Texas Women's Coach Vic Schaefer Still Chasing an Elusive National Title

Texas coach Vic Schaefer has come agonizingly close to winning a national championship.

Close as in three previous trips to the Final Four. And two title game appearances, including one lost on a last-second 3-pointer.

The 65-year-old Schaefer is close again. Only he's over being close in March Madness. He wants to win one. And the Longhorns just may have the team to do it this year.

Texas returns to the Final Four for the second consecutive year behind dominant three-time All-American forward Madison Booker and dynamic fifth-year point guard Rori Harmon. The Longhorns are chasing the program's first national championship since 1986, when Texas and Hall of Fame coach Jody Conradt barnstormed through a 34-0 season to become the first undefeated title winners.

And for Schaefer, it's a chance to exorcise some "close" ghosts from the past. The Longhorns (35-3) play UCLA (35-1) on Friday night. Texas handed the Bruins their only loss, 76-65, back on Nov. 26. Win again and they'll play either South Carolina (35-3) or UConn (38-0) in the final.

"With this team, how special they are, they’re good enough" to win the championship, Schaefer said. "I keep telling ’em, they’re good enough."

Schaefer is leading his fourth team at two different schools to the Final Four. He won a national title as an assistant at Texas A&M in 2011, but the trophy has been elusive for Schaefer in 21 seasons as a head coach.

His Mississippi State Bulldogs played in the championship game in 2017 and 2018. The 2018 nail-biter against Notre Dame still leaves a bitter taste after the last-second defeat.

And before Texas advanced to the Sweet 16 this year, Schaefer said the best team he ever had was his 2019 Mississippi State team that lost to Oregon in the