Vic Schaefer stood at the podium in Nashville Thursday night and did something he’s rarely done in six seasons at Texas: he questioned whether his team has what it takes to win.
“We have no heart,” Schaefer said after his No. 4 Longhorns were dismantled, 86-70, by No. 5 Vanderbilt. “We’re not tough. It’s probably the softest team I’ve had in years.”
That’s not coachspeak. That’s a five-alarm fire from a Hall of Fame-caliber coach who has led programs to three Final Fours. When Schaefer says a team is soft, he’s not searching for a motivational gimmick. He’s delivering a diagnosis.
The Blowout That Broke Something in Austin
Texas trailed by as many as 26 points before mounting a late rally that merely made the final score look respectable. The Longhorns shot 38% from the field and made just three 3-pointers. Their vaunted defense, which had been holding SEC opponents to fewer than 60 points per game, surrendered 86 to a Vanderbilt team that shot 51% and buried 9 triples.
Mikayla Blakes, the nation’s leading scorer, poured in 34 points for her fourth consecutive 30-point game. Her performance marked the most points anyone has scored against a Vic Schaefer-coached Texas team. Freshman Aubrey Galvan added 18 points and 8 rebounds while the Commodores’ offense hummed at a pace the Longhorns couldn’t match.
Schaefer knew it early. He told reporters he could see the problem five minutes into the game.
“It was evident to me, five minutes in, that we left our heart back in Austin,” Schaefer said. “We couldn’t execute a scout. We’ve got veterans out there that can’t do what they’re supposed to do. It’s a lonely, lonely feeling when you’re out there having to coach heart.”
The 64-year-old coach sat point guard Rori Harmon for the final 15 minutes, inserting Bryanna Preston instead. When a reporter asked about the decision, Schaefer bristled at the word “benching” but didn’t deny he was searching for anyone who would compete.
“I will change the starting lineup to find some heart in our team,” he said.
Madison Booker led Texas with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Breya Cunningham added 14 before fouling out late in the third quarter. Nobody else stepped up.
Schaefer took full accountability for the performance while making clear the message was for his players.
“It translates from practices… my fault,” Schaefer said. “I’ll wear it. I’ll wear all of it. It’s my fault. It stops now.”
Then he turned his attention to the team that just embarrassed his program.
“That damn team over there is really good,” Schaefer said. “That’s a heck of a team. Take nothing away from that team. They beat the University of Texas. That team’s got heart.”
What This Means for Texas Going Forward
This loss carries weight beyond the standings. Texas dropped to 23-3 overall and 8-3 in SEC play, falling behind Vanderbilt in the conference race. The Longhorns, once projected as a No. 1 seed, now face legitimate questions about their tournament ceiling.
Schaefer has been here before. At Mississippi State, he built a program that reached back-to-back national championship games. He knows what it takes to win in March, and he knows what’s missing from this roster right now.
The Longhorns travel to Knoxville on Sunday to face No. 22 Tennessee, a team that routed Missouri at home Thursday night. That game will tell us whether Schaefer’s words landed or whether something more fundamental is broken.
Texas has the talent. Booker is a potential first-round WNBA pick. Harmon holds the program’s career assist record. They beat No. 2 South Carolina in November. They won the Players Era Championship. The résumé is strong.
But résumés don’t win games in March. Toughness does. And right now, Schaefer doesn’t see it.
“I’m fixing to go call my [athletic director] and tell him I’m embarrassed,” Schaefer said. “I’m sorry because I am. That’s not the way you represent the University of Texas.”
Whether that embarrassment translates to change will determine if this season ends in Tampa or somewhere far short of it.