AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- University of Texas regents on Monday authorized hiring a new women's basketball coach and the school moved quickly to end a short search that zeroed in on North Texas coach Karen Aston to lead the Longhorns.
Texas officials have scheduled a Tuesday morning news conference to announce their new coach but declined further comment.
The regents granted President William Powers or women's athletic director Chris Plonsky the power to execute a contract. The Associated Press first reported last week that Aston spent two days on campus last week interviewing with Powers and school officials. She was the only known candidate to visit Austin.
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey told the Austin American-Statesman at the women's Final Four in Denver that Aston had informed her by text she would be taking the Texas job.
Aston, 47, was a former Texas assistant under Hall of Fame coach Jody Conradt and was the recruiting coordinator that helped put together Texas' 2003 Final Four team. She also spent one season as an assistant under Mulkey at Baylor before starting her head coaching career with a four-year stint at Charlotte in 2007. Aston was 15-16 in her only season at North Texas.
Former Texas coach Gail Goestenkors resigned March 20 after five seasons, the last four of which ended with first-round losses in the NCAA tournament.
Goestenkors resigned with two years left on a contract that paid her $1.25 million per year. She would have received an automatic one-year extension if she had stayed until April 1.
