Tulsa Names Terrence Rencher to Basketball Coaching Staff
5/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
May 10, 2011
Tulsa, Oklahoma - University of Tulsa Head Basketball Coach Doug Wojcik announced today the appointment of former University of Texas standout guard Terrence Rencher as an assistant coach for the Golden Hurricane.
Rencher replaces Andy Kohut, who has left the University to pursue other interests. Kohut spent six seasons on the Tulsa basketball staff, including the first four as director of basketball operations and the last two as a full-time assistant coach.
Rencher has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Texas State University, helping the Bobcats compile 31 overall wins and 19 wins in the Southland Conference. Texas State posted a 16-16 record last season along with a 10-6 league mark. In the 2009-10 campaign, TSU registered an overall 15-16 mark and 9-7 conference record.
"I first met Terrence while we both were recruiting and was incredibly impressed with him. He brings a lot to the table for our basketball program. He was a great player who played professional basketball for many years and is making the sacrifice to become a coach," said Wojcik.
"Terrance has a wealth of experience -- having been a highly-recruited player, making a college decision, having an exceptional college career, the excitement of being an NBA draft pick, playing in the NBA and then transitioning to playing in Europe. All of those are wonderful experiences that he will bring to our basketball program. He will be a tremendous role model for all of our players and a great teacher and sounding board particularly for our perimeter players," added Wojcik.
Rencher came to Texas State after serving as a graduate assistant coach at Saint Louis under Rick Majerus in the 2008-09 season.
Before that, he was the head coach and basketball program director for the boy's varsity team at Regents School of Austin in 2007-08. In addition to his coaching duties, Rencher served as an academic mentor for the University of Texas men's basketball team from 2006-08.
"I'm looking forward to this opportunity at The University of Tulsa," said Rencher. "It's bittersweet emotionally. I'm excited about the possibilities that lie ahead at Tulsa, but at the same time it's hard to leave the people that you've grown to care about. That's the nature of the business. There are times that you have to move on for better or worse, and right now it's for the better. My family and I are really excited about coming to Tulsa and helping the program reach that next phase.
"I know the history and tradition of The University of Tulsa's basketball program. I'm honored and flattered that I have a chance to be a part of it. I'm really impressed with Coach Wojcik's demeanor and direction of TU basketball. I am grateful he feels that I'm capable of helping him continue to build the Tulsa program," added Rencher.
Rencher is the all-time scoring leader at Texas, where he scored 2,306 points in his career, and ranks sixth among the school's career assists leaders with 440. A four-year starter at Texas, Rencher helped lead the Longhorns to three NCAA Tournament appearances, three Southwest Conference championships, one SWC Tournament title and a combined record of 83-44 from 1992-95. As a freshman, Rencher was named Dick Vitale's National Freshman of the Year and the Southwest Conference Freshman of the Year in 1992. He completed his collegiate career as an all-conference selection as a senior in 1995.
Following his collegiate career, Rencher was the 32nd overall selection in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets and played one season in the NBA with Miami and Phoenix. In 36 games, he averaged 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds.
Rencher also played in the CBA for one year before playing nine years overseas in Israel, Croatia, Italy, Greece and Germany before beginning his coaching career. While playing for Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany from 2001-03, Rencher averaged 15.0 and 16.1 points in subsequent years.
Rencher's recruiting experience in the state of Texas, as well as his college and professional experience will be tremendously beneficial to the Tulsa basketball program.
"I've recruited three years now and I'm pretty tied in with the state of Texas from a recruiting standpoint. I've made a lot of relationships over the course of my career throughout the country that helps in recruiting as well," said Rencher.
"Recruiting is the lifeblood of a program. That's understood, but the most important kids are the one's you have at the present moment," said Rencher. "I think a strong suit of mine is the fact that I've been where a lot of these guys want to go as far as basketball is concerned. I have real living examples, positive and negative, that I've been through and hopefully can relate those experiences to our players."
A native of The Bronx, New York, Rencher played his prep basketball at St. Raymond High School in New York City. He was named New York's Mr. Basketball as a high school senior in 1991.
Rencher, 38 (Feb. 19, 1973), earned his bachelor's degree in Education with an emphasis in Youth and Community Studies from the University of Texas. He and his wife, Faye, have two daughters Siena and Savannah.