Head Coach Vic Schaefer has the Lady Longhorns ranked No. 1, sees coaching as a calling from God

Vic Schaefer has the Texas Longhorns women’s team playing the best basketball in the nation, but that’s secondary to his main task of impacting young people for Christ.

The Longhorns (29-2) are the top-ranked team for the first time in 21 years thanks in part to the leadership from the head coach, who just earned conference Coach of the Year honors.

The team wrapped up its regular season with a 72-46 drubbing of the University of Florida on Schaefer’s 64th birthday, a win that extended their home winning streak to 22 games. The win in the final game of the regular season also secured a share of the Southeastern Conference regular season championship with South Carolina (27-3). 

“I’m so happy for my kids, they’ve earned where they are today,” Schaefer told the Associated Press last week.  

Now on a 13-game winning streak, one recent win in particular meant a little more to Schaefer. On Thursday, the Longhorns narrowly edged out Mississippi State in Schaefer’s return to Starkville. 

Schaefer spent eight seasons with the Bulldogs, creating a perennial national contender in the process. In 2017 and 2018, Schaefer led Mississippi State to the national championship game, falling just short of a title in both years. 

Despite the success, Schaefer felt the Lord drawing him back to his hometown in Austin, Texas. 

“It was a calling … It was a chance to come home, y’all. … It comes back to a calling, an opportunity you just can’t walk away from,” Schaefer told the media after his decision in 2020.  

Schaefer has continued his run of greatness since his return to Texas, creating a program that has reached the Elite Eight in three out of his four seasons there. Now the number one team in the nation, Texas looks poised to make a legitimate run at a national championship in year five. 

Though winning is a high priority for Schaefer, the Longhorns coach sees his role as an opportunity from God to make an impact on young people’s lives. 

“Young people are our leaders of tomorrow, and for us, the opportunity that God gives us, putting us in this position that we’re in here at the University of Texas, my players as student-athletes, and my staff as coaches, I believe that we need to do our part [to] try to make a positive impact on young people,” he told On SI last month.  

Schaefer takes the opportunity to impact young lives seriously, but the 64-year-old recognizes that without the Lord’s help, his impact is minimal. In a 2019 interview with Pine Lake Church in Starkville, Schaefer spoke plainly about his dependence on God for everything he does. 

“I can’t be that person that people look to for answers without His divine intervention,” Schaefer said. “When things do get tough, our flesh sometimes doesn’t look at Him and we think we can do it. I’ve learned really quick that I can’t. I can’t imagine living in this world not having a Lord and Savior and having faith in what that means.” 

Schaefer is known for regularly speaking out about his faith, ending every interview in his eight years at Mississippi State with the phrase, “Praise the Lord, and go Dawgs.” Since 2020, of course, Schaefer has swapped out “Go Dawgs” with “Hook ‘em Horns.” 

For Schaefer, the words are more than just lip service. He’s truly lived out His faith through his care for his players and his consistent belief in pouring into the next generation. 

Perhaps no player knows this better than former Mississippi State standout guard, Blair Schaefer, who just happens to be Coach Schaefer’s daughter. She played on the two National Championship runner-up teams and knew her dad well enough to know that his example at home matched his public persona. 

“He’s always pouring into us spiritually. He’s always saying life is bigger than basketball. I’ve learned that everything comes back to your faith,” Blair told FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) her senior year. 

“One of the things I’ve taken from my faith is we’re to be fishers of men,” Coach Schaefer added in that FCA interview, saying, “For me, I’m a fisher of men and women. It’s just my opportunity. I want my kids to know that me and my staff, because they are believers, too, know that there’s a bigger picture of our impact.” 

Regardless of how the Longhorns fare the rest of the season, Schaefer knows it’s ultimately in God’s hands.  

“At the end of the day, this is not just about winning basketball games, this is about getting these young ladies ready for the real world,” he says. “I’m really proud that I think we do a great job of that.” 

The Longhorns’ quest for a championship continues Friday, March 7 at 5 p.m. EST on the SEC Network.