Matt Coleman announces intentions to turn pro, ends illustrious collegiate career

Nathan Han

Matt Coleman has played his last minute as a Longhorn.

The senior point guard announced Thursday he would turn professional and forgo his extra year of eligibility at Texas granted to all NCAA athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“From day one, y’all embraced this boy from Norfolk, VA with open arms and helped me develop into a man, a proud graduate and an elite college player,” Coleman said in a Instagram post. “Texas will forever be my home; however, it’s time to begin the next chapter of my life as a professional.”


One of the faces of the Texas men’s basketball program since the minute he stepped on the Forty Acres, Coleman started his first game at Texas as a freshman in 2017 and finished third all-time in program history with 128 games started.

He also completed his Texas career with 477 assists, fourth all-time, and 1,448 points, 16th all-time.

Several of those 1,448 points came in memorable moments during his time as a Longhorn, including game-winning buzzer-beaters in a win over Oklahoma in 2020 and North Carolina in 2020.

Coleman helped lead Texas to its first-ever Big 12 tournament championship as a senior and was named the 2021 Big 12 Tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

With the NBA draft set for July 29, Coleman will hire an agent, a Texas press release said Thursday.