But he drew in others, like Sydney Colson and Danielle Adams around the same time, both of whom were on the Aggies 2011 national championship team. You think of all the people over the years, he said. A&M returns two starters and eight letter winners from the team that went 25-3 and won the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship last season. In the 1970s the kids had to wash their own clothes. Fantasy women's basketball: Will the addition of Candace Parker shake up fantasy values on the Aces? Gary Claude Blair (born August 10, 1945)[1] is a retired women's basketball head coach. His teams won seven straight conference championships, and appeared in the NCAA Tournament six times. "Coach Blair is a legend in women's basketball and college sports," Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said. Somebody that might be better than me can get the job done better. He saida conversation with former A&M football coach R.C. This portable Cubii under-desk elliptical is $129 off today. I had to rebuild Arkansas, but A&M was the hardest rebuild because when I got here, they were horrible. Those impressive accomplishments arent good enough for Blair, who began his career in 1973 as a coach at South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas. Early in his high school career, he was the most average guy that you had ever seen. No wonder he is coaching so long gotta reestablish himself. Long-time assistant coach Kelly Bond-White is obviously helping with those recruiting efforts. (Elsa / Getty Images). Only two tickets were claimed. I got the girl's coaching job by default because nobody else wanted it. Kelly Bond-White has been with me 21 years, he said. Flash02. Pub Date: 01/27/2017
I was used to that for 50 years, but now, it's a little bit different. Hes done tremendous things in the game of basketball. [3], In the summer of 1996, while his Arkansas team was in their offseason, Blair spent several months in Taiwan as the assistant coach of the U.S. Jones Cup team, which won the gold medal and became the first U.S. team to be undefeated at the Jones Cup tournament. Thanks David it's great to hear from Coach Blair Aggie Legend! Look at the impact hes had on a countless number of people. Division regular season champion I do not miss that, but I miss the evaluations. Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court. We cant get separation on teams, no one plays us close, our defense is solid but were not stopping people theyre scoring on us. Blair is well-known and well-liked throughout the SEC. In his 37 years as a collegiate head coach, Blair only suffered two losing seasons,[2] and has reached postseason play 28 times, including 23 NCAA Tournament appearances and Final Four appearances in 1998 with Arkansas and 2011 with Texas A&M. The game, the players. After I completed my failure in architecture, I had to sit out a semester and a summer before I could come back, and by that time baseball was over. He loved the players. I want to be like R.C.. Legendary Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair retired at the end of the 2021-22 season, but he is still a fixture in and around Aggieland. You cant (raise your voice at young people) anymore. The games and wins, sure. He ranks 12th in Division I history and fourth among active coaches. 3. It didnt take long five successful seasons for others to come calling for Blair. If its about money, Garrido said with a wry smile, well play in Austin.. He was also interviewing for the New Mexico State job, which he didnt want to take. I try to take the time to really reflect on my career and to really enjoy each and every moment of these last games of my career.. None of the big six major cities in Texas had womens athletics before Title IX. Im not playing kids just to keep them from transferring. [4] He also played a year of baseball for the Red Raidershe was a defensive center fielder with self-described poor hitting skills. Brent Zwerneman is a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle covering Texas A&M athletics. The first five years at Tech we were national champs, national champs, second, third, and Elite Eight. [7] He also started the boys and girls golf team, and served as its first coach as well. Every possession is a game in itself. Although I am excited to begin a new chapter in my life, I am even more excited to compete this year. We hired assistant Amy Sheridan, who played at Sam Houston State with Vic. Every one of the players he helped coach during that tournament later went on to play in the WNBA. Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, right, and his wife, Nan, make a long-distance relationship work. I just want to be that guy that hopefully did it the right way.". Thought his wife taught at the University of Arkansas . Not when you don't think about the hurt that false comments cause family members and friends who read this board. The couple doesn't really discuss where they'll end up. Karl Malone was playing at Louisiana Tech at that time. Its really something.. Didn't realize I said something inappropriate. TexAgs is an independent site and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. The beers were in the apartment office where she walked in, so I told my friends, 'I'm going to get a beer. Following his high school graduation in 1963, he enrolled at Texas Tech University, where he failed out of architecture, and moved to California to become a restaurant manager. . Every game is a Super Bowl to me.. "We couldn't have done this 20 years ago, because we didn't have cellphones.". GARY BLAIR, head women's basketball coach at Texas A&M University since 2003, led the Aggies to an NCAA national championship in 2011. 10-2 This Year. "This is an incredible honor," Blair said. Conference tournament champion, List of college women's basketball coaches with 600 wins, "Big 12 Coaches Owe Much to Louisiana Tech", "Q&A with Texas A&M women's hoops coach Gary Blair", "Pepperdine Timeout 4 HIV/AIDS Tourney Up Next For No. During his last six seasons, his teams were consistently ranked in the final AP Top 25 polls. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair, 76, announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of this season. Since then, the team has won more than 70 percent of its . I can get something out of all three of those. Title IX came in 1972, and schools had to put womens athletics in larger cities, whereas before they had only existed in small towns. Blair will complete a 50-year coaching career when this season ends. Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial. And you suddenly have these opportunities where women arent having to go play overseas or just walk away. 42 (UConn wins Dance; WBB ratings boom), 'I'm very honored and humbled': Gary Blair discusses Hall of Fame honor. our players and coaches wildly celebrating the biggest win in womens basketball history at Texas A&M . "Having my name on that beautiful floor is a humbling experience. "My wife and I want to do some traveling starting next summerwe've got a lot of places picked out," Blair said. Senior captain Jordan Nixon admitted she was caught off guard when Blair informed the team this would be his final season. Taylor succeeds hall of famer Gary Blair and is inheriting a program that is one of eight schools in the past 20 years to have a national title. Blair and Lewis did not get along, and their professional relationship became even more strained once the Arkansas athletic programs were divided and Lewis became the women's AD. 1 and No. I pull for people whove had to go through things. They put me into the office to work and I had a great year. It's good to be back. I dont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. He was a good kid, and he grew eight inches after high school. After a divorce between Blair and his wife of 30-plus years, Blair married Kyla Gay in 2020. This outlines how and why we collect, store and use your personal data when you use our website. He was 239-18 at South Oak Cliff. In the final game, the USA beat South Korea to finish the competition with a perfect 93 record. Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court, Blair said. "But I've done Fayetteville. Head Coach. Two days later, the Aggies defeated Notre Dame 76-70 in the championship game to win the tournament for the first time in school history. We were in Okinawa when everyone was trying to pull troops back. [3], Blair's first head coaching experience at the collegiate level came at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas. I flunked out of architecture, which didnt make me eligible for baseball. Thirty-four years later, Nan still thinks so - and the two have a mutual attraction. Brent Zwerneman is a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle covering Texas A&M athletics. Congratulations on his upcoming (I assume) nuptials! My friends sentme pictures. "His decades-long championship-caliber coaching acumen and recruiting ability has transcended many generations of women's basketball players and his impact will be felt long after he hangs up the whistle.". He says this is home and it feels right., I sat there and just listened to him and how he could express himself with everything hes going through. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair will retire after the 2021-22 season, officially making the announcement in a school release Thursday morning. "This little, good-looking redhead walked by," Blair said. a reporter reminded Blair he had defeated Nebraska in the 2010 Big 12 tournament when the Cornhuskers were 30-0 and ranked No. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion 9 seed for the NCAA Tournament and reached the NCAA Final Four. I sat down two days ago on his front porch and listened to his problems and everything he has done. Weve done a good job of bringing in the right kids with the right parents. Weve lost recent games to South Carolina and Tennessee, but we were right there until the last possession. 42 (UConn wins Dance; WBB ratings boom), 'I'm very honored and humbled': Gary Blair discusses Hall of Fame honor. A Dallas native, Blair was the head coach at South Oak Cliff High school from 1973-1980. Vic Schaefer came with me when Tom took the Colorado job. No way did I think I would still be coaching now. I just need an arena with 94 feet to be able to compete.. But hes still the most positive man and most popular coach in this town. He said thats the right time to retire because the program is strong and he needs to spend more time with his wife, Kyla, and their children and nine grandchildren. You could tell Cheryl was the next coming. A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair. But you dont change your values and your principles, and when those kids were sitting there with their parents, I had respect from them with their family. Well, I wasnt busy coaching baseball, so I jumped on that chance. Reflection is a good time instead of procrastination, which I've done for a long time. During his stint at Arkansas, the womens game evolved in a way Blair had always hoped to see. Would be hard to leave that. [3], Blair made history with his 19971998 team. 500 With Win Over ISU", "Aggies claim first NCAA women's basketball championship", "Texas A&M women's coach Blair to retire at season's end", "Coaching great Blair inducted into Ladyjack Hall of Fame", "Southland legends Dumars, Blair to enter Conference Hall of Honor", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gary_Blair&oldid=1149421149, 2007 Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year, 2006 Women's Basketball News Service National Coach of the Year, 2002 Texas High School Basketball Hall of Famer, 1995 Women's Basketball News Service National Coach of the Year, Five-time District VI Converse Coach of the Year, This page was last edited on 12 April 2023, at 03:53. [3] With a Number 6 seed[2] to the NCAA Tournament (A&M's first such invitation since 1996), Blair became only the fourth coach in NCAA history to take three different schools to the NCAA Tournament,[3] although this became his only appearance where his team lost in the first round. Abe Lemons once described the difference between coaching and most other jobs. Blair arrived at Texas A&M in 2003,[11] taking over the Big 12 Conference's worst team, which had not had a winning season in seven years. A group of girls from South Oak Cliff were ready to play any and every sport they could. [3] At South Oak Cliff, Blair coached Debra and Kim Rodman, Dennis Rodman's sisters. He has also held his "Celebrity Golf Classic" to benefit Special Olympics for over 15 years; recently, the program has raised over $100,000 annually. He is listed in the top 35 of the all-time winningest NCAA Division I women's basketball coaches, and he is one of the few coaches to guide three different schools to national rankings and NCAA Tournament berths. [3], Overall, in his first three years as the head coach of the Aggies, A&M home attendance increased 156%, with a school-record 11,088 fans watching the team play Baylor University. I took the job thinking this will be good for a year or two. Gary Blairs teams have earned an NCAA tournament berthevery year from2006-2021. So, with both drenched in successful careers, how have the two made a long-distance marriage work? Im 72, but a young 72. You want to see people compete. You have to get outside. Nan is in her fifth year as Arkansas' director of nursing. . It was back then Old Dominion, Louisiana Tech, Long Beach State, Western Kentucky and Cheney State that were the big dogs. This is a reflection year more than anything, and I'm trying to get organized. 2:28p, 3/5/20. Prairie View A&M wants to leave the Texas A&M University System. Those misses included big names like Brittney Griner, who went to Baylor, and Nneka Ogwumike, who played at Stanford. It will be a symbol of all those that helped build this program and all the Aggies that battle on that court, not just in women's basketball, but in men's basketball and volleyball as well. 23 in the AP preseason poll. The 2023 NFL Draft runs April 2729 live from Kansas City, Missouri. In the NCAA tournament, the team lost to eventual national champion Tennessee. You have to get outside. Im very honest with the kids and their parents: when you earn your playing time, you will get your playing time. Brent met his wife, KBTX-TV news anchor Crystal Galny, in the Dixie Chicken before an A&M-Texas Tech football game in 2002, and the couple has three . But the time has come.. He has led the Aggies to five conference titles, including the 2021 SEC regular-season title and the 2011 national championship. That was a special time for the game, he said. [3], In his third season with the Aggies, Blair guided his team to their first Associated Press Top 25 ranking in ten years. On Thursday night, Blair will coach the Texas A&M womens team at home for the last time, as the school names the court at Reed Arena after him. After serving on former Georgia coach Andy Landers' staff in Athens from 2011 to 2015, Taylor had a breakthrough season in 2020-21, as the Lady Bulldogs went 21-7 and advanced to the SEC . [3] Despite Blair's winning record at Arkansas and taking the program to its first ever Final Four just four years earlier, then-women's program athletic director Bev Lewis relieved Blair of his coaching duties after the season. What we want to do is make sure Coach is celebrated., Obviously we know (Bond-White) very well. Joni Taylor. 28 color photos. Then-UT baseball coach Augie Garrido had no qualms predicting the NCAAs intent when determining whether Texas or the University of Houston, the latter of which sported the better record that season, would host a super regional in 2014. "I've got nine grandkids that I want to go spend more time with. Then had Amber Nichols Shirey, who ended up staying there she is still the director of basketball operations there. Request a review copy, Professors:
Idont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. One of my biggest pet peeves is adults who refuse to admit to mistakes. 8 b&w photos. He made $7,000 annually coaching all of these sports. Kit Lyle was with me at Stephen F., and more recently he was Chennedy Carters coach for her last two years of high school Mike Neighbors was a high school coach at Cabbot making $72,000 a year. All of my 750 wins have happened after I turned 40, because I was a late bloomer. Over the past 19 seasons, the program . 3 in the country and be 30-0? responded Blair, before having a little fun at the expense of one of college basketballs all-time powerhouses. We were just coming off of a state championship team and I had just got married. I ended up coaching women's basketball because there wasn't a coaching job when I took the PE job at South Oak Cliff. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. I never sat down during our games for 19 years. I actually fell in love with the kids, and to this day its still the best job Ive ever had, because it gave me the confidence to do what Im doing now. Y'all keep playing.' Part of that attraction stems from the old line about absence making the heart grow fonder, considering the last quarter of their 32-year marriage has been spent separated by what Nan dubs "nine hours and 15 minutes" of asphalt. [10], As the head coach of the women's basketball team at Arkansas, Blair compiled a 198-120 record. [3][4], Blair is also actively involved with the community. On Thursday night, Blair will coach the Texas A&M women's team at . Earlier this season. 5 Aggies", "With Title, Texas A&M Coach Has Another Story to Tell", "Former SFA head coach to be inducted into Ladyjack Hall of Fame", "Click here to find out more! Brent met his wife, KBTX . Can you talk about how you assembled your infamous coaching staff at Arkansas? Texas A&M said nearly 60 of Blair's former assistants or players became head coaches, including six currently at the Division I level: LSU's Kim Mulkey, Texas' Vic Schaefer, Arkansas' Mike Neighbors, Auburn's Johnnie Harris, Georgia Tech's Nell Fortner and Lamar's A'Quonesia Franklin. The USA team won the game and the championship 7262. Its still difficult to describe the scene after the final buzzer sounded, because the moment was just so damned surreal, writes head coach Gary Blair following the conclusion of the title game of the 2011 NCAA Division I womens basketball tournament. The girls asked me if I'd coach them. When I go back to reunions I feel good because a lot of those old people dont nearly look as good. Texas A&M named 2021 SEC Coach of the Year Joni Taylor as the eighth women's basketball head coach in program history on March 23, 2022. I'm trying to adjust. I'm a sports fan. I remember thinking that I wished I could somehow stop time., GARY BLAIR, head womens basketball coach at Texas A&M University since 2003, led the Aggies to an NCAA national championship in 2011. The Aggies open Blair's final season with an exhibition against Oklahoma Baptist at 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 at Reed Arena in College Station. Last: How long do you want to ignore this user? It wasnt long before we saw he was a money-making machine. . Wishing you all the best in your retirement. The game was tied at 45 all, when the USA hit several free throws to take a lead they would not give up. All the other men coached boys basketball and football. Not too many players transfer from Texas A&M. I have no regrets and just hold my colleagues, my players and the game in such high regards. In 1977 we won our first state championship, and they asked me to be the head boys basketball coach and the coordinator of junior varsity football. 2023 Maroon & White LP. Why now? Gary Blair Kelly Bond-White Kayla Wells Texas A&M Women's Basketball Blair's legacy honored despite dropping final home game to South Carolina By Olin Buchanan February 25, 2022 2 4,578 Tweet Share Jump to Discussion Whether you're a teenager or a 76-year-old basketball coach, leaving home isn't easy. All three of us were six months apart in age. He also started perfecting recruiting. I want to be the first coach at A&M to leave since Bear Bryant, on his own terms. But I made an attempt to get them all here.. He should do it on his terms. Ive got some (players) who can mimic me pretty good, and theyre usually right on. I pull for all the older men and women. Then I joined the Marine Corps. "They just feed off each other so well.". [4], National champion The Make or Break For Jimbo's Tenure, Cromartie taking shots at the coaching staff. Blair, 65, also became the oldest women's coach to win a national championship. At the time of the offer, Blair was making an annual salary of $22,000. The team's success was noticed by their fans, who increased home attendance enough to allow the school to rank in the top 12 of NCAA Division 1 attendance leaders. The first year we were a Cinderella team and went to the Final Four. Social media is now as important as the three-point line. Overall, Blair has 852 career wins, 12th all-time in Division I history, and has led the Aggies to 16 NCAA tournaments, eight Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights and five conference titles along with the the 2011 national championship. But also, just excited for him. ", Texas A&M naming court in honor of retiring Blair, The top 35 women's college basketball players in the transfer portal, Ex-Louisville star Van Lith picks champion LSU, New Big Ten boss Petitti ready to lead 'new era', Wake Forest's Spear, top-5 ACC scorer, in portal, Survey: Male athletes unsure of Title IX process, Oregon State AD Barnes released from hospital, S. Carolina brings on former Oregon PG Paopao, Ex-Iowa St. guard Donarski transferring to UNC, How Hailey Van Lith's transfer impacts NCAA champion LSU. He would drive me to ball games and couldnt come in and watch (due to NCAA rules), so he would sit in the parking lot and work with what whatever Internet we had around 2000. In the spring of 1977, Blair and the Bears won their first state championship. Texas A&M football position analysis: Special teams, University of Houston football position analysis: Special teams, Sunday vigil, expanded manhunt and more on Cleveland shooting, Shooting survivors: San Jacinto family only sought small favor, Abbott calls Texas shooting victims illegal immigrants', FBI briefly releases photo of wrong Francisco Oropeza, Houston nurses sentenced to federal prison over Medicare scheme, 5 found shot 'execution style' in home in San Jacinto County, Texas shooting: Suspected shooter possibly spotted, sheriff says, Some Galveston County residents 'fed up' with property appraisals, MLB Network's Mark DeRosa hilariously apologizes to Astros, Houston-area players find homes as NFL draft picks, undrafted fre, UH could play basketball game in Mexico City next season, Houston baseball top performers: Alvin's Williams is dominant, Houston-area schools capture six team titles at SPC championships, Houston HS baseball rankings: Cy-Woods No.1 to end regular season, While some say his inappropriate relationship with a staff member is cause for more punishment, Rockets convinced he is right man as new coach. On March 29, 2011, Gary Blair led the program to its first ever Final Four appearance by defeating top-seeded Baylor 58-46. Ive never fired a person in my life, back to restaurant manager days. You played baseball in college. ". It makes you appreciate the road of women in sports. Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire. What is the foundation for building a good team culture? I love it enough. In the 200708 season, Blair led his squad to a school-first NCAA Elite Eight appearance and a 298 overall record. In womens basketball, we went to state the first year we could go to state in 1976. Great for Gary. The wit and wisdom of Blair, 75, will again be on a national stage starting at 5 p.m. Monday, when the second-seeded Aggies face No. From 1993-2003, he was the head coach at Arkansas. I just want to be the ordinary Joe about town. I miss going out and talking shop with your colleagues and then getting up and doing it again. [4], In his seven seasons at South Oak Cliff, he set a state record with five consecutive state tournament appearances and a 239-18 record. We opened that arena in the 1983-84 season and we played Cheryl Miller and USC in the opening round (of the NCAA Tournament) and we got beat at home. I can tell you everything about Wimbledon because I got to watch a lot of it. He figured he had a few more years left in him. I usually ask experienced coaches how young people have changed since you first began coaching, but you have 45 years of experience. I am a product of Title IX, Blair said. I think we shared that reaction, Nixon said. Been engaged a year to a wonderful lady. You know, you just remember all those wonderful things, he said. Since integration, there were no volunteers. Thats my strength. They asked for volunteers to coach (girls) basketball (at South Oak Cliff), and the girls next door asked me if Id coach. Vic turned it down and came with me to Texas A&M, and Amber stayed. Theheat doesn't bother me as long as I can play golf early in the morning. Just last week Texans GM Nick Caserio was deflecting rumors of a possible departure. We all want to make this season special for us and for him.". I told Sue that two things have to happen: you have to come with me and my wife has to come with me. Bill to earn a bachelor's degree in health and physical education with a minor in journalism from Texas Tech. Gary is in his ninth year as the most successful basketball coach in A&M history, having led the Aggies to the school's first national title in the sport a year ago.
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