UTSA and Coach Austin Claunch Mutually Agree to Part Ways

“After thoughtful discussions about the future of the program, we mutually agreed that this was the right time for a transition,” said Lisa Campos, the UTSA athletic director.

UTSA and men’s basketball head coach Austin Claunch have mutually agreed to part ways effective immediately, Campos announced Friday. The decision follows a period of uncertainty for the program after Claunch was suspended roughly two weeks ago following an arrest in Corpus Christi.

The departure marks a sudden shift for the UTSA basketball program, which had been operating under a cloud of suspension since the incident involving the head coach. Assistant coach Nick Bowman, who has acted as the team’s head coach since the start of the season, will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the year, according to a statement from UTSA.

UTSA parts ways with men's basketball coach Austin Claunch after recent arrest on suspicion of DWI — KENS 5: Your San Antonio News Source

The circumstances leading to this separation involve a driving while intoxicated charge. According to a Corpus Christi police report, officers responded to a 911 call just before 2 a.m. regarding a man stumbling inside a gas station.

Police stated they found Claunch passed out in the driver’s seat of his parked Mercedes. Following the encounter, he was booked into the Nueces County Jail and later released on bond, KSAT reported.

The university took immediate action following the arrest, suspending Claunch from his coaching duties. This suspension preceded the final decision to end his tenure with the university.

While the leadership change is abrupt, the university’s athletic department is moving to stabilize the roster under Bowman’s direction. The transition comes after two years of Claunch leading the program.

Claunch addressed the departure in his own statement, expressing his continued support for the student-athletes involved. “I’ll always be rooting for UTSA and the young men in this program,” he said.

The athletic director’s office maintained a professional tone regarding the exit, noting the university’s gratitude for his previous work. “We thank Coach Claunch for his efforts over the last two years and wish him nothing but the best in the future,” Campos said in the statement.

The immediate focus for the UTSA men’s basketball team now shifts to the remainder of the season under Bowman’s interim leadership as the program seeks to move past this period of instability.