coach gary blair wife
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. The coming season will almost certainly include. "My wife and I want to do some traveling starting next summerwe've got a lot of places picked out," Blair said. I was used to that for 50 years, but now, it's a little bit different. Gary Blair - Women's Basketball Coach - Texas A&M Athletics - 12thMan.com Gary Blair Title Head Coach Twitter CoachGaryBlair E-Mail [email protected] THE BLAIR FILE COACHING HONORS Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee: 2013 New York Athletic Club Winged Foot Award: 2011 I have respect, and people appreciate what I gave back to the game. We finished third, first, first, second and first. 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. 2023 Maroon & White LP. Her first impression of the convivial coach and his recruiting ability? Beyond the trophies, beyond the impressive won-lost record compiled over more than four decades of coaching, beyond even the ungrudging professional respect he has achieved among his peers in a fiercely competitive occupation, Gary Blair values the images, moments, and memories collected during a life spent doing what he loves most: coaching . I have enough energy. This is my 19th year (at A&M), Blair said with a cracking voice and misty eyes. We hired assistant Amy Sheridan, who played at Sam Houston State with Vic. 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. I'm a sports fan. The game, the players. 23 in the AP preseason poll. Gary, who has three years remaining on his A&M contract, has shown no signs of slowing. Massive ranch up for sale near Texas next big state park, Texas man catches giant alligator snapping turtle, releases it, Family gets largest known jail-death settlement in Texas, 3,800-acre San Antonio-area property to become Texas state park, Police: Possible sighting of Cleveland, Texas shooter was false, Uber ranks Houston among most 'forgetful' U.S. cities, Texas college baseball player hit by stray bullet mid-game, You can own your own cave system for a cool $875k, home included, Former KPRC 2 anchor Dominique Sachse to launch podcast Monday, Texas House passes bill to decriminalize marijuana, Watch: Fire breaks out at Houston's Traders Village, Texas to host national hot air balloon championship this summer, Massive Coastal Bend ranch up for sale near Texas next big state park, Texas man catches massive alligator snapping turtle, then releases it back into the wild, Family gets largest known jail-death settlement in Texas: 'We wanted justice', Property north of San Antonio set to become a new Texas state park, Possible sighting of Cleveland, Texas shooter was false, police say, Uber ranks Houston among the most 'forgetful' U.S. cities, Texas A&M University-Texarkana baseball player hit by a stray bullet mid-game. Texas A&M announced on Thursday that its basketball court will be named in honor of retiring women's coach Gary Blair. Like Blair, Slocum is the winningest coach in A&M history in his sport. I try to take the time to really reflect on my career and to really enjoy each and every moment of these last games of my career.. 42 (UConn wins Dance; WBB ratings boom), 'I'm very honored and humbled': Gary Blair discusses Hall of Fame honor. 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. Blair will complete a 50-year coaching career when this season ends. The team, unranked in the national polls, received a No. Thats when I went to South Oak Cliff High School and got one of few jobs that were open. Reflection is a good time instead of procrastination, which I've done for a long time. Its been a great ride, Blair told The Athletic. Why now? Gary Blair provides an update on retirement and life after basketball. Be humble, or youll stumble, Blair said. . I get people to work with me, find out about them and get to know their strengths. 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, 65, also became the oldest women's coach to win a national championship. At that time where were no coaching jobs, so I took a PE teacher job, and I volunteered to be the golf coach. I knew him from Sam Houston State when I was at Stephen F. He was making $44,000 at Sam Houston and I brought him in at $55,000. Were playing in a good arena, Blair said, and we won in Austin earlier this year.. Flash02. During his first season, the Lady Razorbacks won 15 of their 29 games, their first winning season in several years. I pull for people whove had to go through things. I ended up at South Oak Cliff in physical education and I was just waiting for a baseball job.. "Aggieland is a special place and has always been my destination," Blair said. 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. 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. After this season his 50th coaching Blair will retire and leave a stamp the size of Texas on the game of basketball. "She doesn't have a job and I don't have a job," Gary said. I dont want to just win ball games; I want to make a difference and be in every game. I could sit there and feel at ease with the decision after I talked to R.C., Blair said. 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. However, I know that it is time for this to be my final season. [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. She is the answer going forward with this program.. Well, I wasnt busy coaching baseball, so I jumped on that chance. How will you know when its time to retire? Blair will leave Aggieland as the winningest coach in Texas A&M history. Tennessee coach Kellie Harper and Texas A&M coach Gary Blair meet after an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, in Knoxville, Tenn. (Scott Keller/The Daily Times via AP) You know, you just remember all those wonderful things, he said. I love competition. "Thank you and Gig 'Em. 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. "She's seven years younger than I am, so we'll see.". The players I have been lucky enough to coach, to know. 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. 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. Since being named head coach in 2003, coach Gary Blair has guided Texas A&M into the ranks of the elite. As older coaches, we have to change with todays kids. I was an architecture major at TTU and a walk-on for baseball. Gary Blair is the son of Lee, a plaster foreman, and Jean, a housewife. He surpassed former men's coach Shelby Metcalf this season with 443 victories at A&M to become the winningest basketball coach in school history. TexAgs is an independent site and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. Im very honest with the kids and their parents: when you earn your playing time, you will get your playing time. We missed last year.. Right now, it's a mess in college athletics. After serving on former Georgia coach Andy Landers' staff in Athens from 2011 to 2015, Taylor had a breakthrough season in 2020-21, as the Lady Bulldogs went 21-7 and advanced to the SEC . 0 Replies | I am a product of Title IX, Blair said. They asked for volunteers to coach (girls) basketball (at South Oak Cliff), and the girls next door asked me if Id coach. What can you say about it? Whatever social media tells them to do, they live it in that moment. Sonja Hogg is the first lady of college basketball: she knew how to dress, how to press, and she knew how to recruit. He ranks 12th in Division I history and fourth among active coaches. Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, right, and his wife, Nan, make a long-distance relationship work. Then had Amber Nichols Shirey, who ended up staying there she is still the director of basketball operations there. Last: How long do you want to ignore this user? I can get something out of all three of those. Relationships like that make it difficult for Blair to walk away. "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. Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, right, and his wife, Nan, make a long-distance relationship work. 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. . I was always standing and coaching. "This little, good-looking redhead walked by," Blair said. So, with both drenched in successful careers, how have the two made a long-distance marriage work? I am missing work, and I am missing relationships. What is the foundation for building a good team culture? 13 UCLA contains Stanford to avenge previous loss, Coaches credit mental strength of athletes during pandemic season, Indiana, Arizona are first-time dancers in the Elite 8, Clutch Nixon, Aggies ready for the Sweet 16. "[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. We missed out on plenty of them, he said, laughing. I got the girl's coaching job by default because nobody else wanted it. 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. My job was to massage the egos. I dont hire bobblehead dolls. Blair is well-known and well-liked throughout the SEC. Blair went 210-43 in eight seasons at SFA before moving on to the University of Arkansas. I just need an arena with 94 feet to be able to compete.. And thats OK. Texas A&M was picked to finish second in the SEC preseason coaches' poll, and is ranked No. 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. [4] He would coach under Leon Barmore, who replaced Hogg. Thats my strength. 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. They were ready to go. The USA fell behind; Slovakia had a 2215 lead. Exam copy availability, Swaim-Paup-Foran Spirit of Sport Series, sponsored by James C. 74 & Debra Parchman Swaim, Nancy & T. Edgar Paup 74, & Joseph Wm. [20], Gary Blair was named the assistant coach of the 1996 R. William Jones Cup Team. I turned it down to stay with the women. The team also won the 2008 Big 12 conference tournament title. [3], Overall, in his first three years as the head coach of the Aggies, A&M home attendance increased 156%, with a school-record 11,088 fans watching the team play Baylor University. Since integration, there were no volunteers. At each new place, there was a new challenge and something to build, but it was always worth it, he said. So Blair will walk away this season after making a massive mark in so many places. [17], On April 3, 2011, the Aggies defeated top-seeded Stanford 6362 to advance to the national title game. He thanked a myriad of administrators, coaches and current and former players for his success. For my teams at South Oak Cliff, a professional league wasnt a possibility, so to see how far things had come was something.. Leon Barmore was the Bobby Knight of womens basketball. You can't stay inside the whole day. Blair said in a statement on Thursday. Like most websites, we use cookies to improve our service and make your user experience better. A Dallas native, Blair was the head coach at South Oak Cliff High school from 1973-1980. 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. Coachs Chair: Gary Blair, Texas A&M University, No. I just want to be the ordinary Joe about town. Request a review copy, Professors: 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. Kelly Bond-White has been with me 21 years, he said. He should do it on his terms. I THINK she heads up the Arky nursing school. I want to be the first coach at A&M to leave since Bear Bryant, on his own terms. Early in his high school career, he was the most average guy that you had ever seen. His two sisters were over six foot. He made $7,000 annually coaching all of these sports. 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. Im a product of Title XI, as I was the first man to coach women in the city of Dallas. 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 . Brent Zwerneman is a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle covering Texas A&M athletics. GARY BLAIR, head women's basketball coach at Texas A&M University since 2003, led the Aggies to an NCAA national championship in 2011. Karl Malone was playing at Louisiana Tech at that time. Oct. 28, 2021 Updated: Oct. 28, 2021 11:36 a.m. Head Coach. 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. Blairs coaching tree includes Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer and Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors, whose teams Texas A&M faces in Southeastern Conference play. Division regular season champion In his 37 years as a collegiate head coach, Blair only suffered two losing seasons,[2] and has reached postseason play 28 times, including 23 NCAA Tournament appearances and Final Four appearances in 1998 with Arkansas and 2011 with Texas A&M. They put me into the office to work and I had a great year. I do not miss that, but I miss the evaluations. Congratulations on his upcoming (I assume) nuptials! Vic turned it down and came with me to Texas A&M, and Amber stayed. Post-spoiler alert: The NCAA chose Austin, and the Longhorns advanced to the College World Series. Gary Blairs teams have earned an NCAA tournament berthevery year from2006-2021. This outlines how and why we collect, store and use your personal data when you use our website. I was the head coach for basketball, volleyball, track and cross country for eight years, and I loved it. 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. A few of them came in and said they needed a basketball coach, he said. 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. But the time has come.. Gary Blair is the son of Lee, a plaster foreman, and Jean, a housewife. Thank you. Just last week Texans GM Nick Caserio was deflecting rumors of a possible departure. Social media is now as important as the three-point line. You get to appreciate what coaching is. And I truly love it. I started out with something else in mind and I ended up on this path, coaching all these young women over the years. 6.12 x 9.25 x 0 in 288 pp. I think its just time for me to stop.. Last: How long do you want to ignore this user? Im 72, but a young 72. He handled the defense, and it was the first time Id really turned over the defense to an assistant coach. Blair joined TexAgs Radio on Monday morning to discuss life after basketball and so much more. I (also) read three comic strips per day: Peanuts, Blondie and Beetle Bailey. The USA team won their opening seven games, behind the scoring leadership of Sheri Sam, who averaged 13 points per game. For his efforts, Blair was inducted into the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame. She's a great manager of people, and I think I've done a pretty good job of managing people, too.". Sometimes you grow up, and sometimes you grow. When R.C. Pub Date: 01/27/2017 15th seed Troy in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Shelby Metcalf, who coached the men's team for 27 seasons, is the school's winningest coach. Chennedy (Carter) hit a three and I thought we would pull it off, but Georgia controlled the OT. When I go back to reunions I feel good because a lot of those old people dont nearly look as good. A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the 76-year-old Blair has a career record of 838-333 in 36 seasons at Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Joni Taylor. The Make or Break For Jimbo's Tenure, Cromartie taking shots at the coaching staff. The following year his team, which consisted of 9 freshmen and sophomores, won 23 games and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. After this season his 50th coaching Blair will retire and leave a stamp the size of Texas on the game of basketball. He said he intends to serve A&M, the Bryan Rotary Club and his charities for Special Olympics and those with special needs. I miss all that, but it's time for the next chapter. [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. She was a nurse at Parkland Memorial who was moving into The Square apartments - Gary's longtime stomping grounds - in Dallas. He was underpaid, he worked around facility issues, he had to better himself as a coach. I had a rule for my kids that they had to play all of (the sports). I usually ask experienced coaches how young people have changed since you first began coaching, but you have 45 years of experience. Long-time assistant coach Kelly Bond-White is obviously helping with those recruiting efforts. It will be a symbol of all those that helped build this program and all the Aggies that battle on that court, not just in women's basketball, but in men's basketball and volleyball as well. RUSTY BURSON, author of. 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. I took the job thinking this will be good for a year or two. Blairs final season with the Aggiesbegins on Nov. 9 against A&M-Corpus Christi at Reed Arena. The Blairs own a home in the Traditions development in Bryan that Nan designed. His teams have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 15 consecutive seasons. 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. "It's who's going to retire first who's going to win that battle," said a grinning Gary, 66. "I've got nine grandkids that I want to go spend more time with. In the 1970s the kids had to wash their own clothes. For me, hes been almost like a grandfather, she said. "When they're together, you can just tell how much they care about each other," A&M guard Sydney Carter said. Vic Schaefer came with me when Tom took the Colorado job. Wed take the kids home after practice just load up cars take them home. I will not be second-guessing. I miss talking about the game I watched the other night. And you see how that turned out.. 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. Whether you're walking for exercise or playing pickleballlike my wife does on Monday nights. He has photos of them in his office at A&M, former players and their families grinning alongside him. Rodman is a sports fan. He loved their passion, the camaraderie, the hunger to win. He had to be a sports fan. Timing is everything in coaching. Ive missed too many ball games, too many cheerleading things, he said. I played ping pong and basketball with Dennis Rodman when he was a kid. It makes you appreciate the road of women in sports. Humility. "But I've done Fayetteville. 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. The program had solidified itself as one of the best in Texas, and Blair had established a foothold in basketball. Ive never fired a person in my life, back to restaurant manager days. The USA came back, but was still behind at halftime. 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. 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. 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. The two appear to have only one regret concerning their long-distance arrangement. Melissa Gregg is a Dallas police officer. It took me two weeks to make up my mind. A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair. When I max out, Im juggling lot of hats. Whether youre shopping Way Day 2023 or Walmart, theres an al fresco set for you. He was only 5-foot-11. In 2003, Gary was hired from Arkansas to revive the Big 12's worst program in A&M. He was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech from 1980-1985 and head coach at Stephen F. Austin from 1985-1993. Blair can keep going, listing players from those South Oak Cliff teams. He was also interviewing for the New Mexico State job, which he didnt want to take. 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. 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 was also inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023. Ask Liucci: Spring football takeaways, A&M's spring sports & more, Follow The Money - Ep. They used to ride in vans and wear tube socks. Im not playing kids just to keep them from transferring. In the final game, the USA beat South Korea to finish the competition with a perfect 93 record. Y'all keep playing.' Its also important to get kids involved in other things on campus besides basketball. We all want to make this season special for us and for him.". Coach Gary Blair and the A&M women are ranked No. [9], Blair was inducted into the Ladyjack Hall of Fame during halftime of the Ladyjacks game against the Aggies on December 2, 2008. [19], On October 28, 2021, Blair announced he would retire from coaching at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. Im a builder, so I had to build that Stephen F team. 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. [7] He was initially the boy's P.E. 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. Todays kids live in the moment. "Having my name on that beautiful floor is a humbling experience. . I want to be known in this community as more than just a basketball coach, and people appreciate that. People ask me how retirement is every day. Blair has been at Texas A&M since 2003, leading the Aggies to a national championship in 2011. Can you talk about how you assembled your infamous coaching staff at Arkansas? 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. I play golf about four days a week in the mornings. "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?" We won state the next year in 1977. I'm trying to adjust. Im around all the other events; Im the only coach thats in a civic club. The team won 23 games (losing 9), the third-most victories in school history and a tie for the most victories in conference play ever (11 wins, 5 losses in conference). Now divorced, Blair has a son and a daughter, and three grandchildren. [7], In October 1980, Blair was offered an assistant coaching job at Louisiana Tech by then-head coach Sonja Hogg. Then I joined the Marine Corps. Save on AeroGarden indoor herb growing kits at Amazon, Create a bonsai tree out of bricks with this $40 LEGO set, Preorder 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' today, Astros vs Phillies: How to get tickets and free swag this weekend, There are a ton of great patio furniture sets on sale right now. [12] In his first season with Texas A&M, Blair worked very hard to attract fans to the women's basketball games, and by the end of the season attendance had increased 71 percent over the previous year, the best increase in the Big 12 Conference. 2023 Maroon & White LP. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. Ive got a saying: today I gave all I had, and what I kept Ive lost forever. 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. He still talks to others from those teams frequently. I had to rebuild Arkansas, but A&M was the hardest rebuild because when I got here, they were horrible. [5] He earned his master's degree in education from the school in 1974. 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. We were up five in OT and we struggled so much, but Georgia played great. . 2023 Maroon & White LP. 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. The competition was held in Taipei, Taiwan. I had to play the Title IX card to get a director of basketball operations. I want to be like R.C.. 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. As for life after coaching, Blair said quality time with his family is at the top of his list. He also started perfecting recruiting. The British Open is coming up. I have no regrets and just hold my colleagues, my players and the game in such high regards. Its really something.. The USA team was dominant, winning their games by an average off 33 points per game. 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. We're trying to redo my study and our game room. 2:28p, 3/5/20. Our fans were getting restless, he offered in his typical bemused delivery. 10-2 This Year. Earlier this season. Barbara Brown McCoy went on to be a standout guard at Stephen F. Austin before going into high school coaching herself. Not too many players transfer from Texas A&M. He was raised in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Dallas. Finish last in medical school, and they call you a doctor.. 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.
Strathclyde Pension Fund Increase 2022,
Articles C