The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Harris earns Alumni of the Year Award from Texas Exes Black Alumni Network
09.04.2015 | Women's Basketball
Women’s Basketball Coordinator of Community Engagement claims prestigious honor.
AUSTIN, Texas -- University of Texas Women's Athletics Hall of Honor inductee and current Coordinator of Community Engagement for the UT Women's Basketball program Fran Harris was named the recipient of the 2015 Alumni of the Year Award by the Texas Exes Black Alumni Network. Harris will receive the award at the network's annual Legacy Celebrations and Awards ceremony on Friday, Sept. 18 at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center on the UT campus.
"The Alumni of the Year Award recognizes an alumnus who has fulfilled the obligations of their education through creative leadership services benefiting society and The University of Texas," said Mary Benton, Legacy Award chair. "Fran Harris and her accomplishments are the embodiment of this award. She is a leader, role model, successful businesswoman and a passionate advocate for all Longhorns."
An accomplished businesswoman, writer and broadcast personality with more than 20 years of experience in the sales, sports media and sports marketing industries, Harris is beginning her second season in her role with the UT Women's Basketball program. She was inducted into the UT Athletics Women's Hall of Honor in 2007.
Harris' many accomplishments in the business industry include over 15 years of experience as a corporate trainer and speaker, former account executive at Procter & Gamble (1991-95), 10 years of live broadcast experience with the ESPN family of networks (1994-2001; 2011-present), host of HGTV's "Home Rules" (2010), 'advice guru' for ABC's "Good Morning America" (2010-11), and adjunct professor of advertising at UT (2011-13).
The Dallas, Texas native was a student-athlete for hall-of-fame coach Jody Conradt from 1982-86 during the most successful era in women's basketball at The University of Texas. Harris earned Southwest Conference Player of the Year in 1984-85 and was the team MVP of the historic 1985-86 squad, which became the first women's college basketball team to go undefeated (34-0) and win the NCAA title. Her 1,798 career points at UT still ranks seventh in program history.
After graduating with a communications degree from UT in 1986, Harris played professional basketball in over 30 countries while based with teams in Italy and Switzerland. In between seasons of her professional playing career, Harris served as a graduate assistant on Conradt's coaching staff during the 1988-89 season and attained a master of arts in journalism from UT in 1991. She played three seasons in the WNBA with the Houston Comets (1997-98), including the inaugural WNBA champion team in 1997, and the Utah Starzz (1999).
