Texas Longhorns women's basketball
Encyclopedia
The Texas Longhorns women's basketball
team represents The University of Texas at Austin and competes in the Big 12 Conference
.
The team has long been a national power in women's basketball. Under head coach Jody Conradt
, the second NCAA
Division I basketball coach to win 900 career games (after Tennessee's
Pat Summitt
), the Longhorns won the 1986 national championship. Conradt retired after the 2006–07 season, and was replaced by Duke
head coach Gail Goestenkors
.
Since 1977, Texas women's basketball has played its home games in the Frank Erwin Special Events Center
, where the team has compiled a 399–76 (.840) record as of March 5, 2008.
held its first basketball competition in 1900, six years before Magnus Mainland started the men's team at Texas. The games in the first few years were intramural. By 1906, the school was playing other institutions, although only home games, not off-campus. Full varsity intercollegiate competition in women's basketball
began in 1974. The Longhorns rank fifth in both total victories and all-time win percentage among all NCAA Division I women's college basketball
programs, with an all-time win-loss record of 843–275 (.754).
The Longhorns have won 22 total conference championships (12 regular-season conference titles and 10 conference tournament titles) in women's basketball and have made 22 total appearances in the NCAA Tournament
(32–21 overall record), reaching the NCAA Final Four
three times (1986, 1987, 2003) and the NCAA Regional Finals
(Elite Eight
) eight times. Texas won the 1986 NCAA Championship
to finish the 1985–86 season with a win-loss record of 34–0. As of April 2007, Texas ranks eleventh with Virginia
for all-time NCAA Tournament victories (32), trailing Tennessee
(104), Connecticut
(65), Louisiana Tech
(65), Stanford
(52), Georgia
(48), Duke
(39), North Carolina
(38), Purdue
(38), Old Dominion
(34), and Vanderbilt
(34).
, under the direction of Senda Berenson Abbott
. Shortly thereafter, Clara Baer
brought the game to Louisiana. The details of how the game came to Texas is not known for certain, but in 1900, Eleanore Norvell organized the first basketball game at the University of Texas. Norvell was originally from Oklahoma, and came to Texas to direct the physical education department. She has been at Texas for less than a year when she introduced basketball to students at the school. The first recorded game occurred on Saturday January 13, 1900. The teams played four ten minute quarters—the final score of that first game was 3–2.
Although the men's game and women's game both had their roots in the Naismith rules
, the first set of rules left a lot to be specified, and the rules for the women's game developed differently than for the men. Both Senda Berensen and Clara Baer used Naismith's rules as an inspiration, but developed their own set of rules, including marked areas on the court limiting the movement of players to their respective sections. Some of these rules were motivated by the prevailing assumptions of "female frailty and dependence".
Texas would play limited intercollegiate basketball between 1903 and 1921. Eunice Aden was caption of the basketball team in 1903, took over coaching duties in 1905 and became director of physical education in 1911. Opportunities in basketball grew, but only in a limited way. Intercollegiate play existed, but the school did not allow off-campus games. When Aden retired in 1921, she was replaced by Anna Hiss, who would run the physical education department until 1957. While she was called a visionary for her role in directing physical education and intramurals, she was "dead-set against intercollegiate athletics for women". The limited intercollegiate play under Aden came to an end, with basketball now limited to intramurals and interclass play.
The ascension of Hiss to the head of the department roughly coincided with the influence of Lou Henry Hoover
, First Lady of the United States. In 1923, Hoover was head of the Girl Scouts of America. Although Hoover was an advocate of sports, she felt that highly competitive sports were detrimental. Hooever helped to found the Women's Division of the National Amateur Athletic Foundation (WDNAAF). This foundation passed a resolution in 1925 banning extramural competition. The following year, Hiss formed an organization which voted "condemn intercollegiate competition for women, and to endorse the intramural/interclass model".
Hiss supported many activities, including tennis, golf , archery, swimming and interpretive dance, but was opposed to team sports. In general, "artistry was favored over athleticism". She led an unsuccessful protest against American woman participation in the Olympics of 1928, 1932, and 1936. She was the driving force behind the construction of a Women's Gymnasium (named in her honor after her death). While it was a substantial resource for women's athletics, it was deigned to fit her beliefs—the courts were too small for a proper basketball game, and had no room for spectators and the swimming pool was deliberately shorter than Olympic length.
While basketball was not officially supported as a school-sponsored sport in the 1920s and 30s, it was still played by many groups. The interclass games were de-emphasized, but fraternities and sororities played the game, as well as organizations such as the YWCA, industrial leagues and AAU teams.
The first year's budget was $100. A team was formed, and the team played under the girl's rules of the era—six players on a team, two of whom stayed at the defensive end, two of whom stayed in the offensive end and two, called "rovers" who could play both ends. These rules were used until 1971, at which time they switched to "boy's rules".
In 1973, the team practiced and played in the annex of Gregory Gymnasium
. Rod Page, who had some experience as a women's basketball assistant coach, was a referee at one of the games. When the current coach of the team quit, Page was hired. The Texas team, in Pages' first year, compiled a record of 7–11.
The 1974 season was a season of transition, with a mixture of firsts and lasts. This year's team was the first to play their games in Gregory Gymnasium itself, rather than the annex. This was the first year the team had trainers, and it was the first year that the Longhorn Band and cheerleaders performed for the team. It was their last year under the auspices of the UTSA. It was the last year before the sport attained the status of a full varsity sport.
Title IX
was passed in 1972, with a provision prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. At the time it was passed, it was unknown what impact it would have on sports, including whether it even applied to intercollegiate sports. Two years, later, in 1974, the issue wasn't yet settled, with the Tower Amendment specifically excluding revenue-producing sports, but shortly thereafter, the Tower Amendment was eliminated. It was becoming clear that universities would have to respond sooner or later, but Texas responded in 1974. Shortly after the conclusion of the 1974 basketball season, Stephen Spurr, the University president, announced that a women's athletic department would be started, complete with offices, staff and a budget of $50,000.
Under Pages' leadership, the team improved upon their prior year results, with a record of 17–10. The team started out strong, winning their first five games, including an overtime win against Houston 63–62, before running into Baylor, who won easily 116–62. Some of the games were played as preliminaries to the men's games, but others were stand-alone games.
They would also lose their next game to Southwest Texas
, on a night when fundraiser was held, with an exhibition match between UT All-Stars and the All American Red Heads Team
, a barnstorming team of female basketball players. The team earned an invitation to the Texas AIAW post season tournament, as a second seed behind Southwest Texas. The tournament schedule required five games in three days. The Texas team did well, except against Southwest Texas, ending up with 17 victories against 10 losses, five of which were to Southwest Texas.
The following season, Texas team would achieve even more. The basketball team added Retha Swindell, a 6' 2" rebounder with defensive skills. The school also hired Donna Lopiano
, who started what would become a 17-year stint as women's athletic director. She "vowed to have every Longhorn women's team in the top 10 and at least one national title within five years". While the school was expressing a commitment to women's varsity sports, not everyone was supportive. The football coach, Darrell Royal
, had told President Ford that "Title IX might be the death of big-time college football.". Despite that concern, she managed to convince him to support her during her interview.
The team's first game was against Southwest Texas, the team that had defeated Texas five times in the previous season. This time, Texas would prevail 57–47 in a game held at their arena. The team lost three in a row as a result of sickness and injury, then responded with a twelve game winning streak. The team would go on to a 21–7 season record.
Under Rod Page, the team had improved materially, so it was a surprise that when the Longhorns completed their regular season, and prepared for the post-season tournament, athletic director Lopiano announced he would not be continuing as coach of the team. The news came as a shock to Page and the team. The reason given was that the position was a head coach of basketball and volleyball—Page did not have volleyball experience. However, Lopiano had her eye on another coach, one she felt could lead the team to become a national contender.
Lopiano's choice was Jody Conradt
, who was garnering national attention as the head coach at the University of Texas at Arlington
. She turned a losing program around, and the 1975–76 team would compile a 23–11 record, despite materially strengthening their schedule of opponents at the same time. Two days after announcing that Page would not be returning, Lopiano announced that Conradt would be the coach starting with the next season. Conradt wasn't surprised that the team felt loyalty to Page, but she asked them to "have an open mind".
The first season under Conradt had a schedule of 46 games. The schedule included games in northeast USA, the first out-of-state trip for the team, and the first airplane ride for many of the players. To save money, the team stayed at the home of Lopiano's parents in Stamford Connecticut. Texas lost badly to Queens College, then ranked #15 in the nation, but went on to the Penn State Invitational where they beat Penn State and Southern Connecticut, at that time a national power. Mel Greenberg
, the organizer of the first top 25 women's poll, was in attendance. By the time the team returned to Austin, they learned of their first national ranking at #14. The team would complete their first season under Conradt with a record of 36–10.
Conradt coached both basketball and volleyball, but would give up volleyball duties after two seasons. The team would go on to become the dominant women's basketball team on the 1980s, ranked in the AP top ten all but one year between 1979 and 1990.
Texas would end the 1984 and 1985 seasons with the number one ranking according to the AP ranking service, but failed to win the national championship both years. In 1984, they suffered injuries, in 1985, they went 28–3, but were upset in the NCAA tournament by Western Kentucky. 1986 would end differently. Again they achieved the AP #1 ranking, but they also went on to win every single game, achieving a record of 34–0, and posting the first undefeated season in women's basketball during the NCAA era (since 1982) and the fourth undefeated season in women's college basketball overall.
|-
| width="70px" align="center"|Overall || width="40px" align="center"|Conference
|-
| style="background: #dddddd;" colspan="7" align="center"|Rod Page (1974–76)
|-
| 1974–75|| Rod Page|| 17–10||—||—||—||—
|-
| 1975–76|| Rod Page|| 21–7||—||—||—||—
|-
| colspan="2"|Rod Page:||38–17 (.691)||—
| colspan="3" |
|-
| style="background: #dddddd;" colspan="7" align="center"|Jody Conradt (1976–2007)
|-
| 1976–77|| Jody Conradt
|| 36–10||—||—||—||—
|-
| 1977–78|| Jody Conradt
|| 29–10||—||—||15 / —||?
|-
| 1978–79|| Jody Conradt
|| 37–4||—||—||4 / —||—
|-
| 1979–80|| Jody Conradt
|| 33–4||—||—||7 / —||AIAW Final Sixteen
|-
|| 1980–81|| Jody Conradt
|| 28–8||—||—||16 / —||AIAW First Round
|-
| 1981–82|| Jody Conradt
|| 35–4||—||—||5 / —||AIAW Runner-Up
|-style="background: #ffffdd;"
| colspan="7" align="center"|Southwest Conference
|-
| 1982–83|| Jody Conradt
|| 30–3||8–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||3 / —||NCAA Elite Eight
|-
| 1983–84|| Jody Conradt
|| 32–3||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||1 / —||NCAA Elite Eight
|-
| 1984–85|| Jody Conradt
|| 28–3||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||1 / —||NCAA Sweet Sixteen
|-
| 1985–86|| Jody Conradt
|| 34–0||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||1 / 1||NCAA Champion
|-
| 1986–87|| Jody Conradt
|| 31–2||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||1 / 3||NCAA Final Four
|-
| 1987–88|| Jody Conradt
|| 32–3||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||4 / 5||NCAA Elite Eight
|-
| 1988–89|| Jody Conradt
|| 27–5||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||6 / 6||NCAA Elite Eight
|-
| 1989–90|| Jody Conradt
|| 27–5||15–2 (t-1st)||SWC Co-Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||8 / 6||NCAA Elite Eight
|-
| 1990–91|| Jody Conradt
|| 21–9||14–2 (2nd)||—||16 / 25||NCAA First Round
|-
| 1991–92|| Jody Conradt
|| 21–10||11–3 (2nd)||—||19 / 23||NCAA Second Round
|-
| 1992–93|| Jody Conradt
|| 22–8||13–1 (t-1st)||SWC Co-Champions||16 / 19||NCAA Second Round
|-
| 1993–94|| Jody Conradt
|| 22–9||13–4 (3rd)||SWC Tournament Champions||25 / 23||NCAA Second Round
|-
| 1994–95|| Jody Conradt
|| 12–16||7–7 (t-4th)||—||—||—
|-
| 1995–96|| Jody Conradt
|| 21–9||13–1 (t-1st)||SWC Co-Champions||— / 25||NCAA Second Round
|-style="background: #ffffdd;"
| colspan="7" align="center"|Big 12 Conference
|-
| 1996–97|| Jody Conradt
|| 22–8||12–4 (t-2nd)||—||14 / 18||NCAA Second Round
|-
| 1997–98|| Jody Conradt
|| 12–15||7–9 (7th)||—||—||—
|-
| 1998–99|| Jody Conradt
|| 16–12||10–6 (4th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
|-
| 1999–2000|| Jody Conradt
|| 21–13||9–7 (6th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
|-
| 2000–01|| Jody Conradt
|| 20–13||7–9 (7th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
|-
| 2001–02|| Jody Conradt
|| 22–10||10–6 (5th)||—||14 / 13||NCAA Sweet Sixteen
|-
| 2002–03|| Jody Conradt
|| 29–6||15–1 (1st)||Big 12 Champions/
Big 12 Tournament Champions||5 / 3||NCAA Final Four
|-
| 2003–04|| Jody Conradt
|| 30–5||14–2 (t-1st)||Big 12 Co-Champions||4 / 10||NCAA Sweet Sixteen
|-
| 2004–05|| Jody Conradt
|| 22–9||13–3 (2nd)||—||11 / 17||NCAA Second Round
|-
| 2005–06|| Jody Conradt
|| 13–15||7–9 (t-8th)||—||—||—
|-
| 2006–07|| Jody Conradt
|| 18–14||6–10 (t–7th)||—||—||—
|-
| colspan="2"|Jody Conradt:||783–245 (.762)||SWC:
174–20
(.897)
Big 12:
110–66
(.625)
| colspan="3" |
|-
| style="background: #dddddd;" colspan="7" align="center"|Gail Goestenkors (2007–present)
|-
| 2007–08|| Gail Goestenkors
||22–13||7–9 (t–7th)||—||—||NCAA Second Round
|-
| 2008–09|| Gail Goestenkors
||21–12||8–8 (6th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
|-
| 2009–10|| Gail Goestenkors
||22–11||10–6 (t-4th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
|-
| 2010–11|| Gail Goestenkors
||19-14||7-9 (7th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
|-
| colspan="2"|Gail Goestenkors:||84–50 (.627)||32–32 (.500)
| colspan="3" |
|-style="background: #ffffdd;"
| Overall
Record|| || 886–298
(.748)||*SWC:
174–20
(.897)
*Big 12:
135–89
(.603) ||22 Total Conference
Championships|| ||*23 NCAA Tournament
appearances (32–23 overall)
*1 NCAA Championship
*3 Final Four appearances
*8 Elite Eight appearances
*12 Sweet Sixteen appearances
|}
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team represents The University of Texas at Austin and competes in the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
.
The team has long been a national power in women's basketball. Under head coach Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
, the second NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I basketball coach to win 900 career games (after Tennessee's
Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball
The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition...
Pat Summitt
Pat Summitt
Patricia "Pat" Head Summitt is an American women's college basketball coach. She is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division...
), the Longhorns won the 1986 national championship. Conradt retired after the 2006–07 season, and was replaced by Duke
Duke Blue Devils
Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
head coach Gail Goestenkors
Gail Goestenkors
Gail Ann Goestenkors , is the women's basketball head coach for The University of Texas, having accepted the position on April 3, 2007, replacing the legendary Jody Conradt. Goestenkors was the Duke University women's basketball head coach from 1992–2007...
.
Since 1977, Texas women's basketball has played its home games in the Frank Erwin Special Events Center
Frank Erwin Center
Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Special Events Center, commonly known as Frank Erwin Center or UT Erwin Center, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin...
, where the team has compiled a 399–76 (.840) record as of March 5, 2008.
History
The University of TexasUniversity of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
held its first basketball competition in 1900, six years before Magnus Mainland started the men's team at Texas. The games in the first few years were intramural. By 1906, the school was playing other institutions, although only home games, not off-campus. Full varsity intercollegiate competition in women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
began in 1974. The Longhorns rank fifth in both total victories and all-time win percentage among all NCAA Division I women's college basketball
Women's basketball
Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast , in large part via women's colleges...
programs, with an all-time win-loss record of 843–275 (.754).
The Longhorns have won 22 total conference championships (12 regular-season conference titles and 10 conference tournament titles) in women's basketball and have made 22 total appearances in the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
(32–21 overall record), reaching the NCAA Final Four
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
three times (1986, 1987, 2003) and the NCAA Regional Finals
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
(Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
) eight times. Texas won the 1986 NCAA Championship
1986 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1986 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 12 and ended on March 30. The tournament expanded to 40 teams from 32. The Final Four consisted of Texas, Tennessee, Western Kentucky, and USC, with Texas defeating Southern California, 97-81 in the championship game. Texas's...
to finish the 1985–86 season with a win-loss record of 34–0. As of April 2007, Texas ranks eleventh with Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers
The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams officially representing the University of Virginia in college sports. The Cavaliers compete in 25 NCAA Division I varsity sports and are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
for all-time NCAA Tournament victories (32), trailing Tennessee
Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball
The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition...
(104), Connecticut
Connecticut Huskies women's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represents the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut in NCAA women's basketball competition. Under head coach Geno Auriemma, the Huskies have won 7 NCAA Division I national championships, advanced to 12 Final Fours, and won over 30 Big...
(65), Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball
The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team represents Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The current head coach of the Lady Techsters is Teresa Weatherspoon...
(65), Stanford
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
(52), Georgia
Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball
The Georgia Lady Bulldogs basketball team represents the University of Georgia in basketball. The Lady Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference . The "Lady Dawgs," as they are sometimes called, play in Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia...
(48), Duke
Duke Blue Devils
Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
(39), North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball team represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I women's basketball.- Home Arenas :...
(38), Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers Women's Basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers women's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Big Ten Conference. Purdue is rich in tradition and history, holding the record for Big Ten Championships, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning...
(38), Old Dominion
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
(34), and Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball
The Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team represents Vanderbilt University in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference . The Commodores have won four SEC tournament titles . Melanie Balcomb is the current head coach of the Commodores.-Memorial Gymnasium:The Commodores play their...
(34).
Early Years (1900–1966)
The very first women's basketball games occurred in 1892, at Smith CollegeSmith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
, under the direction of Senda Berenson Abbott
Senda Berenson Abbott
Senda Berenson Abbott was a pioneer of women's basketball, authoring the first Basketball Guide for Women...
. Shortly thereafter, Clara Baer
Clara Gregory Baer
Clara Gregory Baer was an American physical education instructor and women's sports pioneer. Baer introduced the first teacher certification course for physical education in the Southern United States, and authored the first published rules of women's basketball...
brought the game to Louisiana. The details of how the game came to Texas is not known for certain, but in 1900, Eleanore Norvell organized the first basketball game at the University of Texas. Norvell was originally from Oklahoma, and came to Texas to direct the physical education department. She has been at Texas for less than a year when she introduced basketball to students at the school. The first recorded game occurred on Saturday January 13, 1900. The teams played four ten minute quarters—the final score of that first game was 3–2.
Although the men's game and women's game both had their roots in the Naismith rules
Rules of basketball
The rules of basketball are the rules and regulations that govern the play, officiating, equipment and procedures of basketball. While many of the basic rules are uniform throughout the world, variations do exist. Most leagues or governing bodies in North America, the most important of which are...
, the first set of rules left a lot to be specified, and the rules for the women's game developed differently than for the men. Both Senda Berensen and Clara Baer used Naismith's rules as an inspiration, but developed their own set of rules, including marked areas on the court limiting the movement of players to their respective sections. Some of these rules were motivated by the prevailing assumptions of "female frailty and dependence".
Texas would play limited intercollegiate basketball between 1903 and 1921. Eunice Aden was caption of the basketball team in 1903, took over coaching duties in 1905 and became director of physical education in 1911. Opportunities in basketball grew, but only in a limited way. Intercollegiate play existed, but the school did not allow off-campus games. When Aden retired in 1921, she was replaced by Anna Hiss, who would run the physical education department until 1957. While she was called a visionary for her role in directing physical education and intramurals, she was "dead-set against intercollegiate athletics for women". The limited intercollegiate play under Aden came to an end, with basketball now limited to intramurals and interclass play.
The ascension of Hiss to the head of the department roughly coincided with the influence of Lou Henry Hoover
Lou Henry Hoover
Lou Henry Hoover was the wife of President of the United States Herbert Hoover and First Lady of the United States, 1929-1933. Mrs. Hoover was president of the Girl Scouts of the USA for two terms, 1922-1925 and 1935-1937....
, First Lady of the United States. In 1923, Hoover was head of the Girl Scouts of America. Although Hoover was an advocate of sports, she felt that highly competitive sports were detrimental. Hooever helped to found the Women's Division of the National Amateur Athletic Foundation (WDNAAF). This foundation passed a resolution in 1925 banning extramural competition. The following year, Hiss formed an organization which voted "condemn intercollegiate competition for women, and to endorse the intramural/interclass model".
Hiss supported many activities, including tennis, golf , archery, swimming and interpretive dance, but was opposed to team sports. In general, "artistry was favored over athleticism". She led an unsuccessful protest against American woman participation in the Olympics of 1928, 1932, and 1936. She was the driving force behind the construction of a Women's Gymnasium (named in her honor after her death). While it was a substantial resource for women's athletics, it was deigned to fit her beliefs—the courts were too small for a proper basketball game, and had no room for spectators and the swimming pool was deliberately shorter than Olympic length.
While basketball was not officially supported as a school-sponsored sport in the 1920s and 30s, it was still played by many groups. The interclass games were de-emphasized, but fraternities and sororities played the game, as well as organizations such as the YWCA, industrial leagues and AAU teams.
Intermediate years (1967–1974)
After Hiss's departure, basketball at Texas began to grow, although it would be almost a decade until it became a full varsity sport. The University of Texas Sports Association (UTSA) a predecessor to the athletic department, organized the sports available for women. Basketball was not one of the club sports offered until a student, Mary Neikirk, organized a petition which was presented to the administration. The school agreed to add basketball as a club sport under the auspices of the UTSA.The first year's budget was $100. A team was formed, and the team played under the girl's rules of the era—six players on a team, two of whom stayed at the defensive end, two of whom stayed in the offensive end and two, called "rovers" who could play both ends. These rules were used until 1971, at which time they switched to "boy's rules".
In 1973, the team practiced and played in the annex of Gregory Gymnasium
Gregory Gymnasium
Gregory Gymnasium is the 4,400-seat current home of the University of Texas Longhorn Women's Volleyball team, and former home of the Longhorn Basketball and Swimming teams. The basketball teams moved out in 1977 to the Erwin Center....
. Rod Page, who had some experience as a women's basketball assistant coach, was a referee at one of the games. When the current coach of the team quit, Page was hired. The Texas team, in Pages' first year, compiled a record of 7–11.
The 1974 season was a season of transition, with a mixture of firsts and lasts. This year's team was the first to play their games in Gregory Gymnasium itself, rather than the annex. This was the first year the team had trainers, and it was the first year that the Longhorn Band and cheerleaders performed for the team. It was their last year under the auspices of the UTSA. It was the last year before the sport attained the status of a full varsity sport.
Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
was passed in 1972, with a provision prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. At the time it was passed, it was unknown what impact it would have on sports, including whether it even applied to intercollegiate sports. Two years, later, in 1974, the issue wasn't yet settled, with the Tower Amendment specifically excluding revenue-producing sports, but shortly thereafter, the Tower Amendment was eliminated. It was becoming clear that universities would have to respond sooner or later, but Texas responded in 1974. Shortly after the conclusion of the 1974 basketball season, Stephen Spurr, the University president, announced that a women's athletic department would be started, complete with offices, staff and a budget of $50,000.
Rod Page years (1974–1976)
Some schools waited for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to provide specific regulations covering Title IX. These regulations would not be published until 1975. In 1974, Texas began offering varsity sports opportunities to female students in seven sports. In some ways, the University of Texas program became the envy of women at other schools, but the initial progress was relative. Two-thirds of the male athletes at Texas were on scholarship, while only one in fifteen female students were on scholarship. There were 21 male coach positions, almost all full time, but seven women's coaches who were all part-time.Under Pages' leadership, the team improved upon their prior year results, with a record of 17–10. The team started out strong, winning their first five games, including an overtime win against Houston 63–62, before running into Baylor, who won easily 116–62. Some of the games were played as preliminaries to the men's games, but others were stand-alone games.
They would also lose their next game to Southwest Texas
Texas State Bobcats
The Texas State Bobcats are the sports teams that represent Texas State University-San Marcos. Currently, they compete in the Southland Conference in NCAA Division I...
, on a night when fundraiser was held, with an exhibition match between UT All-Stars and the All American Red Heads Team
All American Red Heads Team
The All American Red Heads was one of the first professional women's basketball teams. In 1936, almost 50 years after women's basketball began, C. M. "Ole" Olson started a barnstorming team which would play around the country until 1986. The name of the team came from Olson's wife, who owned a...
, a barnstorming team of female basketball players. The team earned an invitation to the Texas AIAW post season tournament, as a second seed behind Southwest Texas. The tournament schedule required five games in three days. The Texas team did well, except against Southwest Texas, ending up with 17 victories against 10 losses, five of which were to Southwest Texas.
The following season, Texas team would achieve even more. The basketball team added Retha Swindell, a 6' 2" rebounder with defensive skills. The school also hired Donna Lopiano
Donna Lopiano
Dr. Donna Lopiano is the President and founder of Sports Management Resources, a consulting firm that focuses on bringing the knowledge of experienced, expert former athletics directors to assist scholastic and collegiate athletics departments in solving growth and development challenges.Lopiano...
, who started what would become a 17-year stint as women's athletic director. She "vowed to have every Longhorn women's team in the top 10 and at least one national title within five years". While the school was expressing a commitment to women's varsity sports, not everyone was supportive. The football coach, Darrell Royal
Darrell Royal
Darrell K Royal is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University , the University of Washington , and the University of Texas at Austin , compiling a career college football record of 184–60–5...
, had told President Ford that "Title IX might be the death of big-time college football.". Despite that concern, she managed to convince him to support her during her interview.
The team's first game was against Southwest Texas, the team that had defeated Texas five times in the previous season. This time, Texas would prevail 57–47 in a game held at their arena. The team lost three in a row as a result of sickness and injury, then responded with a twelve game winning streak. The team would go on to a 21–7 season record.
Under Rod Page, the team had improved materially, so it was a surprise that when the Longhorns completed their regular season, and prepared for the post-season tournament, athletic director Lopiano announced he would not be continuing as coach of the team. The news came as a shock to Page and the team. The reason given was that the position was a head coach of basketball and volleyball—Page did not have volleyball experience. However, Lopiano had her eye on another coach, one she felt could lead the team to become a national contender.
Jody Conradt era (1976–2007)
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
, who was garnering national attention as the head coach at the University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
. She turned a losing program around, and the 1975–76 team would compile a 23–11 record, despite materially strengthening their schedule of opponents at the same time. Two days after announcing that Page would not be returning, Lopiano announced that Conradt would be the coach starting with the next season. Conradt wasn't surprised that the team felt loyalty to Page, but she asked them to "have an open mind".
The first season under Conradt had a schedule of 46 games. The schedule included games in northeast USA, the first out-of-state trip for the team, and the first airplane ride for many of the players. To save money, the team stayed at the home of Lopiano's parents in Stamford Connecticut. Texas lost badly to Queens College, then ranked #15 in the nation, but went on to the Penn State Invitational where they beat Penn State and Southern Connecticut, at that time a national power. Mel Greenberg
Mel Greenberg
Mel Greenberg is a respected American sports journalist focusing on women's basketball.Since 1970, Greenberg has written for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he predominantly covers college and professional women's basketball. He has helped pioneer national coverage of the sport, most notably as a...
, the organizer of the first top 25 women's poll, was in attendance. By the time the team returned to Austin, they learned of their first national ranking at #14. The team would complete their first season under Conradt with a record of 36–10.
Conradt coached both basketball and volleyball, but would give up volleyball duties after two seasons. The team would go on to become the dominant women's basketball team on the 1980s, ranked in the AP top ten all but one year between 1979 and 1990.
Texas would end the 1984 and 1985 seasons with the number one ranking according to the AP ranking service, but failed to win the national championship both years. In 1984, they suffered injuries, in 1985, they went 28–3, but were upset in the NCAA tournament by Western Kentucky. 1986 would end differently. Again they achieved the AP #1 ranking, but they also went on to win every single game, achieving a record of 34–0, and posting the first undefeated season in women's basketball during the NCAA era (since 1982) and the fourth undefeated season in women's college basketball overall.
Gregory Gymnasium
Frank Erwin Center
All-time season results (since 1974)
Rankings !! rowspan="2"|Postseason|-
| width="70px" align="center"|Overall || width="40px" align="center"|Conference
|-
| style="background: #dddddd;" colspan="7" align="center"|Rod Page (1974–76)
|-
| 1974–75|| Rod Page|| 17–10||—||—||—||—
|-
| 1975–76|| Rod Page|| 21–7||—||—||—||—
|-
| colspan="2"|Rod Page:||38–17 (.691)||—
| colspan="3" |
|-
| style="background: #dddddd;" colspan="7" align="center"|Jody Conradt (1976–2007)
|-
| 1976–77|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 36–10||—||—||—||—
|-
| 1977–78|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 29–10||—||—||15 / —||?
|-
| 1978–79|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 37–4||—||—||4 / —||—
|-
| 1979–80|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 33–4||—||—||7 / —||AIAW Final Sixteen
|-
|| 1980–81|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 28–8||—||—||16 / —||AIAW First Round
|-
| 1981–82|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 35–4||—||—||5 / —||AIAW Runner-Up
|-style="background: #ffffdd;"
| colspan="7" align="center"|Southwest Conference
|-
| 1982–83|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 30–3||8–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||3 / —||NCAA Elite Eight
1983 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1983 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 18 and concluded on April 3 with USC winning the title. The tournament consisted of 36 teams. The Final Four was held in Norfolk, Virginia and consisted of USC, Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion, and Georgia...
|-
| 1983–84|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 32–3||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||1 / —||NCAA Elite Eight
1984 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Midwest Regional - Louisiana Tech - Ruston, LA :-East Regional - Old Dominion - Norfolk, VA :-West Regional - Stanford University - Palo Alto, CA :-Final Four - Los Angeles, CA :...
|-
| 1984–85|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 28–3||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||1 / —||NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1985 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Midwest Regional - Louisiana Tech - Ruston, LA:-Mideast Regional - Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY :...
|-
| 1985–86|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 34–0||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||1 / 1||NCAA Champion
1986 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1986 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 12 and ended on March 30. The tournament expanded to 40 teams from 32. The Final Four consisted of Texas, Tennessee, Western Kentucky, and USC, with Texas defeating Southern California, 97-81 in the championship game. Texas's...
|-
| 1986–87|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 31–2||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||1 / 3||NCAA Final Four
1987 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1987 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 11 and ended on March 29. The tournament featured 40 teams. The Final Four consisted of Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, and Long Beach State, with Tennessee winning its first title with a 67-44 victory over Louisiana Tech...
|-
| 1987–88|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 32–3||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||4 / 5||NCAA Elite Eight
1988 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Mideast Regional - Athens, GA :-East Regional - Norfolk, VA :-Midwest Regional - Austin, TX :-Final Four - Tacoma, WA :-References:...
|-
| 1988–89|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 27–5||16–0 (1st)||SWC Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||6 / 6||NCAA Elite Eight
1989 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1989 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 15 and ended on April 2. The tournament featured 48 teams. The Final Four consisted of Auburn, Louisiana Tech, Tennessee, and Maryland, with Tennessee winning its second title with a 76-60 victory over Auburn...
|-
| 1989–90|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 27–5||15–2 (t-1st)||SWC Co-Champions /
SWC Tournament Champions||8 / 6||NCAA Elite Eight
1990 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1990 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 11 and ended on April 1. The tournament featured 48 teams. The Final Four consisted of Virginia, Stanford, Auburn, and Louisiana Tech, with Stanford defeating Auburn 76-60 to win its first NCAA title. Stanford's Jennifer Azzi...
|-
| 1990–91|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 21–9||14–2 (2nd)||—||16 / 25||NCAA First Round
1991 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-West Regional - Las Vegas, NV:-East Regional - Philadelphia, PA:-Midwest Regional - Austin, TX:-Final Four - New Orleans, LA :-References:...
|-
| 1991–92|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 21–10||11–3 (2nd)||—||19 / 23||NCAA Second Round
1992 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-West Regional - Seattle, WA:-Midwest Regional - Boulder, CO:-Mideast Regional - West Lafayette, IN:-Final Four - Los Angeles, CA:-References:...
|-
| 1992–93|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 22–8||13–1 (t-1st)||SWC Co-Champions||16 / 19||NCAA Second Round
1993 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Mideast Regional - Iowa City, IA:-Midwest Regional - Nacogdoches, TX:-West Regional - Missoula, MT:-Final Four - Atlanta, GA:...
|-
| 1993–94|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 22–9||13–4 (3rd)||SWC Tournament Champions||25 / 23||NCAA Second Round
1994 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1994 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament featured 64 teams for the first time ever. The Final Four consisted of North Carolina, Purdue, Louisiana Tech, and Alabama, with North Carolina defeating Louisiana Tech 60-59 to win its first NCAA title on a 3 point shot by Charlotte Smith as...
|-
| 1994–95|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 12–16||7–7 (t-4th)||—||—||—
|-
| 1995–96|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 21–9||13–1 (t-1st)||SWC Co-Champions||— / 25||NCAA Second Round
1996 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1996 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament took place from March 15 – March 31, 1996. The Final Four consisted of Connecticut, Georgia, Stanford, and Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Georgia 83–65 in the championship game.-Regional cities:...
|-style="background: #ffffdd;"
| colspan="7" align="center"|Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
|-
| 1996–97|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 22–8||12–4 (t-2nd)||—||14 / 18||NCAA Second Round
1997 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Midwest Region:-West Region:-Final Four:E-East; ME-Mideast; MW-Midwest; W-West.- Notes :...
|-
| 1997–98|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 12–15||7–9 (7th)||—||—||—
|-
| 1998–99|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 16–12||10–6 (4th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
1999 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1999 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 12, 1999 and concluded on March 28, 1999 when Purdue won its first national championship in any women's sport. The Final Four was held at the San Jose Arena in San Jose, California on March 26 - March 28, 1999. Purdue defeated...
|-
| 1999–2000|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 21–13||9–7 (6th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
2000 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Midwest Regional - Portland, OR:-Mideast Regional - Memphis, TN:-West Regional - Kansas City, MO:-Final Four - Philadelphia, PA :-See also:* 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament* 2000 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament- Notes :...
|-
| 2000–01|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 20–13||7–9 (7th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
2001 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-West Regional - Spokane, WA:-Midwest Regional - Denver, CO:-East Regional - Pittsburgh, PA:-Final Four - St. Louis, MO :-See also:* 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament* 2001 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
|-
| 2001–02|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 22–10||10–6 (5th)||—||14 / 13||NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2002 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament concluded on March 31, 2002 when Connecticut won the national title. The Final Four was held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on March 29 - March 31, 2002...
|-
| 2002–03|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 29–6||15–1 (1st)||Big 12 Champions/
Big 12 Tournament Champions||5 / 3||NCAA Final Four
2003 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2003 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 22, 2003 and concluded on April 8, 2003 when the Connecticut Huskies won their second straight national title. The Final Four was held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on April 6 - April 8, 2003...
|-
| 2003–04|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 30–5||14–2 (t-1st)||Big 12 Co-Champions||4 / 10||NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2004 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 20, 2004 and concluded on April 6, 2004 when Connecticut won a third consecutive national championship, becoming only the second school in history to accomplish such a feat. The Final Four was held at the New Orleans Arena in...
|-
| 2004–05|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 22–9||13–3 (2nd)||—||11 / 17||NCAA Second Round
2005 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-East Regional:-Midwest Regional:-Mideast Regional:-West Regional:-East Regional:-Midwest Regional:-Final Four:West-Tempe; Mideast-Chattanooga; East-Philadelphia; Midwest-Kansas City.-Record by conference:...
|-
| 2005–06|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 13–15||7–9 (t-8th)||—||—||—
|-
| 2006–07|| Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt
Jody Conradt is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin . Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to 2007. She also served concurrently as the UT women's athletic director from 1992 to 2001...
|| 18–14||6–10 (t–7th)||—||—||—
|-
| colspan="2"|Jody Conradt:||783–245 (.762)||SWC:
174–20
(.897)
Big 12:
110–66
(.625)
| colspan="3" |
|-
| style="background: #dddddd;" colspan="7" align="center"|Gail Goestenkors (2007–present)
|-
| 2007–08|| Gail Goestenkors
Gail Goestenkors
Gail Ann Goestenkors , is the women's basketball head coach for The University of Texas, having accepted the position on April 3, 2007, replacing the legendary Jody Conradt. Goestenkors was the Duke University women's basketball head coach from 1992–2007...
||22–13||7–9 (t–7th)||—||—||NCAA Second Round
2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the 2007–08 national champion of women's NCAA Division I college basketball. It commenced on March 22, 2008, and concluded when the University of Tennessee Lady...
|-
| 2008–09|| Gail Goestenkors
Gail Goestenkors
Gail Ann Goestenkors , is the women's basketball head coach for The University of Texas, having accepted the position on April 3, 2007, replacing the legendary Jody Conradt. Goestenkors was the Duke University women's basketball head coach from 1992–2007...
||21–12||8–8 (6th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The regionals, held in the city rather than the geographic area as a practice that has been used since 2005, were held there from March 28 to 31 at these sites:...
|-
| 2009–10|| Gail Goestenkors
Gail Goestenkors
Gail Ann Goestenkors , is the women's basketball head coach for The University of Texas, having accepted the position on April 3, 2007, replacing the legendary Jody Conradt. Goestenkors was the Duke University women's basketball head coach from 1992–2007...
||22–11||10–6 (t-4th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament started Saturday, March 20, 2010 and was completed on Tuesday, April 6 of the same year with University of Connecticut Huskies defending their title from the previous year by defeating Stanford, 53-47. The tournament bids were announced on...
|-
| 2010–11|| Gail Goestenkors
Gail Goestenkors
Gail Ann Goestenkors , is the women's basketball head coach for The University of Texas, having accepted the position on April 3, 2007, replacing the legendary Jody Conradt. Goestenkors was the Duke University women's basketball head coach from 1992–2007...
||19-14||7-9 (7th)||—||—||NCAA First Round
2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 19, 2011 and concluded on April 5, 2011. The Texas A&M Aggies won the championship....
|-
| colspan="2"|Gail Goestenkors:||84–50 (.627)||32–32 (.500)
| colspan="3" |
|-style="background: #ffffdd;"
| Overall
Record|| || 886–298
(.748)||*SWC:
174–20
(.897)
*Big 12:
135–89
(.603) ||22 Total Conference
Championships|| ||*23 NCAA Tournament
appearances (32–23 overall)
*1 NCAA Championship
*3 Final Four appearances
*8 Elite Eight appearances
*12 Sweet Sixteen appearances
|}
All-time series records against Big 12 members
Venue !! rowspan="1"|at Neutral Site !! rowspan="1"|Last 5 Meetings !! rowspan="1"|Last 10 Meetings !! rowspan="1"|Current Streak !! rowspan="1"|Since Beginningof Big 12
|-
|-
| Baylor
Baylor Lady Bears basketball
The Baylor Lady Bears basketball team represents Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in NCAA Division I women's basketball competition. They currently compete in the Big 12 Conference...
|| UT, 57–23|| UT, 27–5||UT, 22–13||UT, 7–2||BU, 3-2|| tied, 5–5|| L 2||UT, 15–13
|-
| Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball
The Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team represents the University of Colorado and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.-Conferences:Colorado has played in the Big 8 and the Big 12 conferences...
|| UT, 14–4|| UT, 6–1||UT, 6–2||UT, 2–1||UT, 4–1|| UT, 8–2|| W 1 ||UT, 11–4
|-
| Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones women's basketball
The Iowa State Cyclones women's basketball team represents Iowa State University and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. Iowa State's women's basketball team is 569-502 overall and 20-13 in post-season play.-Overview:...
|| ISU, 10–9|| UT, 6–2||ISU, 5–2||ISU, 3–1||ISU, 3–2|| tied, 5–5|| L 2||ISU, 10–8-
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| Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball
The Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball team represents the University of Kansas and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.-History:Kansas first fielded a women's team during the 1968-1969 season...
|| UT, 11–7|| UT, 4–3||tied, 4–4||UT, 3–0||UT, 3–2|| UT, 7–3|| W 1|| UT, 8–6
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| Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats women's basketball
The Kansas State Wildcats women's basketball program is the intercollegiate basketball program of the Kansas State University Wildcats. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
|| UT, 10–8|| UT, 6–2||KSU, 4–3||KSU, 2–1||UT, 3–2|| KSU, 6–4|| L 1|| KSU, 8–6
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| Missouri
Missouri Tigers women's basketball
The Missouri Tigers women's basketball team represents the University of Missouri and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The team plays its home games in Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri.-History:...
|| UT, 15–1|| UT, 9–0||UT, 5–1||UT, 1–0||UT, 5–0|| UT, 9–1|| W 8||UT, 13–1
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| Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in women's college basketball.-History:Women’s basketball started as a club sport in 1970 and five years later it became a varsity sport when scholarships were offered...
|| UT, 12–5|| UT, 6–1||UT, 4–3||UT, 2–1||UT, 3–2|| UT, 8–2|| L 2||UT, 11–4
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| Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball
The Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team represents the University of Oklahoma and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.-History:...
|| UT, 21–13|| UT, 11–4||tied, 7–7||UT, 3–2||OU, 3–2|| tied, 5–5|| W 1||UT, 16–12
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| Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowgirls basketball
The Oklahoma State Cowgirls women's basketball team represents Oklahoma State University and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The team's interim head coach is Jim Littell, who took over after former head coach Kurt Budke died in a plane crash on November 17, 2011...
|| UT, 21–7|| UT, 11–2||UT, 7–4||UT, 2–1||OSU, 3–2|| UT, 7–3|| L 2||UT, 18–7
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| Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball
The Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I women's basketball. The team has been coached by Gary Blair since 2003. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M.The Aggies...
|| UT, 58–15|| UT, 28–4||UT, 23–8||UT, 7–3||A&M, 4–1|| tied, 5–5|| L 3||UT, 18–8
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| Texas Tech
Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball
The Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The team is coached by Kristy Curry who is in her fourth season at the university.-History:...
|| UT, 55–24|| UT, 25–6||UT, 17–13||UT, 13–4||TTU, 3–2|| TTU, 6–4|| W 2||TTU, 15–13
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| colspan="8"|*As of March 30, 2009.
|}
Notable players
- Clarissa DavisClarissa DavisClarissa Davis is former Texas women's basketball All-American, who is also known as Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil. She is a National Player of the Year, Olympic and pro standout, and was inducted into The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in April 2006...
- Kamie EthridgeKamie Ethridge-External links:**...
- Nell FortnerNell FortnerNell Fortner is the current women's college basketball coach at Auburn. She is most well known for leading the 2000 Olympics team to a gold medal. She has received numerous awards including the 1997 National Coach of the Year, the 2000 USA Basketball Coach of the Year and the 2008 SEC Coach of the...
- Fran HarrisFran HarrisFran Harris is an American television host and former professional basketball player. She is currently the host of Home Rules, a television series on HGTV.-Early life and education:...
- Andrea Lloyd-CurryAndrea Lloyd-CurryAndrea Lloyd is a former professional basketball player, a 2007 inductee into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, and previous television analyst for the Minnesota Lynx. Currently she is working as a television analyst for the MTN sports network with the Mountain West Conference.Lloyd-Curry...