The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Former Longhorn Swaim DiNardo inducted into Azle Athletic Hall of Fame
11.22.2015 | Women's Basketball
DiNardo is a 2005 inductee into Texas Women's Hall of Honor.
AUSTIN, Texas – Former University of Texas women's basketball standout Jackie Swaim DiNardo recently was inducted into the Azle ISD Athletic Hall of Fame in Azle, Texas. At the induction ceremony, which took place on October 24, DiNardo was introduced by legendary Texas women's basketball coach Jody Conradt.
"I was honored to be part of her induction," Conradt said. "Jackie was really hard-working and had great enthusiasm for the game. She came from a really small town. Of all the people I coached, she showed great maturity and really took seriously the opportunity to come to the University of Texas to get a great education. She became a teacher and she has had very successful careers both as a teacher and a coach."
DiNardo, a 2005 inductee into the Texas Women's Hall of Honor, starred on the 1978-79 Longhorns team that went 37-4 and led UT to a No. 4 ranking nationally, which was the highest at the time. She was co-captain and paced the Horns in scoring, rebounding and steals during the 1980-81 campaign. She ranks among the top-20 all-time in points scored (1,405) and among the top-10 in Texas history with 16.5 points per game and a 58 percent field-goal percentage. DiNardo finished with 1,405 career points, playing only two seasons for the Longhorns.
DiNardo graduated from Texas in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in education.
As accomplished as DiNardo has been, her achievements have come in the face of much adversity.
"Jackie has had a lot of tragedy in her life," Conradt said. "She had a brother who was shot and killed. Her father passed away. She married a wonderful man who was a policeman, and he died of cancer as her youngest was beginning high school and her oldest was graduating from high school. She's handled it all so well."
Playing for the Azle Lady Hornets from 1974-76 in both basketball and volleyball, DiNardo was a two-time all-district and all-region selection, averaging 32 points per game as a senior. She earned all-state honors in her senior season of 1976 before moving on to McLennan Community College, where she became an All-American.
DiNardo represented the United States in the Pan American Games in 1979, bringing home the gold medal. She was drafted by the Women's Professional Basketball League, playing for the St. Louis and Dallas teams for several seasons.
Following her playing career, DiNardo has served as a physical education and health teacher for more than 30 years. She has also served as head girls basketball and volleyball coach, garnering 481 wins, 25 league championships and several state tournament bids across both sports. Her team has made 27 out of a possible 38 CIAC state appearances in basketball. Among the accolades she has received during her coaching tenure were FCIAC Coach of the Year and AAU Coach of the Year with the Wescon Fillies.
"It was fun to see her recognized," Conradt said. "It was the first class of the Hall of Fame at Azle. There were four men in the class who all played professionally. It is a small town that has had tremendous athletic talent. There hasn't been anyone I coached who I have stayed in closer contact with than Jackie, and no one who has been more appreciative for the opportunity to receive her degree from Texas and who recognizes how important the connections she made at the University of Texas have been in her life."