Texas head coach Vic Schaefer has officially created history. The Longhorns’ roster has reached its first Final Four of the NCAA Tournament since 2003. Texas last won an NCAA Tournament in 1986.
As the March Madness continues and the semifinals are just around the corner, let’s take a look at the coaching roster behind this moment.
Texas Women’s Basketball Coaching Staff: Vic Schaefer, Elena Lovato, and Blair Schaefer at the Forefront
Vic Schaefer – Head Coach
Vic Schaefer has been the Head Coach for four seasons now. And the Two-Time National Coach of the Year has a 109-32 record in 4 years. The 2024-25 season was Schaefer’s 40th season in coaching.
Schaefer is a Texas native who has spent 25 of his 39 years in coaching within the state of Texas and 30 years in the Southwest. He is the fifth head coach in TCU history.
In the 2023-24 season, Texas won 33 games, which was the most in a season since the 1985-86 season. Texas even made it to the Elite Eight for the third time in the last four seasons. And Madison Booker earned WBCA All-America honors and was named the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year. Evidently, Vic Schaefer is not a coach to be taken lightly.
Coaching History:
- 2020-present: Texas – Head Coach
- 2011-20: Mississippi State – Head Coach
- 2003-11: Texas A&M – Associate Head Coach
- 1997-03: Arkansas – Associate Head Coach
- 1990-97: Sam Houston State – Head Coach
- 1989-90: Milby H.S. (Houston) – Assistant Boys Coach
- 1987-89: Sam Houston State – Assistant Men’s Coach
- 1985-87: Milby H.S. (Houston) – Assistant Boys Coach
Elena Lovato – Associate Head Coach
Elena Lovato’s 2024-25 season was the third season as the associate head coach of the Longhorns. Lovato spent the 2020-21 season as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Then in the 2022-23 season, she returned as associate head coach.
Coaching History
- 2022-Present: Associate Head Coach, Texas
- 2020-21: Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Texas
- 2018-20: Assistant Coach, Mississippi State
- 2016-18: Head Coach, Arkansas-Fort Smith
- 2014-16: Assistant Coach, Mississippi State
- 2012-14: Head Coach, Trinity Valley Community College
- 2011-12: Assistant Coach, Omaha
- 2010-11: Head Coach, Grayson College
- 2009-10: Assistant Coach/Interim Head Coach, Trinity Valley Community College
- 2008-09: Assistant Coach, Houston
- 2008: Graduate Assistant Coach, Pittsburg State
Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton – Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, much like Elena Lovato, is in her third season at Texas. Wisdom-Hylton is the recruiting coordinator for Texas and works primarily with the Longhorn post players. She comes with four seasons of WNBA experience. Hylton was drafted first round in 2009. It was only in 2012, she stepped into coaching.
Coaching History
- 2022-Present: Assistant Coach, Texas
- 2021-22: Assistant Coach, Boston College
- 2019-21: Assistant Coach, Wisconsin
- 2012-19: Assistant Coach, Purdue
Blair Schaefer – Assistant Coach
Blair Schaefer is also in her third season as an Assistant Coach. Blair has been the face behind Madison Booker’s growth. Before getting into coaching, Blair was a reporter for ESPN and the SEC Network.
Coaching History
- 2022-Present: Assistant Coach, Texas
- 2020-22: Coordinator of Player Development, Mississippi State
Sydney Carter – Assistant Coach/Director of Player Personnel
Sydney Carter joined the Texas Women’s Basketball staff in April 2022. She is a Texas A&M alum who played under Gary Blair from 2008-2012. Carter helped the Aggies win their 2011 National Championship and 2010 Big 12 Tournament title.
Blair was drafted 27th overall by the Chicago Sky, where she played four seasons. Then she started competing internationally for seven years in Latvia and Israel. When Carter decided to move into coaching, she came back to her alma mater.
KEEP READING: Top 10 Women’s College Basketball Players in 2025
Zack Zillner – Sports Performance Coach
Zack Zillner is currently in his seventh season as Texas Women’s Basketball’s sports performance coach. Working closely with sports medicine and performance nutrition, Zillner ensures that Texas athletes are prepared to compete at the highest level.
History:
- 2017–Present – Women’s Basketball Sports Performance Coach, University of Texas
- 2016–2017 – Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, University of Kansas
- 2015–2016 – Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, University of Illinois
- 2014–2015 – Director of Strength and Conditioning, University of Southern Mississippi
- 2011–2014 – Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, University of Kansas
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