These young ladies stared and smiled in wonder, knowing now how committed their mom was to an education and to basketball, working to be the best she could be. Many of our female business, civic, educational and social leaders of today had some sort of formalized athletics experience. Page said the most influential figure during his time at Texas was the late Betty Thompson, a pioneer in womens athletics. When he came to Texas in 1996, the upper Midwesttransplant wouldn't have imagined heading a program that would give him four state championships. When in 1976, at age 35, she finally climbed from coaching basketball, softball and volleyball at UT-Arlington to coaching basketball and volleyball at Texas, the Fort Worth Star-Telegrams headline trumpeted: Woman Earns Man-Size Salary: $17,000.. The Future Naismith Hall of Famer would finish her tenure with 793 victories, which included UTs lone NCAA championship in 1986. Conradt also was Texas' women's athletic director from 1992-2001. I think we all did. It wasnt until later, after I left, that I realized there was a whole world that didnt understand women in athletics, says Addie Jo, better known as Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach and University of Texas icon Jody Conradt. Conradt was already known as a successful basketball and volleyball coach at Sam Houston State. Forty years have passed since Page coached at Texas. A 38-year womens college basketball coaching career closed in March 2007, but The University of Texas has allowed me to remain active as a special assistant in administration to our energetic and passionate VP and athletics director Chris Del Conte. Even then, I knew. Conradt coached Texas from 1976 to 2007, and finished with a career record of 900-307. All Ive ever known was to rise up and move forward, no matter what the challenge may be, no matter the difficulty or pain.. Perhaps nowhere was that concern more heightened than at Texas, which had won national football championships in 1963, 1969 and 1970 under coach Darrell Royal, who since 1962 had doubled as the schools athletic director. If our teams were good, people would eventually take notice. Creating a model collegiate program that several other schools have tried to emulate, but Houston pitmaster goes viral after hilarious TV interview, Houston facing severe thunderstorms, possible tornadoes Thursday, Report: Houston ranked No. Registration for this event is now open in the THSCA Member Portal . Texas actually was behind somewhat compared to some smaller in-state schools (Wayland Baptist College, for example) and even at UT System component where I was employed (UT Arlington). Since her retirement from coaching following the 2006-07 season, shehascontinuedto serve the University as a special assistantinTexas Athletics. He is part of the fabric of a team that recently earned the 1,000th victory in school history, a feat achieved by just four other teams. Striving for excellence. Providing financial support to student-athletes pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees after their eligibility has expired, this fund exists to assist those who are determined to succeed academically. "Of all the blockbuster statistics that paint the picture of Jody Conradt's storied career, the only number you really need to remember is 99. Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1998 WebAUSTIN Addie Jo Conradt and her Goldthwaite High basketball teammates didnt realize how good they had it, relatively. Conradt, 71, who coached at UT from 1976 to 2007 and won the 1986 national title, will become the second female to have a statue on UT's campus, joining congresswoman and civil rights leader Barbara Jordan. Armed with those traits, a graceful, compassionate style, Texas-sharp wit and humor, and a desire to bring education and sport opportunities to young women, Conradt emerged as a visionary leader for womens college basketball and womens sports administration. She had traveled the world for a decade as a star softball player, earned a Ph.D. at USC and had been a multi-sport coach and assistant AD at Brooklyn College. The owner of roughly 10 scrapbooks and dozens of black-and-white photos of his time at UT, Page should never forget coaching the womens basketball team. She says it was stressful time, but the lawsuit that forced the addition of three sports proved necessary. Conradt, valedictorian of Goldthwaites 22-student Class of 59, recalls the boys and girls basketball teams riding a bus together to play packed-gym doubleheaders in towns like Mason, Burnet and Llano. In 1992, after announcing her departure to become CEO of the Womens Sports Foundation, Lopiano covertly plotted a lawsuit by seven womens athletes that accused Texas of Title IX violations, a transformative moment that rocked UT and Lopianos AD successor, Conradt. Jody Conradt arrived at the University of Texas in 1976 and quickly established the Longhorns as an unstoppable force on the national scene. Tough, demanding and relentless. Her aspirations were to teach. He could not remember the last time hes seen a Texas basketball game. Jody Conradt, after her 900th coaching victory, has seen the impact of Title IX grow and continue. So from 1992 to 2001, she did both jobs. "She was preparing us for the future, to be the doctors, lawyers, teachers and mothers of the next generation," Benton-McCrary said. in physical education at Baylor University. Conradts coaching passion and competitive instincts produced results. On the morning she was to depart for Washington, D.C., Lopiano got a phone call from second-year UT President Lorene Rogers, the first and still only female president in the schools history. With a full-out style that was unprecedented and unmatched during its time, Conradt led the 1985-86 Longhorns to a 34-0 record and national championship, the NCAA's first perfect season in the sport. A UT coach for three years two as a member of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women there were no athletic scholarships for his players when he took the job. We started with a blank slate, with a brand-new law that everybody was excited about, and figured it out.. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Lopiano said, sure, then went to find Royal as he headed out to football practice. 2023 www.statesman.com. By the end of the year everybody had roomed with every teammate at least once.. I don't know of anyone who deserves this honor more.". Its rattlesnake season in Texas. Conradt to be honored with TAHPERD Pathfinder Award [Dec. 3, 2009] I had no idea the womens basketball team would blossom into what it has become today.. She coached the Longhorns from 1976-2007 and was the Texas women's athletic director from 1992-2001. Like most of its fellow larger in-state schools, Texas was late in offering womens sports programs. University Development Office Rice. Her coaching career Page relied on Texas mens basketball coach Leon Black. 1,345), where her childhood revolved around community, family, friends and sports. Jody Conradt Excellence Fund In her brazen navet, Lopiano hadnt connected the dots or realized the ramification of going to Capitol Hill. A sixth sense about the game. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Jody Conradt has reached the pinnacle of athletic success and has been honored by multiple halls of fame. Victimhood is not in my DNA. Conradt was a high school teacher and assistant girls basketball coach under legendary Waco Midway school administrator M.T. Numerous other colleges monitored what happened in Austin and followed Texas lead. Texas already has statues honoring former football coach Darrell Royal and Heisman Trophy winners Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams outside the football stadium. Conradt to receive Giant Steps Award from National Consortium for Academics and Sports [Jan. 28, 2008] Learn more and register here. Well, not everyone was excited. Progress, though, has been relative. It did not establish a womens athletic department until 1973 or formalize womens varsity sports until the 1973-74 school year. As we approach the 50th anniversary date June 23, 2022 of the passage of Title IX federal legislation, Im among many who joyfully witness that laws impact today. At 22, Pat had a focus, an intensity that most people couldn't comprehend. Conradt knew it was just the start of a long, tough fight to lift women's college athletics at Texas and around the country from afterthought to equal footing with the men. AUSTIN, Texas -- When the University of Texas hired Jody Conradt to coach its women's basketball team for $17,000 in 1976, one of the state's largest newspapers announced the move with the headline: "Woman Hired at Man's Salary.". Women's Power Rankings: Pac-12 teams, Maryland show their teeth, SCNext Top 25: Ranking the best high school girls' basketball teams in the 2022-23 season, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. And if our two good teams played one another, more people would pay attention. Flanked by about 20 family members including wife Sheila, his spouse of 39 years, Page waved at the appreciative crowd, his eyes glistening from the spotlight aimed at center court. Afterward, we enjoyed some food and drinks with old coaching buddies at Scholz Garten, the oldest and one of the most beloved sports bars in Austin. WebConradt's classroom eventually became a multipurpose arena at her beloved University of Texas, after serving as women's basketball coach at Sam Houston State (1969-73) and coach/women's athletics director at UT-Arlington (1973-76). From 1990 to 2000, we (Texas) lost every single game in the series. Her love was basketball. Career Record (major schools): 25 Years, 585-205, .741 W-L% School: Texas (585-205) No, Im just going to tell you how to keep your job.. It's about the University of Texas doing the right thing and showing to the world how much they value the role of women's athletics," Conradt said. WebFind out where Jody Conradt was born, their birthday and details about their professions, education, religion, family and other life details and facts. Her love was basketball. The University of Texas is a better institution of higher learning. When Texas director of womens athletics Christine Plonsky invited Page two weeks to return for Sundays celebration, it was the first time anyone from the university had notified him in 40 years. Among the 20 team sports in which it competes (11 womens sports) Texas finished among the top 10 in 14 of them while winning the Learfield Directors Cup for all-around excellence for the second straight year, breaking Stanfords 25-year hold on the award. 2023 The University of Texas at Austin Athletics, J. Dan Brown Family Player Development Center, Conradt among National Sportsmanship Day 20th Anniversary honorees, Conradt honored with Joe Lapchick Character Award, Conradt honored with Lifetime Achievement Award by NACWAA, Conradt to co-chair WBCA ethics committee, Conradt to be honored with TAHPERD Pathfinder Award, Conradt selected as 2008 Naismith Outstanding Contributors to Basketball award winners, Conradt to receive Giant Steps Award from National Consortium for Academics and Sports, Sam Houston State University: 74-23 (1969-73), The University of Texas at Arlington: 43-39 (1973-76), The University of Texas at Austin: 783-245 (1976-2007), The University of Texas at Austin: 62-38-7 (1976-77), Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1998), National Coach of the Year (1979-80, 1985-86, 1996-97, 2003-04), Carol Eckmann Award for contributions to women's basketball, Women's Basketball Coaches Association (1987), The University of Texas-Arlington Athletics Hall of Honor (1987), The University of Texas Women's Athletics Hall of Honor (2000 inaugural class), International Women's Sports Hall of Fame, Women's Sports Foundation, New York (1995), Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Waco, Texas (1998), Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Knoxville, Tenn. (1999 inaugural class), International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame, Kingston, R.I. (2003), 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America, Institute for International Sport, Kingston, R.I. (2007), Giant Steps Award, National Consortium for Academics and Sports, Orlando, Fla. (2007), Outstanding Contributor to Basketball, Atlanta Tipoff Club (2008), Sam Houston State University Athletics Hall of Fame (2010), Texas Women's Hall of Fame, Dallas (1986), Baylor University Distinguished Alumnus (1989), Field Scovell Award, Dallas All-Sports Association (2003), Harvey Penick Award for Excellence in the Game of Life, Caritas of Austin (2003), CASEY Award, Kansas City Sports Association (2004), Woman of Distinction Award, Central Texas Girl Scouts (2005), Neighborhood Longhorns Linking Community With Education Award, Austin (2006), Most Worthy Citizen Award, Austin Board of Realtors (2007), Bridges Award, The Movement Organization, Austin (2007), Commencement Speaker, UT Graduation (2008), Legends Honoree, Dallas Texas Exes Chapter Texas-OU Weekend (2008), Distinguished speaker series, internships, Health and wellness research at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. 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