Hours before he led UTSA onto the Convocation Center floor to face a team none of the 100 fans in attendance likely had ever heard of, Roadrunners coach Steve Henson reached into his closet and pulled out his most expensive shirt.
During a season in which coaches across the country have ditched suits in favor of more casual attire, Henson has worn a jacket and pants for all 23 UTSA games.
His staff wanted to follow the national trend, but Henson required his assistants to abide by his strict dress code for most of the year. After a couple days of deliberation, he finally relented Thursday.
As UTSA cruised to a 123-43 win against Southwestern Adventist — a matchup announced less than 48 hours in advance meant only to provide a tuneup ahead of next week’s Conference USA tournament — the Roadrunners assistants wore khakis and quarter-zip pullovers.
Henson, meanwhile, donned a gray jacket, matching pants and a light blue dress shirt with a white checkered pattern.
“I went without the tie tonight, so I put on the most expensive shirt I own to offset that,” Henson said. “But I don’t like it.”
With many conferences voting before the year to relax their usual protocols, most college coaches have settled into a routine of windbreakers or polos mixed with khakis, warmup pants or even shorts on rare occasions.
The shift is in some ways practical, limiting trips to the…
