I want to be like R.C.. Oct. 28, 2021 Updated: Oct. 28, 2021 11:36 a.m. 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. [4], In his seven seasons at South Oak Cliff, he set a state record with five consecutive state tournament appearances and a 239-18 record. But also, just excited for him. I even watch WWE. I miss all that, but it's time for the next chapter. A Dallas native, Blair was the head coach at South Oak Cliff High school from 1973-1980. [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. COLLEGE STATION - Gary Blair was in mid-swing in a water volleyball game that summer day in. I lived for that. Oct 28, 2021. People ask me how retirement is every day. I play golf about four days a week in the mornings. A Dallas native, Blair was the head coach at South Oak Cliff High school from 1973-1980. Ask Liucci: Spring football takeaways, A&M's spring sports & more, Follow The Money - Ep. Hed built a program from scratch and helped bring visibility to girls basketball in the state. ". When I go back to reunions I feel good because a lot of those old people dont nearly look as good. "We couldn't have done this 20 years ago, because we didn't have cellphones.". And thats OK. Since being named head coach in 2003, coach Gary Blair has guided Texas A&M into the ranks of the elite. Things get started with the dinner Thursday, May 6 at the Brazos County Expo at 6 p.m. Plates are $20 for all-you-can-eat catfish. I got the girls involved in an intramural program, and that's when Title IX was passed. "It's who's going to retire first who's going to win that battle," said a grinning Gary, 66. 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. Im around all the other events; Im the only coach thats in a civic club. 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. Whether youre shopping Way Day 2023 or Walmart, theres an al fresco set for you. Well, I wasnt busy coaching baseball, so I jumped on that chance. I want to be the first coach at A&M to leave since Bear Bryant, on his own terms. 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. You know, I think I could coach till I am 80, Blair, now 76, said. I took the job at Stephen F and I was smart enough not to replace (longtime Louisiana State coach) Sue Gunter or Leon Barmore when he wanted out (of Louisiana Tech). I turned it down to stay with the women. ", "It's really special for us to be playing in his last season," Aggies guard Destiny Pitts said. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. 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. They made it to the UIL Texas state tournament five years in a row and won the title three times. Chennedy (Carter) hit a three and I thought we would pull it off, but Georgia controlled the OT. Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court, Blair said. However, I know that it is time for this to be my final season. He figures to be honored in opposing gyms. Joni Taylor. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced on Thursday that this season will be the last of his historic career. 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. Blair, 65, also became the oldest women's coach to win a national championship. 1 and No. [3], In the 20062007 season, Blair's Aggies again scored over 20 wins and reached the NCAA Tournament, this time as the fourth seed, and advanced to the second round of the tournament. Where is this coming from?, We understand. 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 . Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, right, and his wife, Nan, make a long-distance relationship work. Nan is in her fifth year as Arkansas' director of nursing. Not when you don't think about the hurt that false comments cause family members and friends who read this board. "When they're together, you can just tell how much they care about each other," A&M guard Sydney Carter said. See our updatedPrivacy Policyto find out more about cookies and how we use your data. Thirty-four years later, Nan still thinks so - and the two have a mutual attraction. 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. Relationships like that make it difficult for Blair to walk away. The eternally quippable Metcalf, Lemons and Garrido all have since passed on to that coaches comedy club in the clouds, but theres at least one old-school coach in the region still owning the fastest facetiousness in Texas. "He has a lot of wisdom. Well hold on to these and were not finished recruiting.. He figured he had a few more years left in him. Whatever social media tells them to do, they live it in that moment. Athletic Director Ross Bjork said that she would be among those under consideration. 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. We stayed another five years. Todays kids live in the moment. In the eighth game, they played undefeated Slovakia, in a game that would determine the gold medal. Then I joined the Marine Corps. I started out with something else in mind and I ended up on this path, coaching all these young women over the years. Blair oozes pride when he mentions the women who helped him find his calling all those years ago. [3][4], Blair is also actively involved with the community. We missed last year.. 10-2 This Year. What Im trying to do is max out every day. So Blair will walk away this season after making a massive mark in so many places. I was an architecture major at TTU and a walk-on for baseball. 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. [19], On October 28, 2021, Blair announced he would retire from coaching at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. The Louisiana Tech position paid $22,500 and also provided a six-year-old brown station wagon. Our fans were getting restless, he offered in his typical bemused delivery. 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Sometimes I want to do things with my wife and my grandkids. Part of that attraction stems from the old line about absence making the heart grow fonder, considering the last quarter of their 32-year marriage has been spent separated by what Nan dubs "nine hours and 15 minutes" of asphalt. He talks about his beginnings often, about the chances he was given and the opportunities he seized. You want to see people compete. 9 Replies | Those were the programs, and then they died out to start the 1980s. 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 the family: Kelly Bond-White, Texas A&M associate head . . 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. Before anyone wanted him on a field, though, a group of young ladies needed him on a court. Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire. Senior captain Jordan Nixon admitted she was caught off guard when Blair informed the team this would be his final season. "Coach Blair is a legend in women's basketball and college sports," Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said. Joni Taylor is doing very well. Blair joined TexAgs Radio on Monday morning to discuss life after basketball and so much more. A new professional league, and you were seeing more people at college games around that time, too. In womens basketball, we went to state the first year we could go to state in 1976. Those were special years.. The coming season will almost certainly include. Bill to earn a bachelor's degree in health and physical education with a minor in journalism from Texas Tech. And I truly love it. But the time has come.. He ranks 12th in Division I history and fourth among active coaches. 6.12 x 9.25 x 0 in 288 pp. On Thursday night, Blair will coach the Texas A&M women's team at . I wait for people to screw up and then go in on the white horse and resurrect the program. We hired assistant Amy Sheridan, who played at Sam Houston State with Vic. They asked for volunteers to coach (girls) basketball (at South Oak Cliff), and the girls next door asked me if Id coach. The players I have been lucky enough to coach, to know. I miss going out and talking shop with your colleagues and then getting up and doing it again. That allowed me to hire Mike, and it was the best hire Ive ever had. Can you talk about how you assembled your infamous coaching staff at Arkansas? 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. 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. Reflection is a good time instead of procrastination, which I've done for a long time. How will you know when its time to retire? Arkansas, Gary's former school and Nan's current school, and Dayton are the other two entrants in the College Station event. He grew up playing baseball, and as a 128-pound center fielder at Bryan Adams High School, he received all-city honors in 1963. Stroud: Analyzing two pro days, Q&A with Texans chairman Cal McNair on GM, new coach and draft, Entering 2nd season, Jeremy Pea a celeb who doesn't act like one. Meanwhile, Nan had advanced through the nursing ranks, winning numerous honors along the way, and was 11 years into a teaching career at Arkansas when her husband was hired to coach the Aggies. 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. I had to rebuild Arkansas, but A&M was the hardest rebuild because when I got here, they were horrible. 2023 Maroon & White LP. I want to be known in this community as more than just a basketball coach, and people appreciate that. Since then, the team has won more than 70 percent of its . For me, hes been almost like a grandfather, she said. I turned it down, he said. Available, Media: That team, that year, Blair said. Vic Schaefer came with me when Tom took the Colorado job. I was in the middle of that with recruiting. [9], Blair was inducted into the Ladyjack Hall of Fame during halftime of the Ladyjacks game against the Aggies on December 2, 2008. Mobile phones. This outlines how and why we collect, store and use your personal data when you use our website. We (coaching staff) spent two hours last night with current recruits, Blair 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. Would be hard to leave that. 2:28p, 3/5/20. 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. Here's how to score the best deals on tickets, plus all the free promotions you won't want to miss. What can you say about it? 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 love competition. At each new place, there was a new challenge and something to build, but it was always worth it, he said. 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. Hes the winningest coach in Texas A&M history with a 430-170 record in 18 seasons. I love it enough. Be humble, or youll stumble, Blair said. Try a week on us. And you suddenly have these opportunities where women arent having to go play overseas or just walk away. 2023 Maroon & White LP. I (also) read three comic strips per day: Peanuts, Blondie and Beetle Bailey. The British Open is coming up. [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. Request a review copy, Professors: 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. [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. The Astros gave four underdog pitchers a shot. We kept winning in every sport, and I was the head coach of all four women's sports at South Oak Cliff. [7], In October 1980, Blair was offered an assistant coaching job at Louisiana Tech by then-head coach Sonja Hogg. The USA came back, but was still behind at halftime. Division regular season and conference tournament champion Its been great this year to reflect at every gym we go to, to talk to other coaches Ive known for years, he said. He was also interviewing for the New Mexico State job, which he didnt want to take. 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South Oak Cliff had just started its women's basketball program, and Blair became the team's first coach in 1973. The joy that bursts out of Gary Blair as he talks about his storied career simply cant be contained. "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. Fantasy women's basketball: Will the addition of Candace Parker shake up fantasy values on the Aces? Coach Gary Blair and the A&M women are ranked No. Gary Claude Blair (born August 10, 1945)[1] is a retired women's basketball head coach. 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. Pub Date: 01/27/2017 I didnt start coaching until I was 27. Only two tickets were claimed. I'm trying to adjust. "This is an incredible honor," Blair said. There is the good, the bad and the ugly of social media. For my teams at South Oak Cliff, a professional league wasnt a possibility, so to see how far things had come was something.. It wasnt long before we saw he was a money-making machine. Look at the impact hes had on a countless number of people. Been engaged a year to a wonderful lady. TexAgs is an independent site and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. She coached a gold medal team for USA Basketball, and that always helps in recruiting. [10], As the head coach of the women's basketball team at Arkansas, Blair compiled a 198-120 record. 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. He was also inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023. . Finish last in your league, and they call you an idiot, said Lemons, Texas basketball coach from 1976-82. The beers were in the apartment office where she walked in, so I told my friends, 'I'm going to get a beer. So after 18 months and seven days I sprinted back to Texas to finish my last year of school. The following year his team, which consisted of 9 freshmen and sophomores, won 23 games and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. . "They just feed off each other so well.". Blairs coaching tree includes Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer and Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors, whose teams Texas A&M faces in Southeastern Conference play. [13], The following year the Aggies improved, earning a postseason invitation for the first time since 1996. Since integration, there were no volunteers. All of them are still committed to us. 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! He led the Aggies to the NCAA national championship in 2011. My weakness is Im not hard enough to fire someone. You couldnt hope for anything more. [7] He also started the boys and girls golf team, and served as its first coach as well. Theres 17 other national championships we didnt win. 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. Blair coached Debra and Kim Rodman on one of his state title teams their brother Dennis used to play Ping-Pong and talk about basketball with Blair at the school. 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. What I haven't gotten to do is spend a lot of time with my granddaughter and grandson.". We were in Okinawa when everyone was trying to pull troops back. You just told em you were looking for basketball players, Metcalf said with a shrug, not lovers.. Shelby Metcalf, who coached the men's team for 27 seasons, is the school's winningest coach. The numbers speak for themselves. [4] He would coach under Leon Barmore, who replaced Hogg. Thought it was strange she never moved to College Station. Brent met his wife, KBTX . Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court. Thats why its time. And a volleyball coach, and a track coach. Its been a great ride, Blair told The Athletic. When he told us, we were a little surprised because we know that he could keep coaching if he wants to. None of the big six major cities in Texas had womens athletics before Title IX. I got early outs in December, 1970. Ive never fired a person in my life, back to restaurant manager days. Just last week Texans GM Nick Caserio was deflecting rumors of a possible departure. [2] During his five seasons there, Louisiana Tech reached the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament four times, winning two national championships. Leon Barmore was the Bobby Knight of womens basketball. Blair led the Aggies to the national championship in 2011. I am a product of Title IX, Blair said. 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. 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. Request a review copy, Professors: After a divorce between Blair and his wife of 30-plus years, Blair married Kyla Gay in 2020. Not too many players transfer from Texas A&M. Blair was intrigued by the universitys facilities, its athletic prowess in other sports and its location. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and Sam Houston State University, where he played baseball. Flash02. All rights reserved. 5,245 Views | [12], Blair is married to Kyla Blair and has four children and nine grandchildren. 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. . We finished third, first, first, second and first. 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! 0 Replies | kissing my wife on the floor of Conseco Fieldhouse . 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. Then Arkansas made the mistake of not hiring him when I left.