Growing up in the Hodgen neighborhood, Frank Windegger attended McKinley from 1949 to 1953 and was the president of the January 1953 graduating class. Frank lettered in football, baseball and basketball. Frank was the captain of the baseball team and the football team. He was the quarterback on McKinley's football team that won the St. Louis Public High championship of 1952. In 1952, he was selected to the All-District football team and also won the Jim Gould Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Missouri-Illinois District. Upon graduating from McKinley, Frank was awarded a football scholarship to Texas Christian University (TCU) where he played both football and baseball.

Windegger recently received a great honor from the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. The former Horned Frog student-athlete, coach and administrator has a 50-year association with Texas Christian University. The Goldbugs are proud as well.

WACO, Texas -- The Texas Sports Hall of Fame has announced that the TCU gallery in its new Southwest Conference wing will be named in honor of former Horned Frog athletics director Frank Windegger. The groundbreaking is set for April 9 on the $4 million, 18,000-square foot wing dedicated to the 80-year history of the Southwest Conference.

Regarded as one of the nation's top athletics administrators, Windegger was a 2000 inductee into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of Fame. His excellence as a Horned Frog student-athlete, coach and administrator earned him selection into the TCU Lettermen's Association Hall of Fame in 1983.

"We are very proud to have Frank Windegger's name on the TCU gallery in our new Southwest Conference wing," Steve Fallon, executive director of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, said. "Frank is such an integral part of TCU's history. He has a long and proud association with TCU and is a true Horned Frog. Frank continues to be identified closely with TCU and has always represented the University in a first-class manner."

Windegger, a past president of NACDA, was the first athletics director to serve as the Southwest Conference representative on the prestigious NCAA Council. He also served on NCAA football and men's basketball committees.

"This is truly one of the greatest honors I will ever receive," Frank said. "Having spent 50 years with the Southwest Conference and TCU as a student-athlete, coach, and administrator, and now to be included in the history and accomplishments of the SWC and represent TCU, is a sincere privilege."

Windegger's long relationship with TCU began when he arrived on campus as a freshman in 1953. After starring as a quarterback on the football team and a pitcher in baseball, Windegger served the Frogs in a variety of roles that included business manager, ticket manager and baseball coach.

In 1963, in just his second year as TCU's baseball skipper, Windegger made league history by becoming the youngest coach to win a Southwest Conference title in any sport.

Windegger led TCU baseball to four SWC championships and four runner-up finishes in his 14 years as head coach, posting an overall record of 298-166-1 (.641). He was voted the NCAA District VI and SWC Coach of the Year in 1972.

"This is a wonderful and well-deserved honor for Frank Windegger," TCU athletics director Danny Morrison said. "We are extremely pleased to have Frank's name representing TCU in this manner.

"The Southwest Conference wing in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame will be well received by the TCU community as well as everyone who has such fond memories of the league. This is an exciting initiative, and we're very grateful to be a part of it."

Following the retirement of Abe Martin in 1975, Windegger became just the third TCU athletics directors in five decades. Windegger's 23-year tenure, which concluded with his retirement in 1998, was marked by his steady influence and growth of the athletics program. With this additional achievement by Frank Windegger, it makes us proud to have Frank as a Goldbug.