{{Short description|American basketball coach}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Johnny Ray Swaim | image = Johnny-swaim.jpg | alt = Johnny Swaim | caption = Johnny Swaim, circa 1970 | birth_date = {{birth date|1929|09|09}} | birth_place = Jean, Texas, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1995|10|05|1929|09|09}} | death_place = Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. | alma_mater = | player_years1 = 1950–1953 | player_team1 = TCU | player_positions = Guard | coach_years1 = 1955–1956 | coach_team1 = La Vega HS (TX) | coach_years2 = 1956–1967 | coach_team2 = TCU (assistant) | coach_years3 = 1967–1977 | coach_team3 = TCU | overall_record = {{Winning percentage|102|151|record=y}} | bowl_record = | tournament_record = 1–2 (NCAA) | championships = 2 SWC regular season (1968, 1971) | awards = 2x SWC Coach of the Year (1968, 1970) }} '''Johnny Ray Swaim''' (September 9, 1929 – October 5, 1995) was an NCAA Division I head basketball coach from 1967 to 1977. He attended high school in Graham, Texas, where he lettered in four sports: basketball, baseball, football, and track. He was recruited by several Texas universities, but chose to attend Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas on a full four year basketball scholarship. While at TCU Swaim was a part of five Southwest Conference Championships<ref>[https://archives.dallasnews.com/uncategorized/IO_c6a7a477-33a6-4658-adeb-dc51a39f4221/ Former TCU coach Johnny Swaim dies] Dallas Morning News, Oct 7, 1995. p 38</ref> as a player and coach and led his team to two NCAA Division I Men's Basketball tournaments.<ref name="NCAA1" /><ref name="NCAA2">[https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-05-19/1971-ncaa-tournament-bracket-scores-stats-records 1971 NCAA: Brackets, scores, stats]</ref> In 1968 and 1970 he was voted the Southwest Conference Coach of the Year.<ref>[https://issuu.com/tcu_athletics/docs/section_1/126 2009-2010 TCU Men's Basketball Media Guide] p 160, Conference Coach of the Year</ref><ref name="GoFrogs">[https://gofrogs.com/news/2008/3/3/TCU_Men_s_Basketball_A_Look_Back_at_the_1967_68_Season_Part_I_ A Look Back at the 1967-68 Season]</ref> In 1975, he was named to TCU's 60-year All-time Basketball Team, and in 1983, he was inducted into the TCU Letterman's Hall of Fame.<ref>[https://gofrogs.com/sports/2018/7/13/genrel-032102aaa-html TCU Lettermen's Association Hall of Fame Members]</ref>
==College years==
The teams on which Swaim played as point guard for TCU coach Buster Brannon won the Southwest Conference championship in 1951, 1952, and 1953.<ref>[https://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/11077 The Horned Frog 1951 yearbook]</ref><ref>[https://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/11078 The Horned Frog 1952 yearbook]</ref><ref>[https://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/11079 The Horned Frog 1953 yearbook]</ref> He and teammate Richard Allen were the only players in TCU history to have played on three consecutive conference winners.<ref>[https://www.coachesdatabase.com/tcu-horned-frogs-basketball/#:~:text=Sweet%20Sixteen%20Appearances%3A%204%20(1952,NIT%20Championships%3A%201%20(2017) TCU Horned Frogs basketball history] www.coachesdatabase.com</ref><ref>[https://issuu.com/tcu_athletics/docs/section_1/126 2009-2010 TCU Men's Basketball Media Guide]</ref><ref>[https://obits.dallasnews.com/us/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/name/richard-allen-obituary?id=1958925 Richard Allen Obituary]</ref> Swaim was also a pitcher for the Horned Frog baseball team during those years. In his senior year, he was invited to play in the Second Ararat Shrine Temple East-West All Star Basketball Game in Kansas City, Missouri.<ref>[https://star-telegram.newspapers.com/image/636755009/?terms=johnny%20swaim&match=1 Deserving: Swaim Rates His Bid to East-West Contest] Ft Worth Star Telegram, March 18, 1953. p 15</ref>
== Early coaching career ==
After graduation from TCU in 1953, Swaim entered the United States Marine Corps as a second lieutenant, having gone through the platoon leaders training program in college.<ref>[https://star-telegram.newspapers.com/image/637495864/?terms=johnny%20swaim&match=1 Miss Hewatt and Marine Officer Wed in Virginia] Fort Worth Star Telegram, Nov 13, 1953. p 17</ref> He received an honorable discharge from the USMC in 1955, at which time he returned to Texas to coach basketball and baseball for one year at La{{Nbsp}}Vega High School in Bellmead, near Waco, Texas. His college coaching career began the following year, 1956, when his former college coach, Buster Brannon, hired him as freshman basketball coach and recruiter.<ref>[https://star-telegram.newspapers.com/image/638336880/?terms=johnny%20swaim&match=1 Swaim, Ex-TCU Athlete, Returns as Frosh Coach] Fort Worth Star Telegram, June 9, 1956. p 30</ref> When the TCU freshman program was discontinued, Swaim was full-time varsity assistant until Brannon's retirement in 1967.<ref name="SwaimReplacesBrannon" />
==Head coaching career==
After Brannon retired Swaim was promoted to the head basketball coaching position at TCU.<ref name="SwaimReplacesBrannon">[https://www.newspapers.com/image/641681658/?terms=%22johnny%20swaim%22&match=1 Swaim to Replace Buster Brannon], Fort Worth Star Telegram. Jan 18, 1967, p 20.</ref> The team he inherited from Brannon was full of potential and he went to work to seriously draw it out. The 1967–68 TCU team was "picked" to finish no better than third in the Southwest Conference, with Texas Tech predicted to win the crown. Swaim became a student and advocate of the "zone press" as a defensive strategy, and he had the personnel to make it work: Mickey McCarty, a 6-5 extraordinary athlete who played the forward position; James Cash Jr., a 6-6 center who was the first black basketball player in the SWC; Tom Swift at the other forward position; Rick Wittenbraker and Bill Swanson at the starting guard spots; and a solid bench for support.<ref name="GoFrogs" /> With three games left, TCU was in fourth place behind co-leaders Baylor, Texas University, then Texas A&M, but by only one game. The Frogs then proceeded to beat Texas, then Texas A&M to place them in a three-way tie with Baylor and Texas.<ref>[http://joanhewattswaim.com/articles/html/Articles_framepg1.htm Frogs, We're All For You] Joan Hewatt Swaim Articles, TCU Magazine, October 1987</ref>
An account by TCU Sports Information Director Jim Brock sums up the excitement of Swaim's rookie year and the showdown between TCU and Baylor which led to their 1968 SWC title.
"That Baylor game was something. With the Frogs tied with Baylor and Texas at the top rung going into the contest, the championship was on the line. TCU was behind 31-29 at halftime, but when Arkansas' 74-73 upset of Texas was announced with 5:39 left in the game, the Frogs were ahead 59-51, and the Purple supporters started the chant - all the way to the championship. Baylor made a surge, but the Frogs never looked better under pressure as they locked up the first title since 1959."<ref>[https://star-telegram.newspapers.com/image/643458397/?terms=Johnny%20Swaim&match=1 Headed to the Showers] Fort Worth Star Telegram. March 4, 1968. p 13.</ref>
The Frogs then proceeded to the 1st round of the NCAA Midwest Regional defeating Kansas State before losing to No.1 ranked Houston and all-American Elvin Hayes in the Midwest championship game.<ref name="NCAA1">[https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-05-13/1968-ncaa-tournament-bracket-scores-stats-records 1968 NCAA: Bracket, scores, stats, records]</ref>
Coach Swaim would win one more Southwest Conference title in 1970-71, but lost to Notre Dame in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.<ref name="NCAA2" />
==Head coaching record== {{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason= | poll = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subhead | name = TCU Horned Frogs | conference = Southwest Conference | startyear = 1967 | endyear = 1977 }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = 1967–68 | name = TCU | overall = 15–11 | conference = 9–5 | confstanding = 1st | postseason = NCAA University Division Regional Finals }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1968–69 | name = TCU | overall = 12–12 | conference = 5–9 | confstanding = T–6th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1969–70 | name = TCU | overall = 10–14 | conference = 8–6 | confstanding = T–3rd | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = conference | season = 1970–71 | name = TCU | overall = 15–12 | conference = 11–3 | confstanding = 1st | postseason = NCAA University Division First Round }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1971–72 | name = TCU | overall = 15–9 | conference = 9–5 | confstanding = T–3rd | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1972–73 | name = TCU | overall = 4–21 | conference = 2–12 | confstanding = T–7th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1973–74 | name = TCU | overall = 8–17 | conference = 2–12 | confstanding = 8th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1974–75 | name = TCU | overall = 9–16 | conference = 4–10 | confstanding = T–6th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1975–76 | name = TCU | overall = 11–16 | conference = 6–10 | confstanding = 7th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 1976–77 | name = TCU | overall = 3–23 | conference = 0–16 | confstanding = 9th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = TCU | overall = {{Winning percentage|102|151|record=y}} | confrecord = {{Winning percentage|56|88|record=y}} }} {{CBB Yearly Record End | overall = {{Winning percentage|102|151|record=y}} }}
==After coaching==
In 1977 Johnny Swaim retired from coaching to enter the real estate business in Granbury, Texas.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/634134428/?terms=%22johnny%20swaim%22&match=1 Somerville to Replace Swaim] Fort Worth Star Telegram. November 22, 1977. p 25.</ref>
At his death in 1995,<ref>[https://star-telegram.newspapers.com/image/645525530/?terms=Johnny%20Swaim&match=1 Ex-TCU coach Swaim dies at 66] Fort Worth Star Telegram. Oct 6, 1995, p 62.</ref><ref>[https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/johnny-swaim-1.html Ex-TCU coach and former builder dies] Hood County News, Oct 7, 1995.</ref><ref>[https://repository.tcu.edu/bitstream/handle/116099117/17741/19951010.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y TCU mourns former coach] TCU Skiff</ref> he had been married for 42 years to the former Joan Hewatt. They are the parents of Michael Ray and Susan Elizabeth and the grandparents of Asher Kurtz.
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/johnny-swaim-1.html Sports Reference] – Johnny Swaim * [https://gofrogs.com/sports/2018/7/13/genrel-032102aaa-html TCU Lettermen's Association Hall of Fame Members] * [https://gofrogs.com/sports/mens-basketball TCU Men's Basketball] * [https://issuu.com/tcu_athletics/docs/section_1/126 The 2009-10 TCU Men's Basketball Media Guide] * [http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tcusp/00042/tcu-00042.html#did Joan and Johnny Swaim Papers TCU Library]
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