Introducing Baylor
May 16, 2012 04:09 PM | General
What Baylor athletics achieved in 2011-12 is nothing short of unbelievable, that is until you study what the Bears have done since Ian McCaw was named athletic director in September 2003.
In the last nine years Baylor has captured 36 Big 12 titles – third-most in the league behind just Texas and outgoing Texas A&M – spread out among baseball, women’s basketball, equestrian, softball and men’s and women’s tennis. There have been three national titles – men’s tennis in 2004 and women’s basketball in 2005 and 2012 – and arguably the most successful sixth-month stint in football, and men’s and women’s basketball in the 167-year history of the school.
Take your pick for the biggest sports story of the year for the Bears. Was it Baylor women’s basketball running the table and finishing the season with 40-0 record and the school’s second NCAA title under veteran coach Kim Mulkey? Or was it Robert Griffin III winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the Bears to an Alamo Bowl victory over Washington?
Scott Drew leading Baylor’s men’s basketball team to an Elite Eight appearance and a 12-point loss to Kentucky would have made headlines in most years.
The 80 combined victories in football and men’s and women’s basketball this is the most by any program in NCAA history and, adding baseball, the Bears also passed the 123 victories Texas had in those four sports during the 2004 campaign for the most in NCAA history.
Baylor is only the second program ever to boast a Heisman Trophy winner (Griffin III) and the consensus national player of the year in women’s basketball (Brittney Griner). The school finished this year ranked among the nation’s top 50 athletic programs in the NACDA Directors’ Cup standings for the sixth straight year, including a top 25 finish in 2005.
Yes, it was truly a remarkable year in the history of Baylor athletics with the promise of even greater success on the horizon as the Bears are planning to construct a new football stadium, thanks to the most generous gift in school history by outgoing Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane.
BAYLOR BRIEFS:
Location: Waco, Texas
Population: 125,000
Founded: 1845
Enrollment: 15,029
Nickname: Bears
Colors: Baylor Green and Baylor Gold
President: Kenneth Starr
Athletic Director: Ian McCaw
Website: http://www.baylorbears.com
2011 Football Record: 10-3 (Alamo Bowl champions)
2011-12 Men’s Basketball: 29-7 (NCAA Elite Eight)
2011-12 Women’s Basketball: 40-0 (NCAA champions)
BAYLOR SPORTS HISTORY:
Football:
Pro Football Hall of Fame: Mike Singletary
Baylor Bowl Game History
2011, Alamo Bowl vs. Washington (W)
2010, Texas Bowl vs. Illinois (L)
1994, Alamo Bowl vs. Washington State (L)
1992, Sun Bowl vs. Arizona (W)
1991, Copper Bowl vs. Indiana (L)
1986, Bluebonnet Bowl vs. Colorado (W)
1985, Liberty Bowl vs. LSU (W)
1983, Bluebonnet Bowl vs. Oklahoma State (L)
1981, Cotton Bowl vs. Alabama (L)
1979, Peach Bowl vs. Clemson (W)
1975, Cotton Bowl vs. Penn State (L)
1963, Bluebonnet Bowl vs. LSU (W)
1961, Gotham Bowl vs. Utah State (W)
1960, Gator Bowl vs. Florida (L)
1957, Sugar Bowl vs. Tennessee (W)
1954, Gator Bowl vs. Auburn (L)
1952, Orange Bowl vs. Georgia Tech (L)
1949, Dixie Bowl vs. Wake Forest (W)
NFL First-Round Draft Picks
2012, Robert Griffin III, QB (Washington)
2012, Kendall Wright, WR (Tennessee)
2011, Philip Taylor, DT (Cleveland)
2011, Danny Watkins, G (Philadelphia)
2009, Jason Smith, T (St. Louis)
1990, James Francis, LB (Cincinnati)
1982, Walter Abercrombie, RB (Pittsburgh)
1979, Greg Hawthorne, RB (Pittsburgh)
1977, Gary Green, DB (Kansas City)
1962, Ronnie Bull, RB (Chicago)
1959, Paul Dickson, DT (Los Angeles)
1957, Bill Glass, DE (Detroit)
1957, Del Shofner, E (Los Angeles)
1954, Cotton Davidson, QB (Baltimore)
1950, Adrian Burk, QB (Baltimore)
1942, Jack Wilson, HB (Cleveland)
Men’s Basketball:
Naismith Hall of Fame: None
Baylor NCAA Tournament History
2012, Elite Eight
2010, Elite Eight
2008
1988
1950, Final Four
1948, Runner-up
1946
NBA First-Round Draft Picks
2010, Ekpe Udou (Golden State)
1998, Brian Skinner (LA Clippers)
1979, Vinnie Johnson (Seattle)
Women’s Basketball:
Naismith Hall of Fame: Kim Mulkey, Leon Barmore and Sonja Hogg
Baylor NCAA Tournament History
2012, NCAA champions
2011, Elite Eight
2010, Final Four
2008, Sweet 16
2007
2006, Sweet 16
2005, NCAA champions
2004, Sweet 16
2002
2001
WNBA First-Round Draft Picks
2007, Bernice Mosby (Washington)
2006, Sophia Young (San Antonio)
2002, Sheila Lambert (Charlotte)
2002, Danielle Crockrom (Utah)
VISITING FAN GUIDE
Popular Attractions: Cameron Park Zoo, Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, Dr. Pepper Museum, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Lake Waco
Popular Restaurants: George’s Restaurant, Vitek’s BBQ, Dubl-R-Burgers, Health Camp, Elite Circle Grille, Shorty’s Pizza Shack, Rudy’s Country Store & Barbecue, Diamond Back’s, D’s Mediterranean Grill
Lodging: Fairfield Inn-North, Hampton Inn-North, Hilton Waco, Courtyard by Marriot
BAYLOR-WEST VIRGINIA HISTORY
Football: First meeting
Men’s Basketball: 0-1 (Last meeting 2011, Baylor 83-81)
Women’s Basketball: 1-1 (Last meeting 2011, Baylor 82-68)
BAYLOR-WEST VIRGINIA CONNECTIONS:
Baylor football coach Art Briles and West Virginia football coach Dana Holgorsen once worked together on Mike Leach’s Texas Tech football staff.
DID YOU KNOW?:
The popular soft drink Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store in 1885. Also, Baylor President Kenneth Starr served as Independent Counsel investigating the real estate dealings of President Bill Clinton's wife Hillary. The investigation produced the Starr Report, which eventually led to the impeachment proceedings for Clinton.
NEXT WEEK IOWA STATE
Michael Fragale, Julie Brown, Chris Ostien and Alyssa Casalino also contributed to this report
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