Texas women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer came home to build something lasting

FORT WORTH, Texas — Coach Vic Schaefer understands the legacy of Texas women's basketball.

"I'm all in at Texas," Schaefer said. "And I knew that when I took the job.  I knew what came with it.  I knew what the expectations were, and I wanted that.  I embraced that."

His players, especially point guard Rori Harmon, are right there with him. It was easy to get wrapped up in the celebrations after Texas' 77-41 Elite Eight victory over Michigan on March 30, but fifth-year senior Harmon found Schaefer for a long embrace.

"I don't think he's hugged me that tight — ever," Harmon said. "He's so all in. You want to do it for yourself and your team, but you really want to do it for him."

In 2020, Schaefer decided to give his life to Texas.

Born just down the street from theLonghorns' campus in Austin, there was always a sneaking suspicion he would end up back where it all started.

After previous stops at Sam Houston State and Mississippi State, Schaefer's veteran presence and winning ways translated perfectly to Texas. The Longhorns will be making their fifth trip to the Final Four and last won a title in 1986.

He would join the Longhorns' lineage backed by Jody Conradt, Chris Plonsky and Kathy Harston — a trio of women who built Texas women's basketball from the ground up.

"I don't take being given the opportunity to be the head coach at Texas lightly," Schaefer said. "I understand the history."

The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.

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The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the2026 NCAA Women's March MadnessSecond Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.

During the Longhorns' Sweet 16 and Elite Eight victories over Kentucky and Michigan, Schaefer took it all in — a sea of orange filled Fort Worth's Dickies Arena.

"That says a lot about the people that care about our program," Schaefer said. "I carry that. I carry that weight."

With that weight comes passion, devotion and the itch to win.

"Who wouldn't want to play for a coach like that?" junior Madison Booker said. "The team wouldn't be where they are without his loyalty."

Schaefer has carried the Longhorns to five Elite Eights over the course of his six year tenure and consecutive Final Fours. Schaefer isn't alone in his commitment to his program. When college women's basketball coaches say something, they mean it.

They believe in it. They act on it. They devote their lives to it.

And all of it — the loyalty, the love, the commitment — sets them apart from coaches in other major college sports.

It's certainly no secret the landscape of college athletics is rapidly changing. NIL, the transfer portal, conference realignment and revenue sharing have created an environment that some fans hardly recognize.

College football coaches are being fired and hired at a rate that can be hard to keep up with.

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The Lane Kiffin saga, Kyle Whittingham's retirement fake-out and the absolute redo of the SEC's coaching staffs are just a few examples.

"I needed Oxford, Mississippi, and Ole Miss more than they needed me," Kiffin once said.

Kiffin had everyone believing he was there to stay. A year later, he was gone.

But not everybody is looking for the next job.

Geno Auriemma, who is in his 41st season with UConn women's basketball, is one of the best to do it.

He's developed WNBA stars Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi. He's created an empire.

And most importantly, he's never left.

"UConn is Geno," freshman forward Blanca Quiñonez said. "He knows that he made this program. He has the ability to help a lot of players grow up, not just as a player, but as a person."

The list doesn't end with Auriemma and Schaefer.

Pat Summitt spent 38 seasons with Tennessee. C. Vivian Stringer coached Rutgers for over two decades. Dawn Staley has led South Carolina for 18 years.

While the transfer portal has made an impact on women's college basketball, players have taken note of their coaches' devotion to their successes.

Flau'jae Johnson spent all four years in Baton Rouge, showing the world what it meant to be "loyal to the soil."

Retirement rumors about LSU's Kim Mulkey floated around on social media following the No. 2 Tigers' loss to No. 3 Duke in the Sweet 16, but she was quick to shoot them down.

Like Schaefer, Mulkey's all in.

"I'm going to be in this game unless LSU fires me — until I can't put a product on that floor that's competitive or my health fails me," Mulkey said.

As college sports dive into an era founded on movement and money, women's basketball coaches have stood their ground.

They aren't just building programs — they're becoming them.

Mia Fishman is a student in the University of Georgia's Carmical Sports Media Institute.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Texas returns to Women's Final Four behind Vic Schaefer's vision and loyalty