, Performance/Head Strength and Conditioning Coach with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. During his four seasons in Phoenix, the Suns posted an overall record of 194-115 (.628), won two Pacific Division titles and advanced to the NBA Playoffs three times, including a run to the 2021 NBA Finals. Schlesinger worked with a trio of players in Phoenix who earned NBA All-Star Game selections, including Devin Booker (2020, 2021 and 2022), Chris Paul (2021 and 2022) and former Longhorn legend Kevin Durant (2023).
Byron Jones worked for seven seasons previously with Terry at Fresno State and brings 25 years of coaching experience to the Texas staff. He spent the past three seasons (2020-23) as an assistant coach at Troy, helping the Trojans record back-to-back 20-win seasons and double-digit victory totals in Sun Belt Conference play in each of the last two years. Jones worked as an assistant coach at Air Force for one year (2019-20) and spent seven seasons (2011-18) as an assistant under Terry at Fresno State. During his time together with Terry in Fresno, the pair led the Bulldogs to a total of 126 victories, including 20-win seasons in four of the last five years. In 2015-16, Fresno State went 25-10, won the Mountain West Conference Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001. Jones previously served as an assistant coach at Winston-Salem State (2010-11), UNC Wilmington (2002-06), Denver (1997-2002) and Eastern Kentucky (1995-97) and was a graduate assistant coach at Central Oklahoma (1993-95).
Nick Matson worked for 10 years previously with Terry at both Fresno State and UTEP and brings 13 years of experience in collegiate athletics to the Texas staff. He spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach at East Carolina. Matson served as an assistant coach under Terry for three years at UTEP (2018-21) and worked for seven seasons (2011-18) with Terry at Fresno State, including one year as assistant coach (2017-18) and five years as Director of Basketball Operations (2012-17).
Terry also announced the internal promotions of three individuals on the Men’s Basketball support staff. Brock Berenato was elevated to the role of Director of Video and Analytics, K.J. Conklin was promoted to Director of Player Development and Ty Larson was elevated to the role of Director of Recruiting.
In addition, Kat Stanley will work in the role of Senior Program Administrator. Giles Gilliam, Jonathan Holmes and Tristen Licon will serve as graduate assistants during the upcoming 2023-24 season.
Texas completed the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 29-9 (12-6 Big 12, second) and ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll and No. 7 in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll. The No. 5 spot marked a tie for the highest ranking in the final AP poll by the Longhorns, as UT also was No. 5 in the final AP poll during the 2002-03 Final Four season. The No. 7 spot marked the third-highest ranking in the final Coaches poll in program history and highest since a No. 5 ranking following the 2007-08 season.
The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 and eighth time in program history. UT captured its second Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title in program history, defeating No. 3 Kansas, 76-56, in the championship game in Kansas City, Mo. The Longhorns earned a No. 2 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, marking the highest seed for Texas in the NCAA tourney since 2008 (also a No. 2 seed).
The 29 wins were the third-most in a single season in program history, as UT went 31-7 in 2007-08 and 30-7 in 2005-06. The Longhorns compiled a 10-7 record against AP Top 25 opponents in 2022-23, and the 10 wins were the most in the nation against AP-ranked foes. The 10 wins against AP-ranked opponents also set a school single-season record, as UT previously went 8-5 in 2003-04. Texas posted a 6-3 mark against AP Top 11 foes during the 2022-23 season and tied a program single-season record for most games played (38). UT began the year at No. 12 in the preseason AP poll and spent all 19 weeks of the poll in the top 12, including 17 consecutive weeks in the top 10. That marked the longest such stretch since Texas was in the top 10 for all 19 polls during the 2002-03 Final Four season.
The Longhorns were one of three teams to rank in the top 15 in KenPom in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. Texas (15 offense, 13 defense) was joined by UConn (3 offense, 7 defense) and Houston (11 offense, 5 defense). Since the Big 12 moved to an 18-game round-robin schedule starting in the 2011-12 season, Texas reached the 12-win mark for the first time in league play (12-6 record). Seventeen of UT’s 29 victories during the 2022-23 season were by at least 10 points.
https://texassports.com/news/2023/8/7/mens-basketball-terry-finalizes-mens-basketball-staff.aspx
