A game that was supposed to be Texas’ fourth consecutive ranked win quickly turned into disarray. Vic Schaefer’s team conceded a 70-86 blowout loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores in a top-tier SEC game on Thursday. However, it was the Texas head coach’s comments after the defeat that had the NCAA community buzzing, with fans also comparing him to Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell.

The reality set in at the post-game press conference, where Schaefer called out his players for being soft on the court and not playing with the required intensity. An X handle with the username @NoCapSpaceWBB shared a clip from the press conference, which has gone viral for the tone Schaefer maintained in his presser.

“It’s the first time at Texas where my team was out-toughed. The other team played harder, and just quite frankly, we had no heart,” Schaefer said in the conference. “My staff and I were really frustrated with coaching them. The focus, energy, that’s a given, it used to come with scholarship, now it comes with thousands of dollars. That’s not the way you represent the University of Texas. I’m accountable, it’s my team but that’s the softest team I’ve had in years.”

There’s no doubt that the Longhorns’ performance was quite disappointing in the game. They struggled immensely with ball security and on the boards at times. Moreover, their cold shooting, 30 of 78 from the field for 38%, didn’t help the team either against a top-ranked team like the Commodores.

Madison Booker and Breya Cunningham did provide some resistance, combining for 34 points, but their star recruit, Aaliyah Crump, had a questionable night, scoring just 7 points in her 28-minute stay and shooting only 2 of 11 from open play. The five-game winning streak snapped, and it was definitely a source of frustration for Schaefer.

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However, his way of venting to the players at the presser was not at all diplomatic. And quite naturally, it wasn’t well received by the NCAA community, who in turn drew comparisons to Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell, who has been facing the same fire in the last few weeks after her team’s defeats to Mississippi State and South Carolina.

Fans Urge Vic Schaefer to Take More Responsibility in Defeats After Texas Coach’s Heated Statements

“He sounds like Caldwell. Please stop degrading these kids and certainly not in the public,” a fan wrote on X.

“Kim Caldwell: “This team’ll quit on you.” Vic Schaefer: “Hold my beer,” added another.

For context, there have been several instances this season in which Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell has lashed out at her players, similar to Vic Schaefer. Consistently in defeats, Caldwell has put the limelight on her players, calling them out for not being punctual enough and for a lack of leadership on the court, much as Schaefer has.

Notably, the concerning trend in both Schaefer’s and Caldwell’s teams is quite similar: Defeats against ranked teams. The Lady Vols have suffered blowout defeats to UConn, South Carolina, and UCLA. On the other hand, all three of the Longhorns’ defeats are against ranked teams: LSU, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt. However, Schaefer’s team has done slightly better in this regard and has also clinched ranked wins over Kentucky, Oklahoma, etc. But their approaches to their team’s downfall are what put them in the firing line.

“Damnnn that’s wild as hell for a coach to say about his team but hey he ain’t lie. Also I could’ve sworn he mentioned that LSU out toughed his team the first time they played and lost but whatever,” wrote another.

Schaefer’s knack for outbursts at his players during press conferences isn’t new. The fans saw the same following the LSU game last month, when he raised the lack of intensity issue again. And the coach’s latest press conference might be the breaking point, with fans calling him out for not setting a standard himself.

“They get that whining & complaining from Vic, he gotta nerve!! Wasn’t he just hyping up his PG as being a great player! So how great players not gonna have heart, strange!” chimed in another fan.

“When is he going to say, ‘I’ve been soft this year”? You can’t say they’re soft, but you complained by scheduling instead of just playing. Starts from the top! You set the standard, and everybody else falls in line. Once the leader loses sight of the standard, standard dies!” wrote another.

Schaefer wants results and wants his players to be tough and win with command on the court. And when things go south, he doesn’t hesitate to point the finger at his players, whether in closed-door meetings or in front of the media. But on some occasions, similar to these comments, fans feel that, as the captain of the ship, Schaefer must take responsibility for the team’s shortcomings, rather than blaming the players or the referees as he did in the Oklahoma game.

Despite the defeat, Schaefer’s team is in a comfortable spot and has a March Madness ceiling for now. The team currently ranks fourth in SEC play with a 23-3 record and an 8-3 season record. And the only ranked team’s coach that Schaefer will face this season is the one that he is being compared with, Kim Caldwell.

The game is scheduled for Sunday, with both teams looking to get their season back on track. Who are you rooting for in this top-tier SEC game? Do let us know in the comments.