UTSA Parts Ways With Coach Austin Claunch

Assistant Nick Bowman will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season after Claunch's arrest on suspicion of DWI.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Basketball

UTSA Parts Ways With Coach Austin Claunch

UTSA and men's basketball coach Austin Claunch mutually agreed to part ways on Friday, two seasons into his tenure. Claunch was arrested on suspicion of DWI after being found unconscious behind the wheel of his vehicle in Corpus Christi.

Why it matters

The separation leaves UTSA's men's basketball program under interim leadership midway through a season that opened with a 2-1 record. The case also reflects how a coach's off-court legal situation can quickly reshape a university program.

Claunch's original contract was five years with $550,000 in annual guaranteed compensation, and his tenure lasted two seasons. Under Bowman, UTSA opened the season 2-1, while the pending DWI case remains unresolved.

The players

Austin Claunch

Austin Claunch is a college basketball coach who previously worked at Nicholls State and led the UTSA men's basketball program for two seasons.

UTSA

The University of Texas at San Antonio is a public university whose athletic department fields the Roadrunners men's basketball program.

Nick Bowman

Nick Bowman is a basketball assistant coach who previously worked with Claunch at Nicholls State and earlier served on a New Orleans staff.

The details

Officers found Claunch unconscious at 2 a.m. on Oct. 27 in a Stripes parking lot, with his Mercedes-Benz running and the driver's door open. Claunch admitted he had been drinking and drove himself to the store, performed poorly on field sobriety tests, and refused blood and breath tests before being taken to a hospital.

April 2024: Claunch was hired on a five-year contract and Bowman joined the staff.
Oct. 27: Claunch was found unconscious behind the wheel in Corpus Christi.
Nov. 2: UTSA opened the season under Bowman's interim leadership.
Friday: UTSA and Claunch announced the mutual separation.

Season Trajectory

Mid-season changes like this one typically hand an assistant the interim role while the program evaluates its direction for the following year. For UTSA, the move reshapes a season that had just begun under Bowman's leadership.

With Bowman serving as interim head coach for the rest of the season, UTSA's men's basketball schedule continues under his direction. Fans and fantasy managers should watch for any announcement on a permanent coaching hire.

The takeaway

Coaching changes in the middle of a season test a program's depth and continuity, and an assistant stepping into an interim role often carries the team through the remaining games. Readers following UTSA should watch how the program handles the search for its next permanent leader.