Texas A&M Aggies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Texas A&M Aggies | |
 |
|
| University | Texas A&M University |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big 12 |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletics director | Bill Byrne |
| Location | College Station, TX |
| Varsity teams | 20 |
| Football stadium | Kyle Field |
| Basketball arena | Reed Arena |
| Mascot | Reveille |
| Nickname | Aggies |
| Fight song | Aggie War Hymn |
| Colors | Maroon and White
|
| Homepage | www.aggieathletics.com |
Texas A&M Aggies (variously A&M or Texas Aggies) refers to the sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" (agriculture) schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports.
Texas A&M was a charter member of the Southwest Conference until its dissolution and subsequent formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996. The athletic program competes in the South Division of the Big 12, along with Baylor University, Oklahoma State University, Texas Tech University, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Texas. Texas A&M's official school colors are maroon and white. The teams are referred to as Aggies and the mascot is a pure-bred collie named Reveille.
The Texas A&M University Athletic Department receives many donations, particularly from alumni. In 2006, Texas A&M ranked first in the Big 12 Conference and 9th in the nation in the amount of athletic donations.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Athletics
Texas A&M competes in the following varsity sports:
|
Men's sports:
|
Women's sports:
|
[edit] Football
The Texas A&M Aggies compete in the Big 12 Conference and will enter their 114th year of football competition in the 2008 season. Over the program's history, the Aggies have earned one national title in 1939 and 18 conference titles.[2] A&M has had two perfect seasons having gone undefeated and unscored upon in both 1917[3] and 1919[4]. The football program experienced a period of little success lasting from 1944 to 1971, when the Aggies won only two conference titles. With Emory Bellard as head coach beginning in 1972, the Aggies returned to prominence with two 10 win seasons during his short tenure. He was replaced by Tom Wilson who had little success at Texas A&M before Jackie Sherrill took over the program. In his seven years at A&M, Sherrill won three consecutive conference titles and two Cotton Bowl postseason games. His defensive coordinator, R. C. Slocum, replaced him as head coach in 1989. Slocum finished in the top 25 during 10 of his 14 years at Texas A&M[5] and won 4 conference titles, including the school's first Big 12 title in 1998.
In late 2002, Dennis Franchione left his position as head coach at the University of Alabama to take over Texas A&M's football program from Slocum. He finished the 2003 season at 4-8. Franchione finished the 2004 regular season with a 7-4 mark and an invitation to the Cotton Bowl, a game the Aggies lost to Tennessee. The 2005 team regressed to 5-6 and defensive coordinator Carl Torbush was fired, and replaced by Gary Darnell. Due to the much-needed improvements on defense, the Aggies finished the 2006 regular season with a 9-3 record and a 5-3 mark in Big 12 play, including a 12-7 victory over the Texas Longhorns in Austin. The Aggies were then beaten soundly by the California Golden Bears 45-10 at the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl.
Problems continued in the 2007 season, when the Aggies finished in a three way tie for third place with Texas Tech and Oklahoma State in the Big 12 South, leading only Baylor, which finished last. Although the team pulled out a 38-30 victory over the Longhorns on the day after Thanksgiving, coach Dennis Franchione opted to minimize the damage done to the program by resigning as head coach. Former Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman was announced as his replacement three days later.
The Aggie Football team was featured in the ESPN television movie, The Junction Boys. The film dramatized Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant's grueling football practice sessions in 1954 at Junction, Texas.[6]
[edit] Basketball
Texas A&M basketball has been dormant for much of its recent history. The Aggies have won 11 conference championships, two conference tournament titles, and have seven NCAA tournament appearances. Under former head coach Billy Gillispie, the Aggies finished fourth in conference in 2006 only two years removed from having zero wins in conference play. Gillispie then led the Aggies to their first NCAA tournament berth since 1987, playing as a 12 seed, and to A&M's first NCAA tournament win since 1980 over fifth seed Syracuse. The Aggies were one point short of advancing to the Sweet Sixteen over fourth seed LSU, with a final score of 57-58. In the 2007 season, A&M spent most of the season ranked in the top 10 of the polls and became the first Big 12 south team to win against the University of Kansas in Lawrence since the Big 12 was formed. The Aggies finished with a 27-7 record and finished 2nd in the Big 12. They earned a number 3 seed in the NCAA tournament where they made it to the sweet 16, but fell to the University of Memphis 64-65. Acie Law IV was named an All-American. Billy Gillispie left for the University of Kentucky soon after the season. Mark Turgeon was named head coach a few days later.
Women's basketball at Texas A&M has had a similar experience as men's basketball. The team had two NCAA tournament appearances, an NWIT title, and a Southwest Conference tournament title before entering the Big 12. The program experienced little success in the new conference until current head coach Gary Blair took over the program and led the 2006 team to their highest finish ever in Big 12 play, third place, and an NCAA tournament appearance. The sixth seed women's team was upset in the first round by eleventh seed TCU. In 2007, the team captured its first ever conference title by finishing the season 25-7 and 13-3 in conference. The team earned a number 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, but lost in the 2nd round to George Washington University.
Ground broke on the Cox-McFerrin Center in November 2006, a 68,000 square foot expansion to Reed Arena which includes new locker rooms, meeting rooms, practice gyms, training rooms, player lounges, and reception areas.
[edit] Baseball
The Aggie baseball team plays home games at Olsen Field. The team is currently coached by Rob Childress, who joined the program in the 2006 season, after leaving his assistant coach position with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Since conference play begain in 1915, the Aggies have won 15 Southwest Conference titles, two Big 12 regular-season and one tournament title, and have made four College World Series appearances. 1989 was the high watermark when the Aggies were ranking #1 for numerous weeks before ending the season ranked #2.
[edit] Softball
The softball team formed in the 1972–73 season. It is the only Texas A&M team to have won an NCAA championship.[7] The team won an NCAA championship in 1983 and 1987, and an AIAW championship in 1982. It also has six College World Series appearances. The team is currently coached by Jo Evans, who has led the program since 1996. Under her leadership, the Aggies have won two conference regular season championships (2005 and 2008), one conference tournament championship (2008), appeared in the NCAA Regionals nine times, winning two, and the Super Regionals thrice, winning two. They have also made two Women's College World Series appearances and finished 7th in 2007 and 2nd in 2008.[8]
[edit] Golf
Men's golf is coached by J.T. Higgins, who has been with the program since 2001. He has led the team to two top 15 finishes at the NCAA tournament, including 14th place at the 2006 NCAA Championship tournament.
Women's golf has been coached by Trelle McCombs since the summer of 2007 making 2007-08 her first year as head coach. Jeanne Sutherland coached the team before here from 1992 - 2007. The golf team won the Big 12 title in 1998, 2006, and 2007. In 2006, the team finished 19th at the NCAA Championship tournament. In 2008, the team was fifth in their regional advancing to the NCCA Championship tournament.
In its third annual College Golf Guide, Golf Digest ranked both the men's and women's golf programs among the best in the nation in terms of the team's scoring average, player growth, academics, climate, and facilities/coaches. The men's program ranked as the best in the Big 12 Conference and No. 15 nationally. The women's program ranked as the second best in the Big 12 Conference and No. 20 nationally.[9]
[edit] Tennis
Men's tennis first debuted in 1978. Richard Barker coached the inaugural season, compiling a 9–12 record. David Kent took over in 1979, and coached until 1996. Under Kent, the Aggies made two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1985 and 1994, finishing in the First Round in both. The Aggies also appeared in the NCAA Region IV Championships from 1994–96, winning the 1994 championship. Tim Cass replaced Kent in 1997, coaching until 2006. In Cass's ten seasons at A&M, he won three Big 12 tournament titles and one conference title. He resigned in July 2006 to accept a position as Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of New Mexico, his alma mater. In 2006, former ATP Tour player and Texas A&M–Corpus Christi head coach Steve Denton was named the new head men's tennis coach. Former Trinity University coach Bob McKinley became his assistant. Denton won three Southland Conference regular-season titles, two tournament titles, and had an overall conference record of 19-2, including two undefeated regular seasons, in his five years with the Islanders. In 2008, he was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame, joining former A&M coach David Kent, who was inducted in 1998, and McKinley, who was inducted in 2003. With both of the coaching staff in the ITA Hall of Fame, the A&M men's tennis program is the only program in the country with two ITA Hall of Fame coaches.[10]
The women's tennis program started in 1980. The women's team has been coached by Bobby Kleinecke since 1985. In 2003 and 2004, he was voted Big 12 Coach of the Year. Kleinecke led the Aggies to two conference titles in 1986 and 2003 and a tournament title in 2004. The Aggies have also made a total of 13 NCAA Tournament appearances under Kleinecke.[11]
[edit] Soccer
Women's soccer is coached by G. Guerreri, who has led the program since its inception in 1993. His Aggies have won ten Big 12 titles (six regular season and four tournament), including four straight regular season titles from 2004 to 2007. The Aggies have made 13 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament since 1995. Of those 13, 3 are Elite 8 finishes, 4 are Sweet Sixteen, 4 are Second Round, and 2 are First Round.[12]
[edit] Track and Field
Track and field is coached by Pat Henry. In his 17 years at LSU, Henry won 27 national titles, 17 SEC titles, 15 SEC Coach of the Year awards, and five National Coach of the Year awards. Henry was hired by Texas A&M prior to the 2005 season, taking over a program that had never won a title in women's track. Within three years, in 2007, his teams won both women's indoor and outdoor Big 12 Conference titles.
[edit] Volleyball
The Aggie volleyball team is coached by Laurie Corbelli, who has been at Texas A&M since 1993. The Texas A&M volleyball team participated in 13 consecutive NCAA postseasons, from Corbelli's first year in 1993 to 2005, reaching the Elite Eight twice and Sweet Sixteen three times.
[edit] Swimming and diving
Long-time assistant Jay Holmes, who has been with A&M since 1987, was named head coach of the men's swimming program in 2004. His 2007 squad finished second in the Big 12.
Women's swimming is led by Steve Bultman, head coach since 1999. His 2007 team won the Big 12 title.
The diving program has been coached by Kevin Wright since 1992. He won an A&M-record seven consecutive conference Coach of the Year awards from 1996 to 2002.
[edit] Equestrian
Coached by Tana Rawson, the women's equestrian team has been a varsity sport at Texas A&M since 1999. Although a group of administrators and coaches are currently working to make equestrian an NCAA-recognized sport,[13] A&M competes with 18 other equestrian teams from Division I schools.[14] For seven years, from 2000 to 2006, the program participated in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championship, winning the Western division national title three times. The program now competes only in the Varsity Equestrian National Championship, where A&M won the overall national championship in 2002 and Western division titles in 2005 and 2007.
Texas A&M won the inaugural Big 12 Classic in 2007, a competition between Big 12 programs with equestrian teams, which includes Baylor, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State.
[edit] Championship history
[edit] National titles
Texas A&M has a total of five team national championships. Two are NCAA titles, which were both won by the softball team in 1983 and 1987.[15] The 1982 softball team also won the AIAW championship, which all women's intercollegiate athletic teams competed for before they joined the NCAA in mid-1982. The 1939 football team was designated national champions by multiple selectors, some of which include the Associated Press, the Helms Athletic Foundation, the National Championship Foundation, and the College Football Researchers Association.[16] The equestrian team has won the Varsity Equestrian National Championship (VENC) in 2002, and has won the Varsity Equestrian Western Division National Championship in 2002, 2005, and 2007.[17] It also won the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Western Championship in 2002, 2003, and 2004.[18]
- Football
- 1939[19]
- Softball
- 1982*, 1983, 1987[20]
- Equestrian**
- Overall: 2002 (VENC)
- Western: 2002 (IHSA), 2003 (IHSA), 2004 (IHSA), 2005 (VENC), 2007 (VENC)
*AIAW Championship
**Not an NCAA-sanctioned sport, but competed at the varsity level
[edit] Conference titles
- Baseball
- Men's Basketball
- Men's Cross Country
- 1922, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1961, 1962[21]
- Fencing (conference competition ended in 1957)
- 1952, 1954, 1955[21]
- Football
- Men's Golf
- 1926, 1948, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1967, 1982, 1987[21]
- Men's Swimming and Diving
- 1944, 1945, 1956[21]
- Men's Indoor Track and Field
- 1980[21]
- Men's Outdoor Track and Field
- Women's Golf
- 1985, 1998, 2006, 2007[31]
- Women's Soccer
[edit] Director's Cup all-time final standings
The NACDA Director's Cup is an award given annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to the colleges and universities with the most success in collegiate athletics. Points for the NACDA Director's Cup are based on order of finish in various NCAA sponsored championships or in the case of Division I Football media base polls. The award originated in 1993, and was presented to NCAA Division I schools only. In 1995, it was extended to Division II, Division III, and NAIA schools as well, each division receiving its own award.
Texas A&M's yearly final standings among other Division I schools since the cup originated in 1993 are as follows:[44]
| Year | Standing |
|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 24th |
| 1994-95 | 37th |
| 1995-96 | 20th |
| 1996-97 | 30th |
| 1997-98 | 38th |
| 1998-99 | 39th |
| 1999-00 | 27th |
| 2000-01 | 26th |
| 2001-02 | 37th |
| 2002-03 | 28th |
| 2003-04 | 16th |
| 2004-05 | 26th |
| 2005-06 | 23rd |
| 2006-07 | 18th |
| 2007-08 | TBD |
[edit] Rivalries
Texas A&M's biggest rival is the Texas Longhorns. The university has other significant rivals but few come close to the rivalry shared between Texas A&M and the University of Texas. The mutual respect and desire to win has given rise to the Lone Star Showdown, an athletic competition that lasts year-round and encompasses all regular-season NCAA athletic events between the two schools. Though the showdown officially began in 2004, the two teams have been competing with one another for more than a century.
Other rivals include the Baylor Bears (rivalry officially known as Battle of the Brazos), the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and the Arkansas Razorbacks (Arkansas-Texas A&M rivalry).
Historical rivalries that are no longer active include LSU, which Texas A&M played annually until the mid-90's, and others from membership in the Southwest Conference, including Rice, and the University of Houston.
[edit] Venues and facilities
Athletic venues and facilities include:
- Football: Kyle Field
- Basketball: Reed Arena
- Baseball: Olsen Field
- Softball: Aggie Softball Complex
- Golf: Traditions Club Championship Golf Course
- Tennis: George P. Mitchell Tennis Center
- Soccer: Aggie Soccer Stadium
- Track and Field: Anderson Track and Field Complex
- Volleyball: G. Rollie White Coliseum
- Swimming and Diving: Student Rec Center Natatorium
- Equestrian: Freeman Arena
Athletic training, rehabilitation, and student-services facilities include:
Additionally, Texas A&M houses two dedications to student-athletes of the past: the Texas A&M Sports Museum located at the north end of Kyle Field and the Erickson Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor.
[edit] Traditions
Texas A&M values traditions very highly, many of which revolve around the sports in which the school competes. A few of the athletic traditions of Texas A&M include:
- The 12th Man — The entire student body is referred to as The 12th Man after E. King Gill stood ready to play on the sidelines in 1922.
- The Aggie War Hymn — The War Hymn is played at athletic events during the game and after a win.
- Aggie Bonfire — Built and burned prior to the annual football game with the University of Texas. Bonfire is now an off-campus event after the University cancelled it following the 1999 collapse.
- Fightin' Texas Aggie Band — The Aggie Band is the largest military-style marching band in the United States and performs at every football halftime.
- Midnight Yell Practice — Held the night before a home game, the student body gathers at Kyle Field to excite the crowd.
- Yell Leaders — Attending many events, the yell leaders use hand signals to keep the crowd yelling in unison.
- Gig 'em — The slogan used by Aggie supporters, often accompanied with a thumbs-up sign, the first hand sign of the Southwest Conference.
- Reveille — The official mascot of Texas A&M since 1931. Since Reveille II, all A&M mascots have been collies.
- Maroon Out — One designated home football game of the year is a "maroon out" game. All Aggies are instructed to wear maroon.
- Saw Dawg — A&M baseball's first base coach who launches a scribed baseball into or near student section 203 of Olsen Field at the start of each game[45]
[edit] Athletic directors
| Name | Years served | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Utay | 1912–1913 | [46] |
| Jackie Sherrill | 1982–1988 | [47] |
| John David Crow | 1988–1993 | [48] |
| Wally Groff | 1993–2002 | [49] |
| Bill Byrne | 2003–present | [50] |
[edit] Notable athletes and coaches
Former student-athletes and coaches at Texas A&M include:
- Sam Adams, NCAA All-American and NFL Pro Bowl defensive tackle
- "Bear" Bryant, head coach, 1954-1957, most successful coach in NCAA Division I college football
- John David Crow, 1957 Heisman Trophy winner
- Dean Goldfine, former ATP Tour tennis player, former coach of Todd Martin and Andy Roddick
- Lester Hayes, five-time NFL Pro-Bowler, two Super Bowl wins with Oakland Raiders
- Dante Hall, two-time Pro-Bowler, tied for NFL record - most career kickoff return touchdowns
- John Kimbrough, Heisman Trophy runner-up, actor, former member of the Texas Legislature
- Chuck Knoblauch, 1991 MLB rookie of the year. four-time all-star, four-time MLB World Series champion
- Gary Kubiak, former NFL quarterback, Houston Texans head coach
- Acie Law IV, Basketball All-American for the 2006-2007 season. 2007 Bob Cousy award winner
- Randy Matson, Olympic gold medalist, former world record holder in the shot put
- Dat Nguyen, 1998 Lombardi and Bednarik Award winner, former Dallas Cowboy
- Jackie Sherrill, head football coach, 1982-1988, three Southwest Conference titles
- R. C. Slocum, head football coach, 1989-2003, four conference titles, three-time Southwest Conference coach of the year, winningest coach in Texas A&M History
- Ty Warren, current defensive end and 2-time New England Patriots Super Bowl champion
- Yale Lary, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, DB and Punter from 1952-1964 with the Detroit Lions
[edit] References
- ^ "Report: UT Austin ranks 16th in the nation for sports donations", Austin Business Journal, 2007-10-02. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- ^ A&M's Championships
- ^ Texas A&M Athletics Stats and Boxscores
- ^ Texas A&M Athletics Stats and Boxscores
- ^ Aggie Football Through the Years. Texas A&M Athletics.
- ^ ESPN (2002). "The Junction Boys to Premiere Dec. 14". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-05-03.
- ^ Schools with the Most National Championships NCAA.org. Fall 2006
- ^ Texas A&M Softball: Year-by-Year Results. Texas A&M Athletics. Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ Golf Digest Rates A&M Programs Among Nation's Best. Texas A&M University Athletic Department (2007-08-02). Retrieved on 2007-08-03.
- ^ "A&M's Denton Selected to 2008 ITA Hall of Fame Class", Big 12 Sports. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ Women's Tennis year-by-year results. Texas A&M Athletics. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
- ^ Aggie Soccer Through the Years. Texas A&M Athletics. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
- ^ Equestrian - Divisions I and II Only.
- ^ Varsity Equestrian Teams.
- ^ Schools with the Most National Championships. NCAA. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ 1939 National Championships. College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ Turner, Ronnie. "Equestrian earning its spurs as NCAA sport", Houston Chronicle, 2008-04-16. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ Texas A&M Equestrian History. Texas A&M Athletics. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ History - Past Champions. NCAA. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ History - Past Champions. NCAA. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Southwest Conference Champions, 1915-1996. Texas Almanac. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Record Book - Baseball. Big 12 Sports. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Sports (2008-05-18). "Texas A&M Claims 2008 Big 12 Baseball Regular Season Crown". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-05-18.
- ^ Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. Big 12 Sports. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ a b Southwest Conference Year-by-Year History. Fansonly.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Southwest Conference Annual Standings. Fansonly.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Record Book - Football. Big 12 Sports. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ a b Big 12 Record Book - Men's Tennis. Fansonly.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Record Book - Men's Outdoor Track and Field. Fansonly.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ a b Big 12 Record Book - Women's Basketball. Fansonly.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Women's Golf - Big 12 Record Book. Fansonly.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Record Book - Soccer. Fansonly.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Championship. Big 12 Sports. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Record Book - Softball. Fansonly.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ "Texas A&M wins Big 12 softball title", Associated Press, 2008-05-11. Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
- ^ Big 12 Record Book - Women's Swimming and Diving. Fansonly.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Sports (2008-03-01). "Texas Men and Texas A&M Women Repeat as Big 12 Swimming and Diving Champions". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
- ^ Big 12 Record Book - Women's Tennis. Big 12 Sports. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Championships. Big 12 Sports. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Record Book - Women's Indoor Track and Field. Fansonly.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Sports (2008-03-01). "Texas Men and Texas A&M Women Crowned Big 12 Champions". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-03-02.
- ^ Big 12 Record Book - Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Fansonly.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Big 12 Sports (2008-05-18). "Colorado Men, Texas A&M Women Crowned Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Champions". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-05-18.
- ^ Directors' Cup Previous Scoring. NACDA Directors Cup. Retrieved on 2008-05-18.
- ^ "Volunteer coach Andy Sawyer is becoming a fan favorite".
- ^ Joe Utay.
- ^ "Controversy Again as Sherrill Leaves Aggies".
- ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: COLLEGE SPORTS; Crow Leaves A&M Post".
- ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: FOOTBALL; Groff Named Aggies' Athletic Director".
- ^ Bill Byrne bio.
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||
