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Over the past 19 seasons, the program . Who was No. Every possession is a game in itself. 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. 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. A Coaching Life on Apple Books Blair's legacy honored despite dropping final home game to South "But I've done Fayetteville. I just need an arena with 94 feet to be able to compete.. The USA team won the game and the championship 7262. Thanks Coach. He knew all the kids and traveled to see them. Coachs Chair: Gary Blair, Texas A&M University, No. Sport makes us better. The only friend Ive ever hired is Vic; everyone else I hire for their strengths. I never sat down during our games for 19 years. I started out with something else in mind and I ended up on this path, coaching all these young women over the years. a reporter reminded Blair he had defeated Nebraska in the 2010 Big 12 tournament when the Cornhuskers were 30-0 and ranked No. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. I almost found out (against Georgia earlier this month) when we got beat in overtime. He was raised in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Dallas. Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial. We finished third, first, first, second and first. He has been a member of Rotary International for more than 20 years. The following year his team, which consisted of 9 freshmen and sophomores, won 23 games and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. Whether youre shopping Way Day 2023 or Walmart, theres an al fresco set for you. I miss going out and talking shop with your colleagues and then getting up and doing it again. Exam copy availability, Swaim-Paup-Foran Spirit of Sport Series, sponsored by James C. 74 & Debra Parchman Swaim, Nancy & T. Edgar Paup 74, & Joseph Wm. I wait for people to screw up and then go in on the white horse and resurrect the program. I could sit there and feel at ease with the decision after I talked to R.C., Blair said. Those were special years.. Kelly Bond-White has been with me 21 years, he said. 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! Ive never fired a person in my life, back to restaurant manager days. Texas A&M women's coach Gary Blair to retire at season's end - Chron [4] He would coach under Leon Barmore, who replaced Hogg. No wonder he is coaching so long gotta reestablish himself. Senior captain Jordan Nixon admitted she was caught off guard when Blair informed the team this would be his final season. Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, right, and his wife, Nan, make a long-distance relationship work. Last: How long do you want to ignore this user? 0 Replies | Blair stated, "It wasnt the right fit or the right time. Then Arkansas made the mistake of not hiring him when I left. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair, 76, announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of this season. I want to be like R.C.. 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. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion He said he intends to serve A&M, the Bryan Rotary Club and his charities for Special Olympics and those with special needs. You cant explain how special it is to see your team work that way and win those games.. Request a review copy, Professors: He also started perfecting recruiting. So many things happened that I will never forget . Thought his wife taught at the University of Arkansas . 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. Sometimes, we can agree to disagree. 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.. 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. We missed last year.. He can tell you all about their kids, their jobs, their successes. 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. One of my biggest pet peeves is adults who refuse to admit to mistakes. I'm a sports fan. Schools all send me away with a gift basket and the kindest words. The team finished third in the Big 12, and reached the semifinals in the Big 12 Women's Championship Tournament. He was with me two or three years. . That was a special time for the game, he said. "Thank you and Gig 'Em. 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. Gary Blair - Wikipedia A&M's Blair, Arkansas-based wife make marriage work. Ask Liucci: Spring football takeaways, A&M's spring sports & more, Follow The Money - Ep. Head Coach. There is the good, the bad and the ugly of social media. Nan is in her fifth year as Arkansas' director of nursing. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and Sam Houston State University, where he played baseball. Before anyone wanted him on a field, though, a group of young ladies needed him on a court. Its been a great ride, Blair told The Athletic. Blair still marvels at the serendipity that brought him to coaching. 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. 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. I got the girl's coaching job by default because nobody else wanted it. He is a natural at making anyone feel like an old friend, and that went a long way as he continued to build up every program he touched. Gary Blair provides an update on retirement and life after basketball. It worked, and I dont know if it could ever work again with the egos that the three of us had. Brent met his wife, KBTX . 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. Last: There are not any replies to this post yet. Three years earlier, Garrido had deadpanned why it was important UT had made the CWS in 2011. 3 with eyes on more, while the men have not even played since Jan. 30. Building champions on, off court | Sports | thebatt.com It wasnt long before we saw he was a money-making machine. And thats OK. Boston sets SEC record in Blair's home farewell - ESPN The one thing I want to be able to do is that I want to leave on good terms. [3] Blair was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023. I hired him from $72,000 to $14,000, and he had kept up with everything through his high school, and he knew so much about recruiting nationally through AAU. "They just feed off each other so well.". [4], National champion Guard Destiny Pitts said Blair has influenced her beyond basketball. He should do it on his terms. Our fans were getting restless, he offered in his typical bemused delivery. All ex-players and all ex-coaches think we have one more (game) left in us, Blair said. We were just coming off of a state championship team and I had just got married. The team, unranked in the national polls, received a No. I ended up coaching women's basketball because there wasn't a coaching job when I took the PE job at South Oak Cliff. She was named to the Texas High School Hall of Fame and she was the first female athletic director in Dallas ISD in 2001. But the time has come.. If youve ever spent any time with Blair, you know the story or pieces of it, anyway. [7] He also started the boys and girls golf team, and served as its first coach as well. Postseason invitational champion Blair was 65 when he won that title with the Aggies. All three of us were six months apart in age. "[5], After his graduation from Texas Tech, Blair hoped to find a high school baseball coaching job in Lubbock, but he was offered the physical education coach gig[tone] at South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, a predominantly Black school. "I initially stayed behind because our son (Matt) was a senior in high school," Nan said of why she's never left Fayetteville, Ark. I played ping pong and basketball with Dennis Rodman when he was a kid. "I always evaluate myself on: Am I giving everything I have, is my health good and am I still able to make an impact on young lives?" ", "It's really special for us to be playing in his last season," Aggies guard Destiny Pitts said. Blair went 210-43 in eight seasons at SFA before moving on to the University of Arkansas. looking toward the stands, where my grandson was . Oct 28, 2021. 28 color photos. Its really something.. 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 . 2023 Maroon & White LP. Flash02. 6.12 x 9.25 x 0 in 288 pp. I sat down two days ago on his front porch and listened to his problems and everything he has done. But also, just excited for him. 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. Division regular season champion 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 children: Will, Zoe and Brady. 8 b&w photos. 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. Thanks David it's great to hear from Coach Blair Aggie Legend! I pull for people whove had to go through things. A&M's Blair, Arkansas-based wife make marriage work - Chron As older coaches, we have to change with todays kids. I have respect, and people appreciate what I gave back to the game. 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. 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. 1 and No. I even watch WWE. What's tough right now is that Tuesday was the first day on the road for all my coaches. When I max out, Im juggling lot of hats. 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. Blair, who began his career in 1980 as an assistant at Louisiana Tech, is a member of seven halls of fame, including the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. 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. [19], On October 28, 2021, Blair announced he would retire from coaching at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. our players and coaches wildly celebrating the biggest win in womens basketball history at Texas A&M . Post-spoiler alert: The NCAA chose Austin, and the Longhorns advanced to the College World Series. He grew up playing baseball, and as a 128-pound center fielder at Bryan Adams High School, he received all-city honors in 1963. Brent Zwerneman is a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle covering Texas A&M athletics. At the time of the offer, Blair was making an annual salary of $22,000. For my teams at South Oak Cliff, a professional league wasnt a possibility, so to see how far things had come was something.. A Coaching Life - tamupress.com 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. Gary Blair looking forward to one final run to cap legendary - TexAgs The game, the players. . Would be hard to leave that. Our student body is 62,000 strong, and there are other things in life just as important as basketball. What Im trying to do is max out every day. In other sports Im pulling for the veteran coaches. The game was tied at 45 all, when the USA hit several free throws to take a lead they would not give up. Title IX came in 1972, and schools had to put womens athletics in larger cities, whereas before they had only existed in small towns. [15], On February 20, 2008, Blair posted his 500th career win as a head coach at Reed Arena against the Iowa State Cyclones.[16]. We cant get separation on teams, no one plays us close, our defense is solid but were not stopping people theyre scoring on us. She was a nurse at Parkland Memorial who was moving into The Square apartments - Gary's longtime stomping grounds - in Dallas. 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. He was in my third-period PE class. Every one of the players he helped coach during that tournament later went on to play in the WNBA. Aggies associate head coach Kelly Bond-White has been with Blair all 15 years in the program, and assistant coach Bob Starkey has been there for six. "This little, good-looking redhead walked by," Blair said. Texas A&M to name court in honor of retiring women's basketball coach 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. Like Blair, Slocum is the winningest coach in A&M history in his sport. 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. I want to be the first coach at A&M to leave since Bear Bryant, on his own terms. 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. They asked for volunteers to coach (girls) basketball (at South Oak Cliff), and the girls next door asked me if Id coach. She was the first 6-3 kid who could play all five positions. Whatever social media tells them to do, they live it in that moment. In the 1970s the kids had to wash their own clothes. [7] He was initially the boy's P.E. The first year we were a Cinderella team and went to the Final Four. Hed built a program from scratch and helped bring visibility to girls basketball in the state. You just told em you were looking for basketball players, Metcalf said with a shrug, not lovers.. And you see how that turned out.. You could tell Cheryl was the next coming. Texas A&M's Gary Blair is retiring | KWKT - FOX 44 "Just because of the impact that he's had on the women's game. [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. Been engaged a year to a wonderful lady. The players I have been lucky enough to coach, to know. [7], In October 1980, Blair was offered an assistant coaching job at Louisiana Tech by then-head coach Sonja Hogg. Blair, 65, also became the oldest women's coach to win a national championship. Sometimes you have to wait for things. He even gave out his home address for the lucky first four who showed up. 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. I was the head coach for basketball, volleyball, track and cross country for eight years, and I loved it. You can buy a ticket early or pay at the door. 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. The key to keeping a good sense of humor through this long stroll called life? 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. 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. Thats a long-winded answer but thats who I am.. Sometimes I want to do things with my wife and my grandkids. Try a week on us. You name it. None of the big six major cities in Texas had womens athletics before Title IX. What I haven't gotten to do is spend a lot of time with my granddaughter and grandson.". I play golf in the mornings and try to walk all the time. [7][18], Gary Blair was also selected as a 2012 namesake for Texas A&M's extended orientation camp, "Fish Camp". [3][4], Blair is also actively involved with the community. Blair said in a statement on Thursday. His teams won seven straight conference championships, and appeared in the NCAA Tournament six times. 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. Athletic Director Ross Bjork said that she would be among those under consideration. Why now? Blair, 76, has won 838 games in his career at Stephen F. Austin . Well, I get the opportunity to have about 35 to 38 still left in me this year. 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 dont hire bobblehead dolls. People ask me how retirement is every day. . 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. I enrolled in May, 1969 when everyone was trying to stay out. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. Pub Date: 01/27/2017 We kept winning in every sport, and I was the head coach of all four women's sports at South Oak Cliff. Fantasy women's basketball: Will the addition of Candace Parker shake up fantasy values on the Aces? The Aggies (14-12, 4-10 SEC) will miss the NCAA Tournament this season unless they stun in the conference tournament. 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. 2,868 Views | . 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 . Gary Blair is the son of Lee, a plaster foreman, and Jean, a housewife. Great for Gary. My all-city friend came to see us play the other day, and hes the bench warmer now. 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. It took 10 more years before he decided to step away. In the eighth game, they played undefeated Slovakia, in a game that would determine the gold medal. I will not be second-guessing. He never meant to coach womens basketball. He didn't play high school sports because South Oak Cliff was so hard to make teams back in those days. Nan visits Aggieland about a dozen times a year, and Gary visits Fayetteville about five times a year. I miss all that, but it's time for the next chapter. I dont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. We hired assistant Amy Sheridan, who played at Sam Houston State with Vic. She was ahead of her time. [3] For the first time in his career, however, one of Blair's team suffered a losing season. It was shocking. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair to retire at end - ESPN Chennedy (Carter) hit a three and I thought we would pull it off, but Georgia controlled the OT. Bobby Knight would have a hard time coaching today, and Barmore. Texas A&M was picked to finish second in the SEC preseason coaches' poll, and is ranked No. Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial. 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. Such amusing (to outsiders) situations are when Blair is at his best. RUSTY BURSON, author of. . Wishing you all the best in your retirement. The years he spent at South Oak Cliff were some of his favorites. 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. Since being named head coach in 2003, coach Gary Blair has guided Texas A&M into the ranks of the elite. 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. He talks about his beginnings often, about the chances he was given and the opportunities he seized. Texas A&M announced on Thursday that its basketball court will be named in honor of retiring women's coach Gary Blair. I'm trying to adjust. Leon Barmore was the Bobby Knight of womens basketball. I left the high school game in 1980 when Barmore and Hogg called me up. You want to see people compete. In 1985, he landed his first college head coaching job at Stephen F. Austin. He has photos of them in his office at A&M, former players and their families grinning alongside him. Those were the programs, and then they died out to start the 1980s. The competition was held in Taipei, Taiwan. As he had done at every stop so far, Blair got to Nacogdoches a small town in East Texas and started winning. His teams reached the semifinals in the SEC tournament in both 2001 and 2002.[3]. 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. 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) 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. You get to appreciate what coaching is. Can you talk about how you assembled your infamous coaching staff at Arkansas? We have recently updated ourPrivacy Policy. [9], Blair was inducted into the Ladyjack Hall of Fame during halftime of the Ladyjacks game against the Aggies on December 2, 2008. The girls asked me if I'd coach them. Gary Blair - engaged? | TexAgs 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. I can get something out of all three of those. Pam Green went on to star at Missouri. Right now, it's a mess in college athletics. This season's basketball fortunes a tale of two Texas A&Ms 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. They made it to the UIL Texas state tournament five years in a row and won the title three times. TexAgs is an independent site and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. In his eight years with the school, he compiled a 210-43 record, including 25 wins in just his second season as a head coach.