Gary Blair is the son of Lee, a plaster foreman, and Jean, a housewife. He was only 5-foot-11. We cant get separation on teams, no one plays us close, our defense is solid but were not stopping people theyre scoring on us. Shelby Metcalf, who coached the men's team for 27 seasons, is the school's winningest coach. She will be somebody we will keep an eye on throughout the year just as we will a lot of different coaches around the country.. If its about money, Garrido said with a wry smile, well play in Austin.. . I got the girls involved in an intramural program, and that's when Title IX was passed. I miss talking about the game I watched the other night. The very best thing I could do was stay with those girls. 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. GARY BLAIR, head women's basketball coach at Texas A&M University since 2003, led the Aggies to an NCAA national championship in 2011. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced on Thursday that this season will be the last of his historic career. He was raised in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Dallas. 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. I'm going back and reading everything, whether it be older 12th Man Magazines or responding to letters. You dont ever say that, but sometimes youve got to admit somebody might be better than you particularly in the changing world that were living in today.. All three of us were six months apart in age. 0. They asked for volunteers to coach (girls) basketball (at South Oak Cliff), and the girls next door asked me if Id coach. Guard Destiny Pitts said Blair has influenced her beyond basketball. Athletic Director Ross Bjork said that she would be among those under consideration. 978-1-62349-536-7 Cloth
. [9], Blair was inducted into the Ladyjack Hall of Fame during halftime of the Ladyjacks game against the Aggies on December 2, 2008. He also has four grandchildren: Logan, Lola, Landry and Reagan. He got a U.S. Army draft notice in 1969, and decided to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, completing a two-year tour of duty. You can buy a ticket early or pay at the door. Slocum has always been active in the Bryan-College Station community. "She doesn't have a job and I don't have a job," Gary said. Bryce Young vs. C.J. Fantasy women's basketball: Will the addition of Candace Parker shake up fantasy values on the Aces. Blair, 76, has won 838 games in his career at Stephen F. Austin . I love competition. Then Arkansas made the mistake of not hiring him when I left. Sometimes you have to wait for things. Bobby Knight would have a hard time coaching today, and Barmore. Gary Blair Court at Reed Arena will be officially dedicated during a pregame ceremony on Feb. 24 when the Aggies face South Carolina. As for life after coaching, Blair said quality time with his family is at the top of his list. Didn't realize I said something inappropriate. Thats why its time. Kelly Bond-White has been with me 21 years, he said. Post-spoiler alert: The NCAA chose Austin, and the Longhorns advanced to the College World Series. What can you say about it? The first year we were a Cinderella team and went to the Final Four. 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. In the spring of 1977, Blair and the Bears won their first state championship. 2023 Maroon & White LP. [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. 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. Ask Liucci: Spring football takeaways, A&M's spring sports & more, Follow The Money - Ep. The following year his team, which consisted of 9 freshmen and sophomores, won 23 games and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. Oct 28, 2021. He still talks to others from those teams frequently. [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. Im a builder, so I had to build that Stephen F team. Around that time, the school offered him the head baseball job hed coveted. Abe Lemons once described the difference between coaching and most other jobs. The Louisiana Tech position paid $22,500 and also provided a six-year-old brown station wagon. He figured he had a few more years left in him. Whether youre shopping Way Day 2023 or Walmart, theres an al fresco set for you. 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. Gary Claude Blair (born August 10, 1945)[1] is a retired women's basketball head coach. I think we shared that reaction, Nixon said. Seems like a disproportionately hostile response. It worked, and I dont know if it could ever work again with the egos that the three of us had. 9 Replies | 2,868 Views | Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial. I can get something out of all three of those. The USA team won their opening seven games, behind the scoring leadership of Sheri Sam, who averaged 13 points per game. . I almost found out (against Georgia earlier this month) when we got beat in overtime. Nan is in her fifth year as Arkansas' director of nursing. Texas A&M announced on Thursday that its basketball court will be named in honor of retiring women's coach Gary Blair. 3. You get to appreciate what coaching is. [7], In October 1980, Blair was offered an assistant coaching job at Louisiana Tech by then-head coach Sonja Hogg. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced on Thursday that this season will be the last of his historic career. . He talks about his beginnings often, about the chances he was given and the opportunities he seized. Blair joined TexAgs Radio on Monday morning to discuss life after basketball and so much more. This is my 19th year (at A&M), Blair said with a cracking voice and misty eyes. Blair will complete a 50-year coaching career when this season ends. teacher, while waiting for an offer to coach the baseball team, but when asked to coach the girls' team, he accepted. 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. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. Those misses included big names like Brittney Griner, who went to Baylor, and Nneka Ogwumike, who played at Stanford. I dont want to just win ball games; I want to make a difference and be in every game. I pull for people whove had to go through things. They put me into the office to work and I had a great year. So, with both drenched in successful careers, how have the two made a long-distance marriage work? Blair notched his 750th career win last month. Fantasy women's basketball: Whose numbers could fall in 2023? I told Sue that two things have to happen: you have to come with me and my wife has to come with me. On March 29, 2011, Gary Blair led the program to its first ever Final Four appearance by defeating top-seeded Baylor 58-46. I can tell you everything about Wimbledon because I got to watch a lot of it. We would pack them in to the old field house, and after two years when we won National Championships, we moved (the venue) to the new assembly center. When I cant compete for championships anymore, its time to leave. Ive had such a great career, he said. Fantasy women's basketball: Whose numbers could fall in 2023? For my teams at South Oak Cliff, a professional league wasnt a possibility, so to see how far things had come was something.. After this season his 50th coaching Blair will retire and leave a stamp the size of Texas on the game of basketball. The two appear to have only one regret concerning their long-distance arrangement. As he reminisces, the corners of his mouth curl into a signature grin that has charmed basketball players, referees, parents of recruits and a lot of sports journalists for nearly 50 years. I think its just time for me to stop.. 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. Been engaged a year to a wonderful lady. He was underpaid, he worked around facility issues, he had to better himself as a coach. Hes a treasure not only on the floor but off the floor.. I switched my major to kinesiology. But hes still the most positive man and most popular coach in this town. I (also) read three comic strips per day: Peanuts, Blondie and Beetle Bailey. Thirty-four years later, Nan still thinks so - and the two have a mutual attraction. I just want to be that guy that hopefully did it the right way.". We were just coming off of a state championship team and I had just got married. An emotional, philosophical and nostalgic Gary Blair formally announced on Thursday that he will retire as Texas A&M's women's basketball coach following the upcoming season. That team, that year, Blair said. "He has a lot of wisdom. I apologize. Finish last in your league, and they call you an idiot, said Lemons, Texas basketball coach from 1976-82. 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. 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. "She had white scrubs on and looked like a nurse. Somebody that might be better than me can get the job done better. Blair eventually took the leap and made the move, joining Sonja Hoggs staff as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech, which went to four Final Fours and won two national championships while Blair was on the coaching staff. We have recently updated ourPrivacy Policy. You cant explain how special it is to see your team work that way and win those games.. They made it to the UIL Texas state tournament five years in a row and won the title three times. Blair, with a slight grin, also realized the game in the Erwin Center offers the chance for a jab at A&Ms (still) biggest rival and new Longhorns coach Vic Schaefer, his former top assistant at A&M. Hes eager for that final year of competition. They didnt miss. 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. Like Blair, Slocum is the winningest coach in A&M history in his sport. looking toward the stands, where my grandson was . 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. All ex-players and all ex-coaches think we have one more (game) left in us, Blair said. He was with me two or three years. 9 Replies | People ask me how retirement is every day. He was raised in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Dallas. Well, I wasnt busy coaching baseball, so I jumped on that chance. He got the nickname "The Worm" from playing pinball back in the day. I want to be like R.C.. Its really something.. I turned it down, he said. 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. . I usually ask experienced coaches how young people have changed since you first began coaching, but you have 45 years of experience. She was the first 6-3 kid who could play all five positions. 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. TexAgs is an independent site and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. 0 Replies | Y'all keep playing.' Idont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. How can you be No. It was middle-class and tough, and it had turned 100 percent black in two years. Head Coach. . You could get it done at those smaller venues back then. 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. Texas A&M's Gary Blair is retiring. In 1985, he landed his first college head coaching job at Stephen F. Austin. Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court, Blair said. 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. 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. I had to play the Title IX card to get a director of basketball operations. This outlines how and why we collect, store and use your personal data when you use our website. To me, thats the least of my worries. If youve ever spent any time with Blair, you know the story or pieces of it, anyway. Gary Blair is the son of Lee, a plaster foreman, and Jean, a housewife. He grew up playing baseball, and as a 128-pound center fielder at Bryan Adams High School, he received all-city honors in 1963. Oct. 28, 2021 Updated: Oct. 28, 2021 11:36 a.m. I'm going to sit down and enjoy watching. Im around all the other events; Im the only coach thats in a civic club. I could sit there and feel at ease with the decision after I talked to R.C., Blair said. ". Sometimes you grow up, and sometimes you grow. 3 with eyes on more, while the men have not even played since Jan. 30. [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. He didn't play high school sports because South Oak Cliff was so hard to make teams back in those days. Brent Zwerneman is a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle covering Texas A&M athletics. [2] During his five seasons there, Louisiana Tech reached the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament four times, winning two national championships. He coached for 37 years closing with Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball, who he coached from 2003 until his retirement in 2022. Fantasy women's basketball: Will the addition of Candace Parker shake up fantasy values on the Aces? Sometimes you just go with the flow, and dont take life so seriously in non-serious moments. He has led the Aggies to five conference titles, including the 2021 SEC regular-season title and the 2011 national championship. Conference regular season champion Blair is one of only three all-time DI women's 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. Blair initially rejected the offer, but upon his wife's encouragement, he accepted it. She's a great manager of people, and I think I've done a pretty good job of managing people, too.". A new professional league, and you were seeing more people at college games around that time, too. 42 (UConn wins Dance; WBB ratings boom), 'I'm very honored and humbled': Gary Blair discusses Hall of Fame honor. "This is an incredible honor," Blair said. I play golf in the mornings and try to walk all the time. [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. "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.". Last: How long do you want to ignore this user? His teams reached the semifinals in the SEC tournament in both 2001 and 2002.[3]. 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. 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. Soon-to-retire Texas A&M women's coach Gary Blair talks with South Carolina counterpart Dawn Staley before the top-ranked Gamecocks' 89-48 victory Thursday night. You have to get outside. Only two tickets were claimed. We kept winning in every sport, and I was the head coach of all four women's sports at South Oak Cliff. Theheat doesn't bother me as long as I can play golf early in the morning. 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. Finish last in medical school, and they call you a doctor.. She was a nurse at Parkland Memorial who was moving into The Square apartments - Gary's longtime stomping grounds - in Dallas. Weve lost recent games to South Carolina and Tennessee, but we were right there until the last possession. We all want to make this season special for us and for him.". We (coaching staff) spent two hours last night with current recruits, Blair said. It was very good. 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. You cant ask for much more.. Karl Malone was playing at Louisiana Tech at that time. A Dallas native, Blair was the head coach at South Oak Cliff High school from 1973-1980. 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. He loved the players. Reflection is a good time instead of procrastination, which I've done for a long time. Right now, it's a mess in college athletics. got fired (in 2002) he could have went to LSU, Baylor, Houston or a lot of other places. He is a stepfather to her two children, Callie and James, and is also a father to Paige and Matt Blair from his previous marriage with Nan Smith. 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. Thats a long-winded answer but thats who I am.. 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. [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. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. "I am fortunate that my health is still great, and I believe that I can still make an impact on our student-athletes and that I can give all my effort every single day. And thats OK. Just last week Texans GM Nick Caserio was deflecting rumors of a possible departure. Gary Blair cuts down a net after winning the 2011 national championship. Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire. 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. [3][4], Blair is also actively involved with the community. The team finished third in the Big 12, and reached the semifinals in the Big 12 Women's Championship Tournament. [3], Blair made history with his 19971998 team. "Just because of the impact that he's had on the women's game. Im very honest with the kids and their parents: when you earn your playing time, you will get your playing time. Blair said in a statement on Thursday. Blair did the impossible. I dont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. The British Open is coming up. [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. "My wife and I want to do some traveling starting next summerwe've got a lot of places picked out," Blair said. 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&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair. I miss all that, but it's time for the next chapter. Ask Liucci: Spring football takeaways, A&M's spring sports & more, Follow The Money - Ep. We stayed another five years. I had a rule for my kids that they had to play all of (the sports). I played ping pong and basketball with Dennis Rodman when he was a kid. . When theyre young we do a lot of individual practices to keep improving their skill level. On Thursday night, Blair will coach the Texas A&M women's team at . Todays kids live in the moment. As older coaches, we have to change with todays kids. 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. Then I joined the Marine Corps. He never meant to coach womens basketball. He made $7,000 annually coaching all of these sports. I didnt want them to go back home because at that time there were a lot of single parents out working, which meant kids had a lot of time between 4 and 7 p.m. to get into trouble. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion 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. Its also important to get kids involved in other things on campus besides basketball. Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court. "We both have careers. I do not miss that, but I miss the evaluations. Now divorced, Blair has a son and a daughter, and three grandchildren. Blair endorsed her as his eventual successor. All the other men coached boys basketball and football. And I truly love 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. I ended up coaching women's basketball because there wasn't a coaching job when I took the PE job at South Oak Cliff. From 1993-2003, he was the head coach at Arkansas. I was used to that for 50 years, but now, it's a little bit different. 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. 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. 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. The years he spent at South Oak Cliff were some of his favorites. The team, unranked in the national polls, received a No. 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. What is the foundation for building a good team culture? Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, right, and his wife, Nan, make a long-distance relationship work. It makes you appreciate the road of women in sports. Relationships like that make it difficult for Blair to walk away. 10-2 This Year. . As he had done at every stop so far, Blair got to Nacogdoches a small town in East Texas and started winning. Gary Blair became Texas A&M's coach in 2003. 42 (UConn wins Dance; WBB ratings boom), 'I'm very honored and humbled': Gary Blair discusses Hall of Fame honor. His two sisters were over six foot. "They make a difference," Nan said. Schools all send me away with a gift basket and the kindest words. He was a good kid, and he grew eight inches after high school. I got early outs in December, 1970. Whatever social media tells them to do, they live it in that moment. Baseball was my best sport I starred but I was 120 pounds even though I worked out, and I never got a double my whole high school career. In the eighth game, they played undefeated Slovakia, in a game that would determine the gold medal. 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. I dont know whats more important to them. 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. Sport makes us better. They used to ride in vans and wear tube socks. The Astros gave four underdog pitchers a shot. 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. "When they're together, you can just tell how much they care about each other," A&M guard Sydney Carter said. Gary Blairs teams have earned an NCAA tournament berthevery year from2006-2021. Sonja Hogg is the first lady of college basketball: she knew how to dress, how to press, and she knew how to recruit. Exam copy availability, 2023 Texas A&M University Press | Orders: 800-826-8911 | John H. Lindsey Building, Lewis St. | College Station, Texas 77843-4354. He was previously head womens basketball coach at the University of Arkansas and Stephen F. Austin State University. I am a product of Title IX, Blair said. It wasnt long before we saw he was a money-making machine. He didn't get drafted by the Detroit Pistons until he was 24. All of my 750 wins have happened after I turned 40, because I was a late bloomer. Be humble, or youll stumble, Blair said. He handled the defense, and it was the first time Id really turned over the defense to an assistant coach.
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