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. 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.. "I've got our kids and grandkids up in Arkansas with me," Nan said. The two appear to have only one regret concerning their long-distance arrangement. In 2003, Gary was hired from Arkansas to revive the Big 12's worst program in A&M. "I've got nine grandkids that I want to go spend more time with. 28 color photos. [19], On October 28, 2021, Blair announced he would retire from coaching at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. I lived for that. 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. The very best thing I could do was stay with those girls. 2:28p, 3/5/20. We have a little travel in our plans, and I have a busy month of September coming up. Those misses included big names like Brittney Griner, who went to Baylor, and Nneka Ogwumike, who played at Stanford. Last: How long do you want to ignore this user? 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. Thats why its time. I have enough energy. 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. Head Coach. I left the high school game in 1980 when Barmore and Hogg called me up. The competition was held in Taipei, Taiwan. "When they're together, you can just tell how much they care about each other," A&M guard Sydney Carter said. During his last six seasons, his teams were consistently ranked in the final AP Top 25 polls. flashbulbs popping as the Aggie Band played triumphantly . I played ping pong and basketball with Dennis Rodman when he was a kid. Sometimes you have to wait for things. I had a rule for my kids that they had to play all of (the sports). "But he was nice looking.". 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. A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the 76-year-old Blair has a career record of 838-333in 36 seasons at Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Finish last in your league, and they call you an idiot, said Lemons, Texas basketball coach from 1976-82. He talks about his beginnings often, about the chances he was given and the opportunities he seized. Why now? 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. Brent met his wife, KBTX . 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. It was middle-class and tough, and it had turned 100 percent black in two years. This outlines how and why we collect, store and use your personal data when you use our website. 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) Prairie View A&M wants to leave the Texas A&M University System. Gary Blairs teams have earned an NCAA tournament berthevery year from2006-2021. The first five years at Tech we were national champs, national champs, second, third, and Elite Eight. Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? I brought Sue Donohoe with me, who was a great recruiter and a real people person. Kelly Bond-White has been with me 21 years, he said. Gary Blair is the son of Lee, a plaster foreman, and Jean, a housewife. At the time of the offer, Blair was making an annual salary of $22,000. At age 27, he used his G.I. 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. He should do it on his terms. Fantasy women's basketball: Will the addition of Candace Parker shake up fantasy values on the Aces? Since being named head coach in 2003, coach Gary Blair has guided Texas A&M into the ranks of the elite. I can tell you everything about Wimbledon because I got to watch a lot of it. . Can you talk about your experience coaching at Louisiana Tech, at the dawning of womens collegiate basketball? Blair, 65, also became the oldest women's coach to win a national championship. 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 just need an arena with 94 feet to be able to compete.. Timing is everything in coaching. 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. So Blair will walk away this season after making a massive mark in so many places. 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. Texas A&M announced on Thursday that its basketball court will be named in honor of retiring women's coach Gary Blair. . A Dallas native, Blair was the head coach at South Oak Cliff High school from 1973-1980. Would be hard to leave that. She's a great manager of people, and I think I've done a pretty good job of managing people, too.". South Oak Cliff had just started its women's basketball program, and Blair became the team's first coach in 1973. 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. Rodman is a sports fan. Those were special years.. I ended up at South Oak Cliff in physical education and I was just waiting for a baseball job.. Ive got a saying: today I gave all I had, and what I kept Ive lost forever. We missed out on plenty of them, he said, laughing. You name it. The one thing I want to be able to do is that I want to leave on good terms. What Im trying to do is max out every day. And you suddenly have these opportunities where women arent having to go play overseas or just walk away. [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. [4], National champion Sometimes I want to do things with my wife and my grandkids. Guard Destiny Pitts said Blair has influenced her beyond basketball. Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court. The team also won the 2008 Big 12 conference tournament title. 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. There wont be another one (like him), A&M mens basketball coach Buzz Williams said of Blair. "[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. Blair joined TexAgs Radio on Monday morning to discuss life after basketball and so much more. Blair initially rejected the offer, but upon his wife's encouragement, he accepted it. You can't stay inside the whole day. You cant ask for much more.. (Elsa / Getty Images). The 2023 NFL Draft runs April 2729 live from Kansas City, Missouri. In the 200708 season, Blair led his squad to a school-first NCAA Elite Eight appearance and a 298 overall record. In 1985, he landed his first college head coaching job at Stephen F. Austin. 1 of 5 Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair talks with his players in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Vanderbilt at the women's Southeastern Conference tournament Wednesday . Humility. Postseason invitational champion 2023 Maroon & White LP. 23 in the AP preseason poll. I THINK she heads up the Arky nursing school. 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. Fantasy women's basketball: Whose numbers could fall in 2023? He can tell you all about their kids, their jobs, their successes. However, I know that it is time for this to be my final season. Wed take the kids home after practice just load up cars take them home. Abe Lemons once described the difference between coaching and most other jobs. [3], In his third season with the Aggies, Blair guided his team to their first Associated Press Top 25 ranking in ten years. & Nancy Foran, Media: He handled the defense, and it was the first time Id really turned over the defense to an assistant coach. How can you be No. I can get something out of all three of those. But there werent a lot of high school coaching jobs available. He was a good kid, and he grew eight inches after high school. 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. Brent Zwerneman is a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle covering Texas A&M athletics. 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. looking toward the stands, where my grandson was . We support him.. They offered me the head baseball job and a football coordinator job, but I turned them down to stay with the women. Karl Malone was playing at Louisiana Tech at that time. Like Blair, Slocum is the winningest coach in A&M history in his sport. 10,331 Views | It's good to be back. You know, I think I could coach till I am 80, Blair, now 76, said. You cant explain how special it is to see your team work that way and win those games.. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced on Thursday that this season will be the last of his historic career. He knew all the kids and traveled to see them. My weakness is Im not hard enough to fire someone. See our updatedPrivacy Policyto find out more about cookies and how we use your data. [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. Over the past 19 seasons, the program . teacher, while waiting for an offer to coach the baseball team, but when asked to coach the girls' team, he accepted. "Coach Blair is a legend in women's basketball and college sports," Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said. I ended up coaching women's basketball because there wasn't a coaching job when I took the PE job at South Oak Cliff. Who was No. Division regular season champion My job was to massage the egos. I am missing work, and I am missing relationships. Blair went 210-43 in eight seasons at SFA before moving on to the University of Arkansas. The key to keeping a good sense of humor through this long stroll called life? And you see how that turned out.. RUSTY BURSON, author of. The sport was narrowly on his radar in 1972 when he was a PE teacher at South Oak Cliff in Dallas. I took the job thinking this will be good for a year or two. Texas A&M's Gary Blair is retiring. I dont hire bobblehead dolls. We're trying to redo my study and our game room. I turned it down to stay with the women. "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?" They didnt miss. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and Sam Houston State University, where he played baseball. Nan is in her fifth year as Arkansas' director of nursing. Chennedy (Carter) hit a three and I thought we would pull it off, but Georgia controlled the OT. 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. We were just coming off of a state championship team and I had just got married. [9], Blair was inducted into the Ladyjack Hall of Fame during halftime of the Ladyjacks game against the Aggies on December 2, 2008. Vic Schaefer came with me when Tom took the Colorado job. Right now, it's a mess in college athletics. After this season his 50th coaching Blair will retire and leave a stamp the size of Texas on the game of basketball. 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. Thanks David it's great to hear from Coach Blair Aggie Legend! 2,868 Views | The only friend Ive ever hired is Vic; everyone else I hire for their strengths. ", "I love Aggieland, and I love Fayetteville," Gary said. Hes done tremendous things in the game of basketball. Blair led the Aggies to the national championship in 2011. [3], Blair's first head coaching experience at the collegiate level came at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas. The Make or Break For Jimbo's Tenure, Cromartie taking shots at the coaching staff. [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. All rights reserved. You could tell Cheryl was the next coming. His teams reached the semifinals in the SEC tournament in both 2001 and 2002.[3]. Fantasy women's basketball: Will the addition of Candace Parker shake up fantasy values on the Aces. He never meant to coach womens basketball. 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, 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. 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. It took me two weeks to make up my mind. . The team finished third in the Big 12, and reached the semifinals in the Big 12 Women's Championship Tournament. Texas A&M named 2021 SEC Coach of the Year Joni Taylor as the eighth women's basketball head coach in program history on March 23, 2022. Joni Taylor. When I cant compete for championships anymore, its time to leave. I was an architecture major at TTU and a walk-on for baseball. Try a week on us. I got the girls involved in an intramural program, and that's when Title IX was passed. I get people to work with me, find out about them and get to know their strengths. People ask me how retirement is every day. Bryce Young vs. C.J. After his tour, he lived in the Los Angeles area, running a restaurant in Costa Mesa and Culver City. Here's how to score the best deals on tickets, plus all the free promotions you won't want to miss. 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. Well, I get the opportunity to have about 35 to 38 still left in me this year. Not too many players transfer from Texas A&M. You have to get outside. "We couldn't have done this 20 years ago, because we didn't have cellphones.". He figures to be honored in opposing gyms. Didn't realize I said something inappropriate. I love competition. Schools all send me away with a gift basket and the kindest words. "My wife and I want to do some traveling starting next summerwe've got a lot of places picked out," Blair said. He's nine wins from being the winningest basketball coach (men's or women's) in Texas A&M history. I miss talking about the game I watched the other night. ", Texas A&M naming court in honor of retiring Blair, 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. We were up five in OT and we struggled so much, but Georgia played great. He led the Aggies to the NCAA national championship in 2011. Gary Blair is the son of Lee, a plaster foreman, and Jean, a housewife. But I made an attempt to get them all here.. 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. "This little, good-looking redhead walked by," Blair said. I wanted to coach baseball, the former Texas Tech outfielder said. That was a special time for the game, he said. The joy that bursts out of Gary Blair as he talks about his storied career simply cant be contained. The game, the players. One of my biggest pet peeves is adults who refuse to admit to mistakes. To me, thats the least of my worries. The Louisiana Tech position paid $22,500 and also provided a six-year-old brown station wagon. It wasnt long before we saw he was a money-making machine. 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. 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. A&M (23-2) not only believed it deserved one of the four top seeds as SEC regular-season champion, but the Aggies were mystified they were shoved under the Texas Longhorns roof for the opener. "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.". I actually fell in love with the kids, and to this day its still the best job Ive ever had, because it gave me the confidence to do what Im doing now. The game was tied at 45 all, when the USA hit several free throws to take a lead they would not give up. 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. You can buy a ticket early or pay at the door. 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. Its time to sit up in the stands and do what you dosecond guess the coaches.. Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire. And thats OK. I had to rebuild Arkansas, but A&M was the hardest rebuild because when I got here, they were horrible. Blair, 76, has won 838 games in his career at Stephen F. Austin . 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. Im very honest with the kids and their parents: when you earn your playing time, you will get your playing time. Well, I wasnt busy coaching baseball, so I jumped on that chance. Thought his wife taught at the University of Arkansas . [6], When head women's basketball coach Marsha Sharp retired from Texas Tech in 2006, Blair got calls from his friends to take over the position. 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! If its about money, Garrido said with a wry smile, well play in Austin.. Y'all keep playing.' Ive missed too many ball games, too many cheerleading things, he said. Blair joined TexAgs Radio on Monday morning to discuss life after basketball and so much more. got fired (in 2002) he could have went to LSU, Baylor, Houston or a lot of other places. 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. 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. 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. . Gary Blair provides an update on retirement and life after basketball. Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court, Blair said. He ranks 12th in Division I history and fourth among active coaches. Be humble, or youll stumble, Blair said. What's tough right now is that Tuesday was the first day on the road for all my coaches. The games and wins, sure. [14] This marked the first time in Aggie history that the women's basketball team had earned consecutive NCAA tournament berths. Im not like Bush 41, but like Bush 43. We won state again. It didnt take long five successful seasons for others to come calling for Blair. The Blairs own a home in the Traditions development in Bryan that Nan designed. I want to be like R.C.. I turned it down, he said. It was back then Old Dominion, Louisiana Tech, Long Beach State, Western Kentucky and Cheney State that were the big dogs. In womens basketball, we went to state the first year we could go to state in 1976. Request a review copy, Professors: Our student body is 62,000 strong, and there are other things in life just as important as basketball. 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. Before anyone wanted him on a field, though, a group of young ladies needed him on a court. Thats my strength. Early in his first season, he offered four free tickets to a game during an interview on a local radio station. 5 Aggies", "With Title, Texas A&M Coach Has Another Story to Tell", "Former SFA head coach to be inducted into Ladyjack Hall of Fame", "Click here to find out more! 5,245 Views | Its been great this year to reflect at every gym we go to, to talk to other coaches Ive known for years, he said. Available, Media: Senior captain Jordan Nixon admitted she was caught off guard when Blair informed the team this would be his final season. He began his career as an assistant at Louisiana Tech between 1980-85 as the Lady Techsters won two national titles, including the first NCAA women's basketball tournament in 1982 season. [3], Blair made history with his 19971998 team. We cant get separation on teams, no one plays us close, our defense is solid but were not stopping people theyre scoring on us. Brent Zwerneman is a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle covering Texas A&M athletics. Ask Liucci: Spring football takeaways, A&M's spring sports & more, Follow The Money - Ep. Longtime Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced Thursday that this season will be his last with the Aggies, with the 76-year-old . He published his autobiography, A Coaching Life, last year. That team, that year, Blair said. I have a lot of responsibility, a lot of flexibility, and I argue with my assistants all the time. Pam Green went on to star at Missouri. 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. Leon Barmore was the Bobby Knight of womens basketball. All rights reserved. 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. He was also inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023. He was 239-18 at South Oak Cliff. "It's a French country house, and probably the only one in Bryan-College Station," Gary said. All three of us were six months apart in age. Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, against Mississippi earlier this season, has his own style of wit and wisdom.
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