The games and wins, sure. The focus instead will be on Blairs final season. From throwing candy in the stands to entice students to come to games and support their womens teams to saying yes to just about every media request ever made to building the confidence of just about every player he ever coached, Blair has been an integral figure in womens basketball. All rights reserved. What I haven't gotten to do is spend a lot of time with my granddaughter and grandson.". I dont want to just win ball games; I want to make a difference and be in every game. What is the foundation for building a good team culture? 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. His teams won seven straight conference championships, and appeared in the NCAA Tournament six times. To me, thats the least of my worries. Reflection is a good time instead of procrastination, which I've done for a long time. 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. Why now? Kelly Bond-White has been with me 21 years, he said. Here's how to score the best deals on tickets, plus all the free promotions you won't want to miss. I had a rule for my kids that they had to play all of (the sports). He was also inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023. 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. I thought Id be a baseball coach, but after four and a half years of college I quit for a while and went to California to take a summer job as a restaurant manager. RUSTY BURSON, author of. Im very honest with the kids and their parents: when you earn your playing time, you will get your playing time. Blair, 76, has won 838 games in his career at Stephen F. Austin . The beers were in the apartment office where she walked in, so I told my friends, 'I'm going to get a beer. Shelby Metcalf, who coached the men's team for 27 seasons, is the school's winningest coach. 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. Then Arkansas made the mistake of not hiring him when I left. Thank you. . In basketball I stayed in shape, but I couldnt shoot a lick. Ive got a saying: today I gave all I had, and what I kept Ive lost forever. 6.12 x 9.25 x 0 in 288 pp. 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! [3], In his third season with the Aggies, Blair guided his team to their first Associated Press Top 25 ranking in ten years. "This little, good-looking redhead walked by," Blair said. 9 Replies | He never meant to coach womens basketball. His teams won three state Class 4A championships, in 1977, 1978, and 1980, and finished as the runner-up in 1979 by only two points. Division regular season and conference tournament champion [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. 15th seed Troy in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. 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 . It was very good. Well, I wasnt busy coaching baseball, so I jumped on that chance. Pam Green went on to star at Missouri. We missed last year.. When he told us, we were a little surprised because we know that he could keep coaching if he wants to. The game, the players. We have a little travel in our plans, and I have a busy month of September coming up. Brent was named national beat writer of the year by the Football Writers Association of America for 2021, the first Texan to earn the honor, but hes most proud on the sports front of earning Dayton Invitational Basketball Tournament MVP honors in 1988. I am a product of Title IX and young ladies standing up for me and saying they wanted to be coached by somebody who cared. [2] During his five seasons there, Louisiana Tech reached the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament four times, winning two national championships. "We both have careers. I even watch WWE. Im around all the other events; Im the only coach thats in a civic club. 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. Bryce Young vs. C.J. I have a lot of responsibility, a lot of flexibility, and I argue with my assistants all the time. I played ping pong and basketball with Dennis Rodman when he was a kid. Todays kids live in the moment. 1 in top 25 women's college basketball preseason rankings, Predictions for all 32 women's college basketball conference races, 2022 women's recruiting class rankings: Trio of Pac-12 teams lead the way. Its been great this year to reflect at every gym we go to, to talk to other coaches Ive known for years, he said. You could tell Cheryl was the next coming. This outlines how and why we collect, store and use your personal data when you use our website. got fired (in 2002) he could have went to LSU, Baylor, Houston or a lot of other places. Pub Date: 01/27/2017 ", "I love Aggieland, and I love Fayetteville," Gary said. "My wife and I want to do some traveling starting next summerwe've got a lot of places picked out," Blair said. You could get it done at those smaller venues back then. Right now, it's a mess in college athletics. Joni Taylor is doing very well. 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. 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. Blairs coaching tree includes Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer and Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors, whose teams Texas A&M faces in Southeastern Conference play. I love it enough. I dont hire bobblehead dolls. I just need an arena with 94 feet to be able to compete.. [20], Gary Blair was named the assistant coach of the 1996 R. William Jones Cup Team. Been engaged a year to a wonderful lady. Blair is one of only three all-time DI womens basketball coaches to lead two different teams to the Final Four, and is one of eight coaches to lead three different teams to the NCAA Tournament. He netted a national APSE second-place finish for breaking the Dennis Franchione secret newsletter scandal in 2007, and his coverage of Texas A&Ms move to the SEC from the Big 12 also netted a third-place finish nationally in 2012. Brent met his wife, KBTX . On March 29, 2011, Gary Blair led the program to its first ever Final Four appearance by defeating top-seeded Baylor 58-46. He also has four grandchildren: Logan, Lola, Landry and Reagan. The British Open is coming up. Im not like Bush 41, but like Bush 43. Somebody that might be better than me can get the job done better. Blair went 210-43 in eight seasons at SFA before moving on to the University of Arkansas. GARY BLAIR, head women's basketball coach at Texas A&M University since 2003, led the Aggies to an NCAA national championship in 2011. Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial. They used to ride in vans and wear tube socks. The program had solidified itself as one of the best in Texas, and Blair had established a foothold in basketball. He said he intends to serve A&M, the Bryan Rotary Club and his charities for Special Olympics and those with special needs. The years he spent at South Oak Cliff were some of his favorites. 5,245 Views | He got the nickname "The Worm" from playing pinball back in the day. What's tough right now is that Tuesday was the first day on the road for all my coaches. He has photos of them in his office at A&M, former players and their families grinning alongside him. In November of that year, I made the decision to take the Louisiana Tech assistant job. kissing my wife on the floor of Conseco Fieldhouse . It didnt take long five successful seasons for others to come calling for Blair. Idont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. TexAgs is an independent site and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. . How did you get into womens basketball, and where did you get your basketball knowledge? You have to get outside. A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair. No way did I think I would still be coaching now. Im a product of Title XI, as I was the first man to coach women in the city of Dallas. Longtime Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced Thursday that this season will be his last with the Aggies, with the 76-year-old . [3] At South Oak Cliff, Blair coached Debra and Kim Rodman, Dennis Rodman's sisters. So Blair, then a hip 33 and coach of South Oak Cliff High's girls basketball team, strolled into the office and coaxed the manager to introduce him to Nan Smith. The USA team was dominant, winning their games by an average off 33 points per game. I think its just time for me to stop.. Nan drove in from Fayetteville on Friday night in time for the Aggies' first-round NCAA Tournament game against Albany starting 5:35 p.m. Saturday in Reed Arena. I turned it down, he said. Thats when I went to South Oak Cliff High School and got one of few jobs that were open. Like most websites, we use cookies to improve our service and make your user experience better. Texas A&M announced on Thursday that its basketball court will be named in honor of retiring women's coach Gary Blair. 3. I can get something out of all three of those. 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. Senior captain Jordan Nixon admitted she was caught off guard when Blair informed the team this would be his final season. Blairs love for basketball and genuine interest in helping his players succeed on and off the court mixed with his charm is quite the combination. I am a product of Title IX, Blair said. Been divorced for about 4 years. The eternally quippable Metcalf, Lemons and Garrido all have since passed on to that coaches comedy club in the clouds, but theres at least one old-school coach in the region still owning the fastest facetiousness in Texas. We won state again. He can tell you all about their kids, their jobs, their successes. Thought his wife taught at the University of Arkansas . Thanks David it's great to hear from Coach Blair Aggie Legend! Nan is in her fifth year as Arkansas' director of nursing. Ive missed too many ball games, too many cheerleading things, he said. Weve got plenty of time for that, Bjork said The great thing about the timing from only that perspective is you have all season to analyze, look at the landscape of college basketball, see what coaches are out there, see what the future holds and be able to analyze what that landscape is. They didnt miss. 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. Beyond the trophies, beyond the impressive won-lost record compiled over more than four decades of coaching, beyond even the ungrudging professional respect he has achieved among his peers in a fiercely competitive occupation, Gary Blair values the images, moments, and memories collected during a life spent doing what he loves most: coaching . After 10 years in Fayetteville, Ark., Blair would make another move this time to a flailing Texas A&M team that was always sitting near the bottom of the Big 12 standings. The NCAA Tournaments first round is being held in San Antonio, San Marcos and Austin because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the rest of the tournament in San Antonio. [19], On October 28, 2021, Blair announced he would retire from coaching at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. However, I know that it is time for this to be my final season. He loved their passion, the camaraderie, the hunger to win. "Then our daughter (Paige) and I started a business together, grandchildren had come along, and things just kept moving on.". . Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court. Im 72, but a young 72. Try a week on us. Texas A&M announced on Thursday that its basketball court will be named in honor of retiring women's coach Gary Blair. 2,868 Views | [8] After winning the first state championship, he was offered the head baseball job he had been waiting for, but he turned it down to remain coaching the women's teams. He should do it on his terms. Weve done a good job of bringing in the right kids with the right parents. The team won 23 games (losing 9), the third-most victories in school history and a tie for the most victories in conference play ever (11 wins, 5 losses in conference). He was raised in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Dallas. My friends sentme pictures. For his efforts, Blair was inducted into the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame. When R.C. teacher, while waiting for an offer to coach the baseball team, but when asked to coach the girls' team, he accepted. Its been a great ride, Blair told The Athletic. You can't stay inside the whole day. The Make or Break For Jimbo's Tenure, Cromartie taking shots at the coaching staff. Thomas Graning, FRE / Associated Press COLLEGE STATION The shortest. No wonder he is coaching so long gotta reestablish himself. TexAgs is an independent site and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. Ask Liucci: Spring football takeaways, A&M's spring sports & more, Follow The Money - Ep. He was with me two or three years. Coachs Chair: Gary Blair, Texas A&M University, No. All of my 750 wins have happened after I turned 40, because I was a late bloomer. I'm going back and reading everything, whether it be older 12th Man Magazines or responding to letters. "Coach Blair is a legend in women's basketball and college sports," Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said. [24] His credentials include 28 years of head coaching experience at Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas and Texas A&M with a 71% lifetime winning percentage, along with the 2011 Division I National Championship.[25]. I was used to that for 50 years, but now, it's a little bit different. "We couldn't have done this 20 years ago, because we didn't have cellphones.". Congratulations on his upcoming (I assume) nuptials! It worked, and I dont know if it could ever work again with the egos that the three of us had. Sonja Hogg is the first lady of college basketball: she knew how to dress, how to press, and she knew how to recruit. Im a builder, so I had to build that Stephen F team. In 36 years as a head coach, he has had 35 winning seasons, 30 20-win seasons and 41 postseason victories, which ranks fifth among active coaches. I wait for people to screw up and then go in on the white horse and resurrect the program. All of a sudden it was a power, sort of like Long Beach Poly. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. 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. Blair will leave Aggieland as the winningest coach in Texas A&M history. People ask me how retirement is every day. Our student body is 62,000 strong, and there are other things in life just as important as basketball. I will not be second-guessing. Blair has been at Texas A&M since 2003, leading the Aggies to a national championship in 2011. You know, I think I could coach till I am 80, Blair, now 76, said. A Dallas native, Blair was the head coach at South Oak Cliff High school from 1973-1980. I started out with something else in mind and I ended up on this path, coaching all these young women over the years. I have no regrets and just hold my colleagues, my players and the game in such high regards. [17], On April 3, 2011, the Aggies defeated top-seeded Stanford 6362 to advance to the national title game. Im not playing kids just to keep them from transferring. [4] He would coach under Leon Barmore, who replaced Hogg. Her first impression of the convivial coach and his recruiting ability? Tennessee coach Kellie Harper and Texas A&M coach Gary Blair meet after an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, in Knoxville, Tenn. (Scott Keller/The Daily Times via AP) That was a special time for the game, he said. Weve lost recent games to South Carolina and Tennessee, but we were right there until the last possession. It took me two weeks to make up my mind. tears streaming down the faces of former players . Hes a five-time winner of APSE National Top 10 writing awards for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News, including in 2021 breaking the bombshell college football story of the decade: Texas and Oklahoma secretly planning a move to the SEC. Those were special years.. The Aggies (14-12, 4-10 SEC) will miss the NCAA Tournament this season unless they stun in the conference tournament. [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. I miss talking about the game I watched the other night. And I truly love it. We cant get separation on teams, no one plays us close, our defense is solid but were not stopping people theyre scoring on us. Only the last five years in high school we were allowed to go to state. Gary Claude Blair (born August 10, 1945)[1] is a retired women's basketball head coach. Then I joined the Marine Corps. South Carolina's Aliyah Boston recorded her 20th straight double-double, an SEC record, as the Gamecocks rolled in Texas A&M coach Gary Blair's final home game. Were playing in a good arena, Blair said, and we won in Austin earlier this year.. [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. This is my 19th year (at A&M), Blair said with a cracking voice and misty eyes. She's a great manager of people, and I think I've done a pretty good job of managing people, too.". Blair did the impossible. Look at the impact hes had on a countless number of people. [12] In his first season with Texas A&M, Blair worked very hard to attract fans to the women's basketball games, and by the end of the season attendance had increased 71 percent over the previous year, the best increase in the Big 12 Conference. [3][4], Blair is also actively involved with the community. She was ahead of her time. Not too many players transfer from Texas A&M. Abe Lemons once described the difference between coaching and most other jobs. In his final season with the Lady Razorbacks, the team finished the season ranked 24th nationally and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 2:28p, 3/5/20. Texas A&M coach Blair to retire at end of season, 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. At the time of the offer, Blair was making an annual salary of $22,000. I left the high school game in 1980 when Barmore and Hogg called me up. Slocum, who has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments, helped him make peace with his decision. Gary Blair Court at Reed Arena will be officially dedicated during a pregame ceremony on Feb. 24 when the Aggies face South Carolina. our players and coaches wildly celebrating the biggest win in womens basketball history at Texas A&M . An emotional, philosophical and nostalgic Gary Blairformally announced on Thursday that he will retire as Texas A&Ms womens basketball coach following the upcoming season. Blair stated, "It wasnt the right fit or the right time. Around that time, the school offered him the head baseball job hed coveted. 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. [15], On February 20, 2008, Blair posted his 500th career win as a head coach at Reed Arena against the Iowa State Cyclones.[16]. As he had done at every stop so far, Blair got to Nacogdoches a small town in East Texas and started winning. Where is this coming from?, We understand. He was 239-18 at South Oak Cliff. Prairie View A&M wants to leave the Texas A&M University System. Oct. 28, 2021 Updated: Oct. 28, 2021 11:36 a.m. Melissa Gregg is a Dallas police officer. My weakness is Im not hard enough to fire someone. Division regular season champion He loved the players. He was a good kid, and he grew eight inches after high school. Its really something.. For my teams at South Oak Cliff, a professional league wasnt a possibility, so to see how far things had come was something.. I had to put silk flowers in the urinals at away games because we always had to use the boys locker room as visitors. Hes the winningest coach in Texas A&M history with a 430-170 record in 18 seasons. Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial. Blair initially rejected the offer, but upon his wife's encouragement, he accepted it. Blair, 76, has won 838 games in his career at Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas and A&M, where he arrived in 2003. The Aggies have won four conference titles and made 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances that have included five Sweet Sixteen berths, three trips to the Elite Eight, and a National Championship in 2011. All rights reserved. We missed out on plenty of them, he said, laughing. 9 Replies | 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. The team finished third in the Big 12, and reached the semifinals in the Big 12 Women's Championship Tournament. All ex-players and all ex-coaches think we have one more (game) left in us, Blair said. A few of them came in and said they needed a basketball coach, he said. 28 color photos. Finish last in medical school, and they call you a doctor.. . I could sit there and feel at ease with the decision after I talked to R.C., Blair said. [12], Much of his recruiting is done in-state,[15] and Blair says that he recruits students for their offensive showing and then teaches them to play defense later. His two sisters were over six foot. Things get started with the dinner Thursday, May 6 at the Brazos County Expo at 6 p.m. Plates are $20 for all-you-can-eat catfish. I have respect, and people appreciate what I gave back to the game. Blair and Homer Norton, who coached football from 1934-47, are the lone two A&M coaches to win national titles in the three major sports at the university: football, basketball and baseball. ", "It's really special for us to be playing in his last season," Aggies guard Destiny Pitts said. She coached a gold medal team for USA Basketball, and that always helps in recruiting. Wishing you all the best in your retirement. He didn't play high school sports because South Oak Cliff was so hard to make teams back in those days. I can tell you everything about Wimbledon because I got to watch a lot of it. What else can they do to us? Blair wondered Monday night of the selection committee. "She had white scrubs on and looked like a nurse. 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. . I just want to be the ordinary Joe about town. The USA team won the game and the championship 7262. He even gave out his home address for the lucky first four who showed up. "Skinny," Nan said, chuckling, of the man who would later lead Texas A&M to a national title thanks in part to his recruiting acumen. I had to play the Title IX card to get a director of basketball operations. 2, Connecticut?. How will you know when its time to retire? I just want to be that guy that hopefully did it the right way.". [21], Blair has received the following honors over his coaching career:[22], Blair was inducted in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in June 2013. [3], Blair made history with his 19971998 team. According to Brown-McCoy, most of the girls had never traveled outside of the Dallas area. Thought it was strange she never moved to College Station. [4], National champion I was in the middle of that with recruiting. During his first season, the Lady Razorbacks won 15 of their 29 games, their first winning season in several years. 9 seed for the NCAA Tournament and reached the NCAA Final Four. . Dennis stayed and became the best he could be. I dont want kids to transfer, I want them to realize when they come back to a reunion like the one we had (earlier this month). When I go back to reunions I feel good because a lot of those old people dont nearly look as good. After this season his 50th coaching Blair will retire and leave a stamp the size of Texas on the game of basketball. Hes helped me a lot off the court, too.. He made $7,000 annually coaching all of these sports. I flunked out of architecture, which didnt make me eligible for baseball. I love competition. He was raised in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Dallas. Search by keyword, author, title, and more.. They put me into the office to work and I had a great year. Texas A&M was picked to finish second in the SEC preseason coaches' poll, and is ranked No. I think we shared that reaction, Nixon said. [9], Blair was inducted into the Ladyjack Hall of Fame during halftime of the Ladyjacks game against the Aggies on December 2, 2008. 42 (UConn wins Dance; WBB ratings boom), 'I'm very honored and humbled': Gary Blair discusses Hall of Fame honor. 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.
Michael Rockefeller Net Worth,
Coffee Bean And Tea Leaf Corporate Office Phone Number,
Purple Hopseed Bush Poisonous To Dogs,
Rick Rieder Personal Net Worth,
2020 Pga Tour Player Residence List,
Articles H