Following his career in professional and semi-pro baseball, Tom Swayze became the South's first football recruiter when he returned to Ole Miss in 1947 and was a pioneer in the area. As assistant football coach under John Vaught, serving as chief recruiter through the 1971 season, the Ole Miss Rebels won six Southeastern Conference championships and a share of three national championships (1959, '60, '62) recognized in the NCAA Record Book.
Swayze also served as head baseball coach at Ole Miss (1951-71) and later as Director of the Loyalty Foundation (1971-75). In 21 seasons as head baseball coach, the Rebels were 361-201-2 overall and 195-120-1 in Southeastern Conference play. His 361 coaching wins were the most at Ole Miss until 1986 when Jake Gibbs moved ahead.
Swayze's squads captured four SEC baseball titles and three NCAA District III crowns, which advanced the Rebels to the College World Series all three times. In three NCAA District III tournaments, Ole Miss was 10-1. Swayze was selected SEC Coach of the Year four times (1959, '60, '64, '69) and also earned NCAA District III Coach of the Year honors.
Swayze helped develop four All-Americans at Ole Miss. Eight of his Rebels made the All-District teams, including Archie Manning at shortstop in 1970, and he developed 38 All-SEC performers. Five of his players reached the major leagues.
The school's previous baseball diamond was named in his honor in 1976, and the current stadium, "Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field," was dedicated in 1989.
Following his retirement from coaching at Ole Miss in 1971, he was honored with "Tom Swayze Day." He then became Director of the Loyalty Foundation, a position he held until 1975. Swayze returned to Ole Miss athletics in the Spring of 1986 as a volunteer baseball coach and served through the 1988 season.
Swayze was selected to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1978 and was chosen as a charter member of Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.
