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. We stayed another five years. He had to be a sports fan. 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. I miss talking about the game I watched the other night. Blairs final season with the Aggiesbegins on Nov. 9 against A&M-Corpus Christi at Reed Arena. The USA came back, but was still behind at halftime. At that time where were no coaching jobs, so I took a PE teacher job, and I volunteered to be the golf coach. During his stint at Arkansas, the womens game evolved in a way Blair had always hoped to see. Blair notched his 750th career win last month. During his first season, the Lady Razorbacks won 15 of their 29 games, their first winning season in several years. Gary Blair became Texas A&M's coach in 2003. 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. Blair's legacy honored despite dropping final home game to South Why UConn starts at No. But the time has come.. The players I have been lucky enough to coach, to know. That allowed me to hire Mike, and it was the best hire Ive ever had. It was middle-class and tough, and it had turned 100 percent black in two years. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair, 76, announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of this season. I switched my major to kinesiology. "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.". Hes done tremendous things in the game of basketball. "But I've done Fayetteville. I had to play the Title IX card to get a director of basketball operations. Search by keyword, author, title, and more.. Theres 17 other national championships we didnt win. When I cant compete for championships anymore, its time to leave. Y'all keep playing.' . Gary Blair provides an update on retirement and life after basketball. 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. I even watch WWE. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and Sam Houston State University, where he played baseball. I got the girls involved in an intramural program, and that's when Title IX was passed. We opened that arena in the 1983-84 season and we played Cheryl Miller and USC in the opening round (of the NCAA Tournament) and we got beat at home. "I've got our kids and grandkids up in Arkansas with me," Nan said. "That makes this harder on Gary. Its been a great ride, Blair told The Athletic. 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. A group of girls from South Oak Cliff were ready to play any and every sport they could. 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 game was tied at 45 all, when the USA hit several free throws to take a lead they would not give up. There wont be another one (like him), A&M mens basketball coach Buzz Williams said of Blair. I do not miss that, but I miss the evaluations. Texas A&M Coach Gary Blair Once Built a Dynasty in South Oak Cliff 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! Vic Schaefer came with me when Tom took the Colorado job. Exam copy availability, 2023 Texas A&M University Press | Orders: 800-826-8911 | John H. Lindsey Building, Lewis St. | College Station, Texas 77843-4354. To me, thats the least of my worries. So special, in fact, that when Blair was offered the opportunity to move up to the collegiate basketball level and coach at Louisiana Tech in 1980, he was unsure if he would go. teacher, while waiting for an offer to coach the baseball team, but when asked to coach the girls' team, he accepted. Blair was 65 when he won that title with the Aggies. Blair still marvels at the serendipity that brought him to coaching. Athletic Director Ross Bjork said that she would be among those under consideration. 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. Were playing in a good arena, Blair said, and we won in Austin earlier this year.. This is my 19th year (at A&M), Blair said with a cracking voice and misty eyes. [9], Blair was inducted into the Ladyjack Hall of Fame during halftime of the Ladyjacks game against the Aggies on December 2, 2008. Somebody that might be better than me can get the job done better. Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court. Wed take the kids home after practice just load up cars take them home. Around that time, the school offered him the head baseball job hed coveted. [3] For the first time in his career, however, one of Blair's team suffered a losing season. When I go back to reunions I feel good because a lot of those old people dont nearly look as good. A Coaching Life on Apple Books Sometimes, we can agree to disagree. I love it enough. I play golf in the mornings and try to walk all the time. 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. Idont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. Division regular season and conference tournament champion The transfer portal, the constant debates about compensating athletes, a pandemic that canceled high school basketball seasons and an NCAA Tournament, the changes in recruiting in a world that has turned to virtual meetings at a high rate Blair would rather sit back and watch the game evolve around all of the new challenges rather than be in the midst of it. . 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. If its about money, Garrido said with a wry smile, well play in Austin.. The joy that bursts out of Gary Blair as he talks about his storied career simply cant be contained. For his efforts, Blair was inducted into the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame. What Im trying to do is max out every day. All of a sudden it was a power, sort of like Long Beach Poly. Blair, 76, has won 838 games in his career at Stephen F. Austin . He said he intends to serve A&M, the Bryan Rotary Club and his charities for Special Olympics and those with special needs. Finish last in medical school, and they call you a doctor.. What else can they do to us? Blair wondered Monday night of the selection committee. He figured he had a few more years left in him. Blair, 65, also became the oldest women's coach to win a national championship. Since then, the team has won more than 70 percent of its . Try a week on us. We won state the next year in 1977. He bowled on a faculty team with their mother, Shirley. Vic turned it down and came with me to Texas A&M, and Amber stayed. [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. Boston sets SEC record in Blair's home farewell - ESPN 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. 2:28p, 3/5/20. 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. Joni Taylor is doing very well. Then Arkansas made the mistake of not hiring him when I left. Gary Blair is the son of Lee, a plaster foreman, and Jean, a housewife. For my teams at South Oak Cliff, a professional league wasnt a possibility, so to see how far things had come was something.. We (coaching staff) spent two hours last night with current recruits, Blair said. The game, the players. Its time to sit up in the stands and do what you dosecond guess the coaches.. 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. Gary Blair is the son of Lee, a plaster foreman, and Jean, a housewife. He was underpaid, he worked around facility issues, he had to better himself as a coach. That was a special time for the game, he said. Blair said in a statement on Thursday. GARY BLAIR, head women's basketball coach at Texas A&M University since 2003, led the Aggies to an NCAA national championship in 2011. He was stationed in Okinawa during his duty. When R.C. You cant explain how special it is to see your team work that way and win those games.. Reflection is a good time instead of procrastination, which I've done for a long time. It wasnt long before we saw he was a money-making machine. 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. Joni Taylor leaves Georgia to replace Gary Blair as Texas A&M - ESPN Blair, 76, has won 838 games in his career at Stephen F. Austin . Im 72, but a young 72. ". In the NCAA tournament, the team lost to eventual national champion Tennessee. The USA team won their opening seven games, behind the scoring leadership of Sheri Sam, who averaged 13 points per game. I played ping pong and basketball with Dennis Rodman when he was a kid. He got the nickname "The Worm" from playing pinball back in the day. Long-time assistant coach Kelly Bond-White is obviously helping with those recruiting efforts. He figures to be honored in opposing gyms. But things have changed so much. He even gave out his home address for the lucky first four who showed up. Ask Liucci: Spring football takeaways, A&M's spring sports & more, Follow The Money - Ep. 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. A Coaching Life - tamupress.com He's nine wins from being the winningest basketball coach (men's or women's) in Texas A&M history. 2023 Maroon & White LP. 1 and No. Blairs coaching tree includes Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer and Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors, whose teams Texas A&M faces in Southeastern Conference play. 9 Replies | Timing is everything in coaching. 3 with eyes on more, while the men have not even played since Jan. 30. The coming season will almost certainly include. 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. 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. You could tell Cheryl was the next coming. He ranks 12th in Division I history and fourth among active coaches. I wait for people to screw up and then go in on the white horse and resurrect the program. 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. The USA team won the game and the championship 7262. 10-2 This Year. "My wife and I want to do some traveling starting next summerwe've got a lot of places picked out," Blair said. I got the girl's coaching job by default because nobody else wanted it. Prairie View A&M wants to leave the Texas A&M University System. Melissa Gregg is a Dallas police officer. 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. He published his autobiography, A Coaching Life, last year. It was very good. got fired (in 2002) he could have went to LSU, Baylor, Houston or a lot of other places. 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. Gary Blair coaches final game as Vanderbilt eliminates Texas A&M in SEC That is the trait Blair has most in common with Garrido, the iconic UT baseball coach who died three years ago this month from complications following a stroke: a super sharp wit masking a sharper drive to win. When he told us, we were a little surprised because we know that he could keep coaching if he wants to. Gary Blair provides an update on retirement and life after - TexAgs At age 27, he used his G.I. Weve done a good job of bringing in the right kids with the right parents. I sat down two days ago on his front porch and listened to his problems and everything he has done. 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 set to retire at season's end. He has also held his "Celebrity Golf Classic" to benefit Special Olympics for over 15 years; recently, the program has raised over $100,000 annually. 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. our players and coaches wildly celebrating the biggest win in womens basketball history at Texas A&M . In the family: Kelly Bond-White, Texas A&M associate head . "He has a lot of wisdom. Texas A&M names court for women's coach Gary Blair in his home finale His teams reached the semifinals in the SEC tournament in both 2001 and 2002.[3]. Our fans were getting restless, he offered in his typical bemused delivery. [15], On February 20, 2008, Blair posted his 500th career win as a head coach at Reed Arena against the Iowa State Cyclones.[16]. 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. I got early outs in December, 1970. Thought it was strange she never moved to College Station. In basketball I stayed in shape, but I couldnt shoot a lick. What we want to do is make sure Coach is celebrated., Obviously we know (Bond-White) very well. Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court, Blair said. Ive had such a great career, he said. They made it to the UIL Texas state tournament five years in a row and won the title three times. He grew up playing baseball, and as a 128-pound center fielder at Bryan Adams High School, he received all-city honors in 1963. Last: There are not any replies to this post yet. My job was to massage the egos. 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. Slocum, who has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments, helped him make peace with his decision. His teams have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 15 consecutive seasons. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. At each new place, there was a new challenge and something to build, but it was always worth it, he said. "She had white scrubs on and looked like a nurse. . I flunked out of architecture, which didnt make me eligible for baseball. The team, unranked in the national polls, received a No. That will be enough., Its time to go do the other things in life. All rights reserved. You can buy a ticket early or pay at the door. We were in Okinawa when everyone was trying to pull troops back. You think of all the people over the years, he said. I miss going out and talking shop with your colleagues and then getting up and doing it again. Theres no one in my generation who will ever eclipse his achievements. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. Oct. 28, 2021 Updated: Oct. 28, 2021 11:36 a.m. 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. Sometimes you have to wait for things. Gary Blair Court at Reed Arena will be officially dedicated during a pregame . [5] He earned his master's degree in education from the school in 1974. I dont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. All rights reserved. You could get it done at those smaller venues back then. Leon Barmore was the Bobby Knight of womens basketball. Im not like Bush 41, but like Bush 43. The key to keeping a good sense of humor through this long stroll called life? Oct 28, 2021. However, I know that it is time for this to be my final season. Social media is now as important as the three-point line. She's a great manager of people, and I think I've done a pretty good job of managing people, too.". Ive never fired a person in my life, back to restaurant manager days. A new professional league, and you were seeing more people at college games around that time, too. I had to put silk flowers in the urinals at away games because we always had to use the boys locker room as visitors. I took the job thinking this will be good for a year or two. I am a product of Title IX, Blair said. After this season his 50th coaching Blair will retire and leave a stamp the size of Texas on the game of basketball. I remember thinking that I wished I could somehow stop time., GARY BLAIR, head womens basketball coach at Texas A&M University since 2003, led the Aggies to an NCAA national championship in 2011. The first year we were a Cinderella team and went to the Final Four. People ask me how retirement is every day. 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. There is the good, the bad and the ugly of social media. Blair will leave Aggieland as the winningest coach in Texas A&M history. [12], Blair is married to Kyla Blair and has four children and nine grandchildren. Garrido won five national titles while leading Cal State Fullerton and Texas, while Blair achieved what few figured possible in inheriting the Big 12s worst basketball program in 2003: a national title in 2011. In the final game, the USA beat South Korea to finish the competition with a perfect 93 record. [4] He also played a year of baseball for the Red Raidershe was a defensive center fielder with self-described poor hitting skills. 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. She is the answer going forward with this program.. I'm going to sit down and enjoy watching. Cessna: Aggieland has one more season to appreciate Gary Blair - The Eagle 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.

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