After Texas women’s basketball took a tough, double-digit loss to Vanderbilt, head coach Vic Schaefer didn’t sugarcoat his frustration. In fact, he made it crystal clear: what he saw on the court wasn’t just a bad game - it was, in his words, a lack of heart.
“Some of us left our hearts back in Austin, Texas,” Schaefer said postgame.
The Longhorns found themselves down by as many as 26 points in the second half. A late push by a fresh lineup trimmed the deficit to 10, but the comeback ran out of steam before it could get interesting.
For a program that’s prided itself on grit, defense, and relentless effort - trademarks of Schaefer-led teams - this performance didn’t just fall short. It missed the mark entirely.
“We whine, we complain, you just have no heart. We’re not tough,” Schaefer said. “My staff and I were just really frustrated that we’re coaching that.”
That kind of bluntness isn’t new from Schaefer. He’s built his career on demanding intensity and accountability, and he’s not shy about calling it out when it’s missing.
To him, effort isn’t optional - it’s the baseline. If you’re wearing the burnt orange, you bring the energy, period.
And on Thursday night, he didn’t see it.
Schaefer went so far as to call this group one of the softest he’s coached in years - a stinging critique, especially for a team with this level of talent. But he didn’t deflect blame. He owned it, even as he challenged his players to do the same.
“I’ll wear it, no problem, my fault. I’ll wear all of it, but it’s gonna stop now,” he said.
“I don’t want to hear about anybody being tired, sore, whatever. It’s time to go to work.
That’s it. That’s how you fix that.
We all need to be accountable. I’ve had teams, all they got was a scholarship, and they laid it on the line.
I never have had to coach their heart. I’m out there coaching heart tonight, y’all.
That ain’t it. Not at Texas.”
It wasn’t just the team’s overall energy that drew attention. Once again, Schaefer made a bold in-game decision: sitting fifth-year point guard Rori Harmon for the entire fourth quarter - the same move he made in the Longhorns’ loss to LSU back in January.
He didn’t frame it as a benching. Instead, he said it was about giving another player a shot.
Still, the move raised eyebrows. Harmon is not only the emotional engine of this team but arguably its best player.
Taking her off the floor in crunch time - especially when the offense is sputtering - is going to spark conversation. But Schaefer has always been consistent on this front: the five toughest players will play, regardless of résumé or reputation.
And in that fourth quarter, it was sophomore guard Bryanna Preston who got the nod. She ran the offense wire-to-wire in the final frame, just like she did against LSU. Alongside her, the second-half group brought a spark that had been missing all night.
“I didn’t have too many active participants till I put that group in in the second half,” Schaefer said. “That kid, those kids, played well. They played hard.”
That’s the kind of effort Schaefer demands - not perfect execution, but visible fight. And while the rally came up short, it at least showed there’s still some fire on this roster. The question now is whether that intensity becomes the standard, not the exception.
Because for Vic Schaefer and Texas women’s basketball, the message is loud and clear: toughness isn’t negotiable. And if it has to be coached, something’s already gone wrong.