The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University, consisting of 18 varsity teams. The "horned frog" nickname and mascot refer to the Texas horned lizard, as known as the "horned frog".[2] The women's athletics teams are often referred to often as the Lady Frogs. The teams participate in the NCAA Division I and in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for football competing in the Mountain West Conference. On October 10, 2011, TCU announced that it had accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 Conference.[3]
Texas Christian University began its athletic life as an independent program with a six-year (1914–1920) stint in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association before eventually joining its longtime home, the Southwest Conference (SWC), in 1923. TCU remained a member of the SWC until it disbanded after the 1995-1996 academic year because of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor defecting to the Big 8 Conference to form the Big 12 Conference. The Horned Frogs, without a conference to call home after 72 years, joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), along with SMU and Rice. TCU called the WAC home from 1996 through 2000. In 2001, TCU joined Conference USA (C-USA) and remained there through 2004. TCU joined its current home of the Mountain West Conference (MWC) in 2005. In 2010, TCU accepted an invitation to join the Big East Conference in all sports starting in 2012; however, on October 10, 2011, TCU announced that it had reversed its decision and would be joining the Big 12 in 2012 instead.[3]
Upper Deck of Amon G. Carter Stadium
The return of national prominence of TCU football began under the watch of Dennis Franchione when TCU defeated the Trojans of USC in the 1998 Sun Bowl. From 1939, the year after TCU’s last national championship, to 1997, TCU’s record was 624-180-24.[4] In those 67 years, TCU won 6 Southwest Conference titles and attended 11 bowl games winning only one of those games. Since the 1998 season, TCU has won 6 conference titles, two in the Western Athletic Conference (1999 & 2000), one in Conference USA (2002), and three in the Mountain West Conference (2005, 2009, and 2010). Since 1998, TCU has amassed a record of 79-30. In four of the last five years, the Horned Frogs have won at least 10 games in a season, and won 11 games in three of the last four. During this period TCU has won games against Louisville, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Utah and BYU. From 1998 to 2006, TCU has attended 8 bowl games, winning five of them. The record of TCU in bowl games as of 2006 is 9-13-1.[5] TCU also claims two national championships from 1935 and 1938.[6][7]
TCU has 41 1st team All-Americans, listed at TCU Horned Frogs football. The school's most famous past players include Rags Matthews, Sammy Baugh, Davey O'Brien (a Heisman Trophy winner, and namesake of the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award), Johnny Vaught (later one of the most celebrated coaches of the University of Mississippi), Ki Aldrich, Darrell Lester, Jim Swink, Sonny Gibbs, Norm Bulaich, Bob Lilly, Kenneth Davis, 2006-07 NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson and two-time consensus All-American Jerry Gaither. TCU have achieved success under numerous coaches including Matty Bell, L.D. "Dutch" Meyer, Abe Martin, Dennis Franchione, and current coach Gary Patterson. Gary Patterson received nine National Coach of the Year honors in 2009.[8] Coaches Matthews, Baugh, O'Brien, Aldrich, Lester, Swink, Lilly, and Dutch Meyer are all members of the College Football Hall of Fame. Baugh and Lilly are also members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The TCU Football team plays its games in Amon G. Carter Stadium. The stadium opened in 1930 and has a capacity of 44,008.[9] On December 5, 2010 the west wing of the Amon G. Carter Stadium was imploded in order accommodate 24 suites, including six Founder’s suites on the lower level, and 2,300 club seats on the West side.[10] Total cost of the renovation of Amon G. Carter Stadium is $105 million.
The Lupton Stadium scoreboard in use during a game.
TCU has fielded a baseball team since 1896, before the school found its home in Fort Worth, TX. The Horned Frog baseball team began playing baseball in the Southwest Conference when it became a member of the conference in 1923.[11] That year they finished the year with a 13-11 overall record and a 2-10 conference record.[12] In 1933 Dutch Meyer, also the coach of the football team, led TCU to its first SWC title with a 9-1 record. During the rest of their time in the SWC, the Frogs would win 6 more regular-season SWC baseball titles. Their next conference championship would come while members of Conference USA in 2004 and 2005.[12][13][14][15][16] 2006 saw the Horned Frogs in a new conference, the Mountain West Conference. The Frogs went 17-5 in their first year in the MWC and never left first place. They also only had to play 3 games in the conference tournament to win the MWC Tournament Title to complement the regular season title.[17][18]
TCU has made nine appearances in the NCAA Baseball Tournament: 1956, 1994, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008,2009, and 2010.[18][19] TCU has 23 All-Americans, six Freshman All-Americans, three players of the year awards, two pitchers of the year, and numerous All-Conference selections. The TCU Baseball Team makes its home in Lupton Stadium, with a capacity of 3,500.
TCU has played since the 1908-1909 season. That first year they entered the Waco City League and left with a record of 2-3, losing to the Baylor teams and defeating the Waco High teams.
The Horned Frogs played basketball in the Southwest Conference from the 1923-24 seasons until the breakup of the conference after the 1995-96 season. During their time in the SWC they won 10 conference titles (1931, 1934, 1951*, 1952, 1953, 1959, 1968, 1971, 1986*, 1987; * denotes shared title).[20] Buster Brannon owns the most wins as a coach in TCU Men's Basketball history with a career that spanned 20 years he earned a record of 205-259, a 104-144 record in SWC play, won 4 conference titles and earned three trips to the NCAA Basketball Tournament in 1952, 1953 and 1959.[21] The TCU Men's Basketball Team would only win one more conference championship after the breakup of the Southwest Conference.[20] During the 1997-98 season under Coach Billy Tubbs, the team went 27-6 and 14-0 in WAC play. The team earned a trip to the Midwest Regional played in Oklahoma City, OK. They would lose in the first round to Florida State. TCU never won a title during their time in Conference USA and have yet to win a conference title in their current conference, the Mountain West Conference.[20] TCU's other NCAA tournament appearances occurred in 1968, 1971 and 1987.[22] Along with NCAA Tournament appearances, TCU appeared in the National Invitational Tournament six times -- 1983, 1986, 1992, 1997, 1999 and 2005. They advanced to the quarterfinal round three times -- 1983, 1999 and 2005, but have never earned a birth to play in the semifinal round in Madison Square Garden.[23]
The TCU Men's Basketball Team was coached from 2002 to 2007 by Neil Dougherty. He was fired in March, 2008, after TCU limped through yet another season with a losing record. Jim Christian, previously with Kent State University, was hired shortly after Dougherty was fired. Christian resigned on April 2, 2012, to accept the head coaching position at University of Ohio.
On April 6, 2012, it was reported that Louisiana State University head coach Trent Johnson would be announced as TCU's new men's basketball head coach at a press conference on Monday, April 9, 2012. Johnson previously served as head coach at LSU, Stanford, and Nevada-Reno. In his four years at LSU, Johnson led the Tigers to 1 NCAA Tournament, 1 SEC Championship, and one NIT berth. He also earned one SEC coach of the year honor. During his four years at Stanford, Johnson led the Cardinal to 3 NCAA Tournaments, including one Sweet 16 appearance, and 1 NIT berth. He earned one PAC-10 coach of the year honor. Finally, during his stint at Nevada-Reno, Johnson led the Wolfpack to 1 NCAA Tournament appearance. Johnson will lead the TCU Horned Frogs into their first season in the Big 12 Conference.
The TCU Men's Basketball Team plays their home games in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on the campus of TCU.
Kurt Thomas, considered by some as the best athlete to attend TCU, played for the basketball team from 1990-1995. He was a three time All-American and averaged 29 points and 15 rebounds his senior year.
The Lady Frogs sported their first women's basketball team in the 1977-78 season and recorded a 5-18 record. The Lady Frogs improved significantly the following year, going 19-8. Current coach Jeff Mittie has been the coach of the team since the 1999-00 season. During the 2000-01 season, the Lady Frogs won their first regular season and conference championship at the WAC Tournament. The Lady Frogs matched that accomplishment the next season, their first season in Conference USA during the 2001-2002 season. They then proceeded to win the C-USA tournament in 2002-03 and 2004-05. Of the four years the Lady Frogs were in C-USA, they won the conference title four out of five years.[24]
TCU has also reached the Women's NCAA Tournament for six consecutive years, stretching back to the 2000-01 season. Each year, the Lady Frogs have won their first game of the tournament and lost the second game, except for first-round losses to Oregon in 2005 and to South Dakota State in 2009. TCU women's basketball has reached the post season 11 out of 12 years that Coach Jeff Mittie has been head of the program.
The Lady Frogs share Daniel-Meyer Coliseum with the men's team, playing under the roof there for the entire history of the program.
As of the 2010-2011 athletics' season, women's sports at TCU will no longer use the term "Lady Frogs".
The TCU Women's Volleyball Team is coached by Prentice Lewis with the help of associate head coach Jason Tanaka who both joined the team in February 2002.[25] Since Lewis' arrival, the volleyball team has had the third best record to date at 12-18.[26] The next year, 2003, the Horned Frogs recorded their best record to date at 20-11 and made it to the second round of the C-USA tournament, a first for a TCU Volleyball team. 2005 the Horned Frog Volleyball team saw their first year in the Mountain West Conference. The team finished the season 16-18 and were seeded 8th in the conference tournament. They defeated the number 9 seed, Air Force, in the play-in match 3-1. The Frogs then fell to the top seeded BYU 3-0 in the quarterfinals round. 2006 the Frogs recorded a 17-15 record and were the sixth seed in the MWC tournament. They eventually lost to Colorado State University 3-1. The 2006 season marked the Horned Frogs third winning season in four years.[27]
The Women's Volleyball Team plays their home games in the Student Recreation Center on the TCU campus.
The Men's and Women's TCU Harriers Cross Country teams compete in the Mountain West Conference. For purposes of qualifying for the NCAA Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships, the TCU Harriers compete in the South Central Regional while the rest of the conference competes in the Rocky Mountain Regional. From 2003-2005 the TCU Harriers sent a runner to the NCAA Men's or Women's Cross Country Championships. The TCU Harriers Cross Country team is coached by Eric Heins.
In December 2005 it was announced that starting in the 2006-2007 academic year women's equestrian would become a varsity sport sponsored by TCU. The NCAA designated equestrian as an emerging sport in 1998, and there are currently 23 intercollegiate programs in NCAA Division I and II. Programs in the region include Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M and West Texas A&M. Intercollegiate equestrian programs support an average of 70 student-athletes.
The TCU Men’s Golf team is led by 20-year Head Coach Bill Montigel. During his tenure, Coach Montigel has guided the Men’s Golf Team to five consecutive conference titles from 2001-2005 between the Horned Frogs time in the WAC and MWC. Since 1990, the Horned Frogs have qualified as a team to the NCAA South Central Regional every year. In ten of those years, the team moved on to the NCAA Championships. Among the most notable TCU men’s golf alumni is J. J. Henry who was a member of the United States team during the 2006 Ryder Cup. The TCU golf team practices at the Colonial Golf & Country Club.
In 1983, the TCU Women's Golf team accounted for the school's lone national championship outside of football. Currently the women's golf team is led by Head Coach Angie Ravaioli-Larkin. The Horned Frogs have at least four former players now playing professionally. The most notable is multiple LPGA Tour-winner Angela Stanford. TCU practices at the Colonial Country Club.
The Women's Rifle team has had a number of firsts in the history of TCU athletics. In 1972, Sue Ann Sandusky was recorded as Texas Christian University's first All-American.[28] Also, In 2010, the team became the first all-female squad to win a National Championship. The TCU Women's Rile team is currently lead by head coach Karen Monez, who has been a part of the program since 2003.[29]
| Player |
Event |
Year(s) |
| Sue Ann Sandusky |
Smallbore |
1972, 1973, 1974 |
| G. David Tubb |
Smallbore |
1976, 1977, 1978 |
| Allen W. Cunniff |
Smallbore |
1976, 1977 |
| William H. Kovaric |
Smallbore |
1976, 1977 |
| Robert A. Hayes |
Smallbore |
1977 |
| Wendy S. Warner |
Air Rifle |
1980 |
| Barbara Mann |
Air Rifle |
1980, 1981, 1982 |
| Celeste Green |
Smallbore |
2003 |
In 1986, the TCU Women's Soccer team played its first season in Fort Worth, Texas.[30] Since their emergence in 1986 the Women’s Soccer Team has achieved an all time record of 194-233-29. As of yet, they have no NCAA Appearances and no conference championships. They are a part of the Mountain West Conference.
Being only the second head coach of the Horned Frogs since its start is Dan Abdalla who has now coached the team for 6 seasons. His record at TCU (as of the beginning of his 6th season) is 43-44-6. He led the TCU soccer women’s program to the Mountain West Conference Tournament in 2007, which was the first time in the program’s history. Prior to coaching the Horned Frogs, Dan Abdalla was the Head Coach at UNLV (University of Nevada Las Vegas) for 5 seasons. Before taking over the Head Coach position at UNLV, Abdalla was the Assistant Coach at the University for 1 season. UNLV was also his Alma Mater from 1994 to 1997. Coach Abdalla’s overall career record as a player is 97-82-14. At UNLV, as a goalkeeper, he registered 321 saves and nine shutouts over 68 games for a 1.95 goals against average and logged a school-record 101 saves in a season. Abdalla played at the professional level as a goalkeeper with the Orange County Zodiac of the A league, which is an affiliation of the Los Angeles Galaxy, a Major League Soccer team.
The Assistant Coach is Kerri Hanks, who started coaching her first season at TCU in 2010. The Allen, Texas, native, recently graduated from her Alma Mater at Notre Dame where she was one of the most highly decorated players to ever go through the program. She joined the ranks of Mia Hamm, Cindy Parlow, and Christine Sinclair when she received the Hermann Trophy award two times. The Hermann Trophy is awarded to the top female college soccer player of the year in all of college soccer. Only 4 people have won it twice in a collegiate career. Hanks was a two-time finalist for the "Best Female College Athlete" at the ESPN-sponsored ESPY awards. While closing her career earning the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, she helped the Fighting Irish advance to the NCAA College Cup three times, including the National Championship match during the 2006 and 2008 seasons.
In 2007, the TCU Women’s Soccer team received an award for being one of the best academic sports teams in the nation. For the second-consecutive year the womenʼs soccer program was recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America with the NSCAA Team Academic Award. The Horned Frogs also placed 14 individuals on the Fall Academic All-Mountain West Conference Team.[31]
The women's soccer team plays their home matches at Garvey-Rosenthal Stadium, which seats 1,500. The Horned Frogs reached a season high of 2,300 attendees at the game against The University of Southern California in the 2010 fall season.
The Women’s Soccer team often participates in numerous community service projects. They have volunteered for programs such as Cook Children’s Hospital, Special Olympics, Girls Inc., Habitat for Humanity and Jump Rope for the Heart.
In August 2010, the Jane Justin Field House was added to the complex.[32] The Jane Justin Field House contains a locker room for the TCU women’s soccer team, its visitors, and officials. There are also coaches’ meeting rooms, an athletic training room, and an upstairs balcony for video and a view of the complex. The field house was named honoring Jane C. Justine, who graduated from TCU in 1943. Justin was a Fort Worth Civic leader and the wife of John S. Justin Jr., who graduated in 1941. John Justin was a TCU Trustee and the chairman and CEO of Justin Industries. He was also the former mayor of the city of Fort Worth.[33] The facility’s field house was a $1.5 million gift from the John and Jane Justin Foundation. This is the largest gift solely provided for woman’s athletics at Texas Christian University to date.[34]
| Award |
Player |
| 1995 SWC All-Conference |
Angela Garrett |
| 1996 WAC All-Conference |
Sarah Suess |
| 1998 WAC All-Conference |
Allison Calleri |
| Jill Cook |
| 1999 WAC All-Conference |
Brenda DeRose |
| Jennifer Maunder |
| 2000 WAC All-Conference |
Brenda DeRose |
| Sherry Dick |
The Texas Christian University swimming and diving program officially formed in 1979 by a man named Richard Sybesma. Sybesma has been the head coach for TCU swimming and diving for thirty one years, since its inception in 1979. Although there was an actual swim team before 1979, but the team did not keep records, therefore we know little about the team. Sybesma has had a very successful career while at TCU. He has been named Conference Coach of the year on five occasions and was selected as the Nicaraguan Olympic Swim Team Coach in 1996. The TCU swimming and diving program has won over 400 dual meets including championship meets. The TCU swimming and diving team has been in three different conferences since its beginning. First was the Southwest conference from 1979–1993, then moved to the Western Atlantic Conference (WAC) in 1994-2000, in 2001 they proceeded to Conference USA, and finally from 2005–present the TCU swim team has been in the Mountain West Conference (MWC). While in the Conference USA conference the men’s swimming and diving team dominated the pools across the country. They were the Conference USA champions in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. The women’s team also had much success in the Conference USA. In 2002 and 2004 TCU swimming and diving swept Conference USA by winning both on the men and women’s side. The TCU swimming and diving team had yet to achieve such awards until 2010 when the men’s team won the Mountain West Conference dual meet Championship. The Texas Christian University Swimming and Diving program are not only an athletic team, but they also have a great record for academics, The College Coaches Association has honored Sybesma’s women’s program as an Academic All-American swim team for thirty-five consecutive semesters while the men’s program has been honored on thirteen occasions. This program along with all the athletic programs at Texas Christian University have been in many different conferences including, the Western Atlantic Conference, Conference USA, Mountain West Conference, and starting in 2012 the Horned Frogs will be joining the Big 12 Conference. All home meets are located in the Student Recreation Center on the campus of TCU.
The TCU Horned Frog Swimming and Diving have produced fourteen All-Americans within the AIAW and NCAA. Between these swimmers are twelve women and two men.
| Year |
Name |
Source |
| 1980 |
Kathy Todd |
AIAW |
| 1981 |
Karen Andrews |
AIAW |
| 1981 |
Linda Wadsworth |
AIAW |
| 1981-82 |
Becky Brill |
AIAW |
| 1981-82 |
Dea Fredrick |
AIAW |
| 1981-82 |
Kim Healy |
AIAW |
| 1981-82 |
Catherine MacLane |
AIAW |
| 1981-82 |
Susan Seppanen |
AIAW |
| 1981-82 |
Dianna Stiles |
AIAW |
| 1982 |
Mary Bridge |
AIAW |
| 1982 |
Laura Crouch |
AIAW |
| 1992 |
Kelly Crowell |
NCAA |
| 1994 |
Walter Soza |
NCAA |
| 1997 |
Jason Flint |
NCAA |
Source:[35]
Individual Championships
| Year |
Name |
Event |
Time |
| 1989 |
Raymond Stewart |
55m Dash |
6.07 |
| 2000 |
R. Williams |
4x400m Relay |
3:06.69 |
| A. Amantine |
| K. Campbell |
| J. Collins |
| 2001 |
Kim Collins |
60m Dash |
6.58 |
| 200m Dash |
20.55 |
| 2006 |
Jackson Langat |
800m Dash |
1:47.02 |
Individual Champions
| Year |
Name |
Event |
Time |
| 1983 |
A. Ingraham |
4x400m Relay |
3:02.09 |
| J. Richard |
| K. Burnett |
| D. Walker |
| 1986 |
R. Tatum |
4x100m Relay |
38.46** |
| A. Smith |
| L. Reid |
| G. Sholars |
| 1987 |
R. Tatum |
4x100m Relay |
38.82 |
| A. Smith |
| G. Sholars |
| R. Stewart |
| 1987 |
Raymond Stewart |
100m Dash |
10.14 |
| 1989 |
R. Tatum |
4x100m Relay |
38.23** |
| A. Smith |
| G. Sholars |
| R. Stewart |
| 1989 |
Raymond Stewart |
100m Dash |
9.97 |
| 1991 |
J. Drummond |
4x100m Relay |
38.88 |
| C. Johnson |
| R. Wright |
| H. Porter |
| 1995 |
D. Powell |
4x100m Relay |
38.63 |
| B. Carter |
| L. Edwards |
| H. Abdallah |
| 1998 |
Khadevis Robinson |
800m Run |
1:46.04 |
**collegite record; NCAA meet record[36]
The TCU Tennis teams play their home matches at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center[2], rated the #1 facility in the nation by Tennis Magazine.
The TCU Men's Tennis team is coached by Dave Borelli. Before he became coach of the men's team, Coach Borelli coached the TCU Women's Tennis team four years before.[37] They are the 2005-2006 Mountain West Conference Tournament Champions.[38]
The TCU Women's Tennis team is coached by Jefferson Hammond. They are the 2005-2006 Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament champions.[38]
Superfrog at a Baseball game.
The Horned Frog first appeared in 1897 on the cover of the first AddRan yearbook. By 1915, the mascot made its way onto the first TCU seal. During the post-WWII years, the Horned Frog Mascot was embraced in costume, on stationery, class rings and the band's bass drum. In 1979 the mascot was renamed from Addy the All-American Frog to Super Frog.[39][40]
TCU has capitalized on its mascot by marketing a bumper sticker (in a role reversal of where a frog, once kissed, turns into a prince) stating "My Princess Turned into a Frog".
Academic Verse:
Hail all hail, TCU
Memories Sweet, Comrades True
Light of Faith, Follow Through
Praise to Thee, TCU
Athletic Verse:
Hail all hail, Glory bright
Purple Frogs, Honor White
Victory, Spirits True
Praise to Thee, TCU
Verse:
We'll raise a song, both loud and long
To cheer our team to victory
For TCU, so tried and true,
We pledge eternal loyalty.
Rah, Rah, TCU!
Rah, Rah, TCU!
Fight on boys, fight, with all your might
Roll up the scores for TCU
Hail white and purple flag whose heroes never lag,
Horned Frog, we are all for you!
Chant:
F-R-O-G-S F-I-G-H-T
Purple, White, Horned Frogs Fight
Victory, Victory, Right, Right, Right
Rah, Rah TCU! Rah, Rah, TCU
F-R-O-G-S F-I-G-H-T
Go, Go, Horned Frogs Go
TCU Frogs Fight
Chant:
T-C-U!
We're gonna beat the hell out of you!
And you
And you, and you, and you, and you!
Riff Ram:
Riff, Ram, Bah Zoo
Lickety, Lickety, Zoo, Zoo
Who, Wah, Wah, Who
Give 'em Hell, TCU
1 - Named Co-National Champion by the Williamson System along with LSU. SMU was named National Champion by the Dickinson System which was favored at the time. Princeton and Minnesota also claim a National Championship from this season by other poll systems active at the time.
2 - Although the NCAA Rifle Sport is coed, the TCU Rifle National Championship Team was made up of only females, marking the first time an all-women team has won the national title.
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![NCAA Football 14 Gameplay: TCU Horned Frogs vs Texas Longhorns -- [1080p]](http://web.archive.org./web/20130913125059im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8dlUYfjKH8g/default.jpg "NCAA Football 14 Gameplay: TCU Horned Frogs vs Texas Longhorns -- [1080p]")
