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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, With the retirement of women's basketball coach Jody |
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Conradt from The University of Texas at Austin, a legendary |
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coaching career draws to a close after nearly four decades of |
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record-setting achievements and the attainment of countless |
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individual and team milestones; and |
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WHEREAS, Among the winningest coaches in college basketball |
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history, Coach Conradt has compiled a remarkable record of 900 wins |
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and 307 losses during 38 years of coaching at the collegiate level; |
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notably, she was the first women's basketball coach to achieve 700 |
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career wins, reaching that plateau on December 18, 1997; and |
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WHEREAS, During her 31 seasons leading the Longhorns, the |
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six-time National Coach of the Year guided her teams to the 1986 |
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NCAA National Championship, three NCAA Final Four appearances, 27 |
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national postseason berths, and an impressive 783 victories against |
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just 245 defeats; and |
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WHEREAS, A Goldthwaite native with bachelor's and master's |
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degrees from Baylor University, Jody Conradt starred on the |
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basketball court for the Goldthwaite High School Eagles and the |
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Baylor Bears before beginning her teaching and coaching career at |
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Waco Midway High School; she entered the collegiate coaching ranks |
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at Sam Houston State University, where she served as head |
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basketball coach and also oversaw the school's volleyball and track |
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teams; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1973, Coach Conradt moved to UT-Arlington, where |
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she played an integral role in the creation of the university's |
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women's athletics program, serving as athletics director and |
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coaching basketball, volleyball, and softball; her success in that |
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endeavor led to employment as head coach of the women's basketball |
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and volleyball teams at UT-Austin in 1976, and over the next three |
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decades she established herself as the most influential and highly |
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regarded coach and administrator in the history of women's |
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athletics at The University of Texas at Austin; and |
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WHEREAS, The achievements of Coach Conradt's heralded 1986 |
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national championship squad set the modern-day benchmark for |
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excellence in women's college basketball; the Longhorns became the |
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first Division I women's team to go undefeated through an entire |
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season, posting a 34-0 record, and that talented group of |
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student-athletes rightfully earned a place in the annals of sports |
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history; and |
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WHEREAS, A teacher first and foremost, Coach Conradt has |
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encouraged the young women placed in her charge to work toward |
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self-improvement both on the basketball court and in the classroom, |
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and her amazing 99 percent graduation rate is a mark that few |
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coaches can match; inducted into the prestigious International |
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Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame in 2003, she has also earned a place in |
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the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame, the Naismith |
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Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Women's Basketball Hall |
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of Fame and was one of seven finalists for the Naismith Women's |
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Basketball Coach of the Century award; and |
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WHEREAS, Numerous other honors have been bestowed on Coach |
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Conradt during her superlative coaching career, including the Carol |
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Eckman Award, the highest annual honor presented by the Women's |
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Basketball Coaches Association; she has been named Conference Coach |
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of the Year seven times and has received recognition from the |
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National Association for Girls and Women in Sports, the Kansas City |
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Sports Association, the Girl Scouts-Lone Star Council, and Caritas |
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of Austin, which presented her with the Harvey Penick Award for |
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Excellence in the Game of Life in 2003; and |
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WHEREAS, Jody Conradt is a true trailblazer in women's |
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athletics, and the significant contributions that she has made to |
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the sport of basketball and to the players she has mentored ensure |
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that her positive influence will continue to be felt for years to |
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come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Jody Conradt on her exceptional |
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tenure as head coach of The University of Texas Longhorns women's |
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basketball team and honor her for the many young lives she has |
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changed for the better through her leadership and dedication; and, |
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be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Coach Conradt as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |