1 of 5 Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair talks with his players in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Vanderbilt at the women's Southeastern Conference tournament Wednesday . Nestled between the central and eastern parts of Texas, A&M was in proximity to loads of basketball talent in hotbeds for the sport like Houston and Dallas. Whatever social media tells them to do, they live it in that moment. Thanks David it's great to hear from Coach Blair Aggie Legend! I am a product of Title IX, Blair said. [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. He led the Aggies to the NCAA national championship in 2011. The joy that bursts out of Gary Blair as he talks about his storied career simply cant be contained. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced on Thursday that this season will be the last of his historic career. Unfortunately, these kids today, before they get finished with a practice theyre talking to their supporters, their friends or their mama about their bad practice. Been engaged a year to a wonderful lady. Congratulations on his upcoming (I assume) nuptials! We finished third, first, first, second and first. It will be nearly impossible for Texas A&M to replace women's basketball coach Gary Blair, who announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of the 2021-22 season. a reporter reminded Blair he had defeated Nebraska in the 2010 Big 12 tournament when the Cornhuskers were 30-0 and ranked No. Oct 28, 2021. . Texas A&M's Gary Blair Texas associate head coach Johnnie Harris has worked alongside Vic Schaefer since 2007. . 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). I played ping pong and basketball with Dennis Rodman when he was a kid. I pull for all the older men and women. "I initially stayed behind because our son (Matt) was a senior in high school," Nan said of why she's never left Fayetteville, Ark. The first year we were a Cinderella team and went to the Final Four. 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. Mobile phones. That will be enough., Its time to go do the other things in life. Can you talk about your experience coaching at Louisiana Tech, at the dawning of womens collegiate basketball? So many things happened that I will never forget . In the eighth game, they played undefeated Slovakia, in a game that would determine the gold medal. COLLEGE STATION Shelby Metcalf once explained why he had no problem recruiting to a then-all-male military institute in Texas A&M in the early 1960s. [12], Blair is married to Kyla Blair and has four children and nine grandchildren. I sat down two days ago on his front porch and listened to his problems and everything he has done. 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. 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 . He just mentioned his fiance during halftime of the Ark/Aub game - I know I'm out of touch, but I had no idea he was even divorced, much less ready to get married again! So, with both drenched in successful careers, how have the two made a long-distance marriage work? Such amusing (to outsiders) situations are when Blair is at his best. Gary Blair Court at Reed Arena will be officially dedicated during a pregame ceremony on Feb. 24 when the Aggies face South Carolina. Been divorced for about 4 years. Blairs coaching tree includes Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer and Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors, whose teams Texas A&M faces in Southeastern Conference play. Available, Media: The USA came back, but was still behind at halftime. I get people to work with me, find out about them and get to know their strengths. When you work with the top players in the country, they get to see why you're one of the top coaches in the country. "Then our daughter (Paige) and I started a business together, grandchildren had come along, and things just kept moving on.". Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, right, and his wife, Nan, make a long-distance relationship work. . He was 239-18 at South Oak Cliff. Early in his first season, he offered four free tickets to a game during an interview on a local radio station. 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. He never meant to coach womens basketball. They were ready to go. [6], When head women's basketball coach Marsha Sharp retired from Texas Tech in 2006, Blair got calls from his friends to take over the position. [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. That allowed me to hire Mike, and it was the best hire Ive ever had. You cant (raise your voice at young people) anymore. Weve lost recent games to South Carolina and Tennessee, but we were right there until the last possession. He stresses offensive rebounding and defense to his teams,[2] and his 2007 Texas A&M team ranked among the nation's best in scoring defense, blocked shots, and steals. "But he was nice looking.". No wonder he is coaching so long gotta reestablish himself. Texas A&M announced on Thursday that its basketball court will be named in honor of retiring women's coach Gary Blair. She was ahead of her time. Gary Blair cuts down a net after winning the 2011 national championship. Every one of the players he helped coach during that tournament later went on to play in the WNBA. After the season, the Texas A&M Board of Regents approved a one-year contract extension through 2012, and a $150,000 salary raise to $800,000 annually. He was a good kid, and he grew eight inches after high school. 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. We support him.. I will not be second-guessing. Blair is a member of seven halls of fame, including the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Flash02. He was also interviewing for the New Mexico State job, which he didnt want to take. All of them are still committed to us. 28 color photos. But the way you saw their confidence grow, the way they lit up in the gym and had so much fun and worked so hard. 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. Hed built a program from scratch and helped bring visibility to girls basketball in the state. How can you be No. The sport was narrowly on his radar in 1972 when he was a PE teacher at South Oak Cliff in Dallas. In womens basketball, we went to state the first year we could go to state in 1976. Slocum has always been active in the Bryan-College Station community. Over the past 19 seasons, the program . Hes eager for that final year of competition. She's a great manager of people, and I think I've done a pretty good job of managing people, too.". Somebody that might be better than me can get the job done better. 42 (UConn wins Dance; WBB ratings boom), 'I'm very honored and humbled': Gary Blair discusses Hall of Fame honor. You can buy a ticket early or pay at the door. Blair said in a statement on Thursday. Great for Gary. Abe Lemons once described the difference between coaching and most other jobs. [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. The one thing I want to be able to do is that I want to leave on good terms. People ask me how retirement is every day. Only the last five years in high school we were allowed to go to state. Gary Blair is the son of Lee, a plaster foreman, and Jean, a housewife. [9], Blair was inducted into the Ladyjack Hall of Fame during halftime of the Ladyjacks game against the Aggies on December 2, 2008. In the NCAA tournament, the team lost to eventual national champion Tennessee. Welcome back, Gary", "Built from scratch: Blair, Texas A&M on a roll", "Women's head coach Gary Blair seeks more improvement through patience", "It's strictly business for Texas A&M on this visit to California", "On women's basketball: Texas A&M completes tournaround", "Blair picks up No. 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. [3] At South Oak Cliff, Blair coached Debra and Kim Rodman, Dennis Rodman's sisters. Melissa Gregg is a Dallas police officer. He grew up playing baseball, and as a 128-pound center fielder at Bryan Adams High School, he received all-city honors in 1963. COLLEGE STATION - Gary Blair was in mid-swing in a water volleyball game that summer day in 1978 when an angelic figure - at least in his single state of mind - distracted him from the not-so-serious task at hand in his apartment's pool. . [3], Blair's first head coaching experience at the collegiate level came at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas. "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. Blair still marvels at the serendipity that brought him to coaching. Going into the season, he ranked eighth among active Division I coaches for career coaching victories. Those misses included big names like Brittney Griner, who went to Baylor, and Nneka Ogwumike, who played at Stanford. 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. A few of them came in and said they needed a basketball coach, he said. I just want to be the ordinary Joe about town. He still talks to others from those teams frequently. For my teams at South Oak Cliff, a professional league wasnt a possibility, so to see how far things had come was something.. Thats why its time. "I've got our kids and grandkids up in Arkansas with me," Nan said. 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. He was previously head women's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas and Stephen F. Austin State University. Dennis stayed and became the best he could be. [4], National champion When theyre young we do a lot of individual practices to keep improving their skill level. "When they're together, you can just tell how much they care about each other," A&M guard Sydney Carter said. 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. GARY BLAIR, head women's basketball coach at Texas A&M University since 2003, led the Aggies to an NCAA national championship in 2011. Back then I felt like the girls needed me. We hired assistant Amy Sheridan, who played at Sam Houston State with Vic. They offered me the head baseball job and a football coordinator job, but I turned them down to stay with the women. How did you get into womens basketball, and where did you get your basketball knowledge? We missed out on plenty of them, he said, laughing. You want to see people compete. His teams have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 15 consecutive seasons. A group of girls from South Oak Cliff were ready to play any and every sport they could. Well, I get the opportunity to have about 35 to 38 still left in me this year. Blair led the Aggies to the national championship in 2011. She was named to the Texas High School Hall of Fame and she was the first female athletic director in Dallas ISD in 2001. Coachs Chair: Gary Blair, Texas A&M University, No. He coached for 37 years closing with Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball, who he coached from 2003 until his retirement in 2022. He was in my third-period PE class. He surpassed former men's coach Shelby Metcalf this season with 443 victories at A&M to become the winningest basketball coach in school history. Fantasy women's basketball: Will the addition of Candace Parker shake up fantasy values on the Aces. In the 1970s the kids had to wash their own clothes. Texas A&M was picked to finish second in the SEC preseason coaches' poll, and is ranked No. During his last six seasons, his teams were consistently ranked in the final AP Top 25 polls. Blair joined TexAgs Radio on Monday morning to discuss life after basketball and so much more. [3], Blair made history with his 19971998 team. Been engaged a year to a wonderful lady. I think its just time for me to stop.. All three of us were six months apart in age. Fantasy women's basketball: Will the addition of Candace Parker shake up fantasy values on the Aces? What can you say about it? There is the good, the bad and the ugly of social media. It didnt take long five successful seasons for others to come calling for Blair. I dont know whats more important to them. 2, Connecticut?. The games and wins, sure. Pub Date: 01/27/2017 13 UCLA contains Stanford to avenge previous loss, Coaches credit mental strength of athletes during pandemic season, Indiana, Arizona are first-time dancers in the Elite 8, Clutch Nixon, Aggies ready for the Sweet 16. The program had solidified itself as one of the best in Texas, and Blair had established a foothold in basketball. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair, 76, announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of this season. Thats a long-winded answer but thats who I am.. Since then, the team has won more than 70 percent of its . Blair joined TexAgs Radio on Monday morning to discuss life after basketball and so much more. 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 took 10 more years before he decided to step away. 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. 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. Were playing in a good arena, Blair said, and we won in Austin earlier this year.. 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. Jim Schlossnagle emphasizes 'sense of urgency' moving forward, 2024 forward George Turkson nearing the end of his recruiting process, Miami Dolphins select Devon Achane in the third round, 84th overall, Jacksonville Jaguars select Antonio Johnson in the fifth round, 160th overall, Indianapolis Colts select Jaylon Jones in the seventh round, 221st overall. I want to be known in this community as more than just a basketball coach, and people appreciate that. After a strong first day of draft, Houston is the place to be. All of my 750 wins have happened after I turned 40, because I was a late bloomer. 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. 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. Head Coach. Relationships like that make it difficult for Blair to walk away. Blair used to play ping pong with Dennis. I'm going back and reading everything, whether it be older 12th Man Magazines or responding to letters. Ive missed too many ball games, too many cheerleading things, he said. . But things have changed so much. When the federal civil rights law was passed in the summer of 1972, schools all over the country that hadnt implemented athletic programming for girls were scrambling to do so. Then had Amber Nichols Shirey, who ended up staying there she is still the director of basketball operations there. 3. A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the 76-year-old Blair has a career record of 838-333 in 36 seasons at Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas and Texas A&M. As older coaches, we have to change with todays kids. Brent met his wife, KBTX . And you suddenly have these opportunities where women arent having to go play overseas or just walk away. But there werent a lot of high school coaching jobs available. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and Sam Houston State University, where he played baseball. 9 Replies | 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. Blair will become just the third women's coach, along with Tennessee's Pat Summitt and NC State's Kay Yow, to have a court named for them. Thomas Graning, FRE / Associated Press COLLEGE STATION The shortest. A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair. They didnt miss. [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. You know, you just remember all those wonderful things, he said. 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. I dont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. I didnt start coaching until I was 27. 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. Weve done a good job of bringing in the right kids with the right parents. Post-spoiler alert: The NCAA chose Austin, and the Longhorns advanced to the College World Series. 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. His two sisters were over six foot. In the 200708 season, Blair led his squad to a school-first NCAA Elite Eight appearance and a 298 overall record. [19], On October 28, 2021, Blair announced he would retire from coaching at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. Fantasy women's basketball: Whose numbers could fall in 2023? 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. For me, hes been almost like a grandfather, she said. Im a product of Title XI, as I was the first man to coach women in the city of Dallas. It's good to be back. Now Texas A&M women's basketball head coach Gary Blair is ready to welcome everyone back this year for the 18th annual event to help support Special Olympics.
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