coach gary blair wife

We would pack them in to the old field house, and after two years when we won National Championships, we moved (the venue) to the new assembly center. Blair is a member of seven halls of fame, including the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1985, he landed his first college head coaching job at Stephen F. Austin. He announced in October that this would be his final season after 19 seasons at Texas A&M. Available, Media: Im 72, but a young 72. According to Brown-McCoy, most of the girls had never traveled outside of the Dallas area. 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) RUSTY BURSON, author of. I switched my major to kinesiology. 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. 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. Blairs final season with the Aggiesbegins on Nov. 9 against A&M-Corpus Christi at Reed Arena. Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? [3], Blair's first head coaching experience at the collegiate level came at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas. When I cant compete for championships anymore, its time to leave. 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 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.. Ive had such a great career, he said. Then had Amber Nichols Shirey, who ended up staying there she is still the director of basketball operations there. [19], On October 28, 2021, Blair announced he would retire from coaching at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. Idont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. Thirty-four years later, Nan still thinks so - and the two have a mutual attraction. That will be enough., Its time to go do the other things in life. I was an architecture major at TTU and a walk-on for baseball. Right now, it's a mess in college athletics. "Just because of the impact that he's had on the women's game. TexAgs is an independent site and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. Texas A&M announced on Thursday that its basketball court will be named in honor of retiring women's coach Gary Blair. I almost found out (against Georgia earlier this month) when we got beat in overtime. I just need an arena with 94 feet to be able to compete., - Gary Blair on being honored in opposing gyms this season. He figures to be honored in opposing gyms. You can buy a ticket early or pay at the door. He was in my third-period PE class. . 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. Well, I wasnt busy coaching baseball, so I jumped on that chance. Although I am excited to begin a new chapter in my life, I am even more excited to compete this year. got fired (in 2002) he could have went to LSU, Baylor, Houston or a lot of other places. Great for Gary. I had to have someone with me who could build the program up and I needed someone I could trust. 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. Hed built a program from scratch and helped bring visibility to girls basketball in the state. Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial. [7][18], Gary Blair was also selected as a 2012 namesake for Texas A&M's extended orientation camp, "Fish Camp". 0. Blair went 210-43 in eight seasons at SFA before moving on to the University of Arkansas. It was very good. Blair led the Aggies to the national championship in 2011. Unfortunately, these kids today, before they get finished with a practice theyre talking to their supporters, their friends or their mama about their bad practice. Thought his wife taught at the University of Arkansas . 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. 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! A group of girls from South Oak Cliff were ready to play any and every sport they could. Hes helped me a lot off the court, too.. [3] Despite Blair's winning record at Arkansas and taking the program to its first ever Final Four just four years earlier, then-women's program athletic director Bev Lewis relieved Blair of his coaching duties after the season. "It's a French country house, and probably the only one in Bryan-College Station," Gary said. Pub Date: 01/27/2017 I could sit there and feel at ease with the decision after I talked to R.C., Blair said. 0 Replies | I left the high school game in 1980 when Barmore and Hogg called me up. As for life after coaching, Blair said quality time with his family is at the top of his list. 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. I thought Id be a baseball coach, but after four and a half years of college I quit for a while and went to California to take a summer job as a restaurant manager. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and Sam Houston State University, where he played baseball. 42 (UConn wins Dance; WBB ratings boom), 'I'm very honored and humbled': Gary Blair discusses Hall of Fame honor. 2:28p, 3/5/20. But there werent a lot of high school coaching jobs available. 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. Whether you're walking for exercise or playing pickleballlike my wife does on Monday nights. I even watch WWE. He never meant to coach womens basketball. South Oak Cliff had just started its women's basketball program, and Blair became the team's first coach in 1973. We're trying to redo my study and our game room. "This little, good-looking redhead walked by," Blair said. Who was No. 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. He even gave out his home address for the lucky first four who showed up. Well, I get the opportunity to have about 35 to 38 still left in me this year. So, with both drenched in successful careers, how have the two made a long-distance marriage work? Since being named head coach in 2003, coach Gary Blair has guided Texas A&M into the ranks of the elite. I dont want kids to transfer, I want them to realize when they come back to a reunion like the one we had (earlier this month). Somebody that might be better than me can get the job done better. Blair, 65, also became the oldest women's coach to win a national championship. Earlier this season. Blair stated, "It wasnt the right fit or the right time. "She had white scrubs on and looked like a nurse. I turned it down, he said. He was stationed in Okinawa during his duty. Before anyone wanted him on a field, though, a group of young ladies needed him on a court. 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. Abe Lemons once described the difference between coaching and most other jobs. 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! Last: How long do you want to ignore this user? What else can they do to us? Blair wondered Monday night of the selection committee. "She doesn't have a job and I don't have a job," Gary said. . Bryce Young vs. C.J. An emotional, philosophical and nostalgic Gary Blairformally announced on Thursday that he will retire as Texas A&Ms womens basketball coach following the upcoming season. I just want to be that guy that hopefully did it the right way.". I'm trying to adjust. Im not like Bush 41, but like Bush 43. My job was to massage the egos. [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. Gary Blair Court at Reed Arena will be officially dedicated during a pregame . 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. 23 in the AP preseason poll. After a strong first day of draft, Houston is the place to be. 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. "She's seven years younger than I am, so we'll see.". Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, against Mississippi earlier this season, has his own style of wit and wisdom. That was a special time for the game, he said. The program had solidified itself as one of the best in Texas, and Blair had established a foothold in basketball. She coached a gold medal team for USA Basketball, and that always helps in recruiting. To me, thats the least of my worries. Sometimes I want to do things with my wife and my grandkids. But I made an attempt to get them all here.. "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?" Oct 28, 2021. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion 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. She was ahead of her time. Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, right, and his wife, Nan, make a long-distance relationship work. Then Arkansas made the mistake of not hiring him when I left. Its been a great ride, Blair told The Athletic. 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. 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. All three of us were six months apart in age. Reflection is a good time instead of procrastination, which I've done for a long time. Joe McKeown, the head women's basketball coach at Northwestern delivered the introduction speech by videotape. Im a builder, so I had to build that Stephen F team. Gary Blair cuts down a net after winning the 2011 national championship. . Fantasy women's basketball: Will the addition of Candace Parker shake up fantasy values on the Aces? [24] His credentials include 28 years of head coaching experience at Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas and Texas A&M with a 71% lifetime winning percentage, along with the 2011 Division I National Championship.[25]. Conference tournament champion, List of college women's basketball coaches with 600 wins, "Big 12 Coaches Owe Much to Louisiana Tech", "Q&A with Texas A&M women's hoops coach Gary Blair", "Pepperdine Timeout 4 HIV/AIDS Tourney Up Next For No. You couldnt hope for anything more. "But I've done Fayetteville. And a volleyball coach, and a track coach. It worked, and I dont know if it could ever work again with the egos that the three of us had. Been engaged a year to a wonderful lady. 3 with eyes on more, while the men have not even played since Jan. 30. I have no regrets and just hold my colleagues, my players and the game in such high regards. [9], Blair was inducted into the Ladyjack Hall of Fame during halftime of the Ladyjacks game against the Aggies on December 2, 2008. I sat down two days ago on his front porch and listened to his problems and everything he has done. It's good to be back. . He saida conversation with former A&M football coach R.C. 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. [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. For my teams at South Oak Cliff, a professional league wasnt a possibility, so to see how far things had come was something.. [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. She is the answer going forward with this program.. How will you know when its time to retire? A few of them came in and said they needed a basketball coach, he said. We cant get separation on teams, no one plays us close, our defense is solid but were not stopping people theyre scoring on us. Its time to sit up in the stands and do what you dosecond guess the coaches.. . The first year we were a Cinderella team and went to the Final Four. All the other men coached boys basketball and football. When theyre young we do a lot of individual practices to keep improving their skill level. But hes still the most positive man and most popular coach in this town. Jim Schlossnagle emphasizes 'sense of urgency' moving forward, 2024 forward George Turkson nearing the end of his recruiting process, Miami Dolphins select Devon Achane in the third round, 84th overall, Jacksonville Jaguars select Antonio Johnson in the fifth round, 160th overall, Indianapolis Colts select Jaylon Jones in the seventh round, 221st overall. We won state the next year in 1977. I got the girls involved in an intramural program, and that's when Title IX was passed. It was shocking. 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. Sometimes you just go with the flow, and dont take life so seriously in non-serious moments. All rights reserved. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. Every one of the players he helped coach during that tournament later went on to play in the WNBA. After this season his 50th coaching Blair will retire and leave a stamp the size of Texas on the game of basketball. He was raised in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Dallas. The games and wins, sure. "They make a difference," Nan said. Im around all the other events; Im the only coach thats in a civic club. 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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. [7] He was initially the boy's P.E. What can you say about it? Blair joined TexAgs Radio on Monday morning to discuss life after basketball and so much more. 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. She was a nurse at Parkland Memorial who was moving into The Square apartments - Gary's longtime stomping grounds - in Dallas. Hes eager for that final year of competition. Theres no one in my generation who will ever eclipse his achievements. But the time has come.. The team finished third in the Big 12, and reached the semifinals in the Big 12 Women's Championship Tournament. 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. [3][4], Blair is also actively involved with the community. At the time of the offer, Blair was making an annual salary of $22,000. Blair initially rejected the offer, but upon his wife's encouragement, he accepted it. 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. 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. The coming season will almost certainly include. My friends sentme pictures. 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. It makes you appreciate the road of women in sports. Can you talk about your experience coaching at Louisiana Tech, at the dawning of womens collegiate basketball? He said thats the right time to retire because the program is strong and he needs to spend more time with his wife, Kyla, and their children and nine grandchildren. a reporter reminded Blair he had defeated Nebraska in the 2010 Big 12 tournament when the Cornhuskers were 30-0 and ranked No. It would have been 16 had the 2020 tournament not been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools all send me away with a gift basket and the kindest words. Just last week Texans GM Nick Caserio was deflecting rumors of a possible departure. Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court. "He has a lot of wisdom. I apologize. 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. 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). It wasnt long before we saw he was a money-making machine. 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. Those were the programs, and then they died out to start the 1980s. Division regular season champion You have to get outside. I had to put silk flowers in the urinals at away games because we always had to use the boys locker room as visitors. A new professional league, and you were seeing more people at college games around that time, too. You just told em you were looking for basketball players, Metcalf said with a shrug, not lovers.. We have recently updated ourPrivacy Policy. As he reminisces, the corners of his mouth curl into a signature grin that has charmed basketball players, referees, parents of recruits and a lot of sports journalists for nearly 50 years. On Thursday night, Blair will coach the Texas A&M women's team at . Blair oozes pride when he mentions the women who helped him find his calling all those years ago. You could get it done at those smaller venues back then. Back then I felt like the girls needed me. Post-spoiler alert: The NCAA chose Austin, and the Longhorns advanced to the College World Series. Seems like a disproportionately hostile response. He coached for 37 years closing with Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball, who he coached from 2003 until his retirement in 2022. 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. Three years earlier, Garrido had deadpanned why it was important UT had made the CWS in 2011. [2] During his five seasons there, Louisiana Tech reached the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament four times, winning two national championships. Around that time, the school offered him the head baseball job hed coveted. Barbara Brown McCoy went on to be a standout guard at Stephen F. Austin before going into high school coaching herself. 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. Early in his high school career, he was the most average guy that you had ever seen. Blair, 76, has won 838 games in his career at Stephen F. Austin . Y'all keep playing.' 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. Nan visits Aggieland about a dozen times a year, and Gary visits Fayetteville about five times a year. Not too many players transfer from Texas A&M. 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. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. ", 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. The 2023 NFL Draft runs April 2729 live from Kansas City, Missouri. 2, Connecticut?. I had a rule for my kids that they had to play all of (the sports). He loved the players. His two sisters were over six foot. Conference regular season champion I ended up coaching women's basketball because there wasn't a coaching job when I took the PE job at South Oak Cliff. The focus instead will be on Blairs final season. He grew up playing baseball, and as a 128-pound center fielder at Bryan Adams High School, he received all-city honors in 1963. I played ping pong and basketball with Dennis Rodman when he was a kid. "They just feed off each other so well.". Long-time assistant coach Kelly Bond-White is obviously helping with those recruiting efforts. 3:36p, 3/5/20. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced on Thursday that this season will be the last of his historic career. Blair joined TexAgs Radio on Monday morning to discuss life after basketball and so much more. In November of that year, I made the decision to take the Louisiana Tech assistant job. Request a review copy, Professors: Weve done a good job of bringing in the right kids with the right parents. I dont hire bobblehead dolls. I (also) read three comic strips per day: Peanuts, Blondie and Beetle Bailey. The joy that bursts out of Gary Blair as he talks about his storied career simply cant be contained. We have a little travel in our plans, and I have a busy month of September coming up. Brent Zwerneman is a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle covering Texas A&M athletics. "Skinny," Nan said, chuckling, of the man who would later lead Texas A&M to a national title thanks in part to his recruiting acumen. All ex-players and all ex-coaches think we have one more (game) left in us, Blair said. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced on Thursday that this season will be the last of his historic career. In the family: Kelly Bond-White, Texas A&M associate head . 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. Weve lost recent games to South Carolina and Tennessee, but we were right there until the last possession. [3], It was during his time at SFA that Blair met his future assistant coach Vic Schaefer, who was coaching the Sam Houston State Bearkats (one of SFA's main rivals) at the time. What's tough right now is that Tuesday was the first day on the road for all my coaches. 2023 Maroon & White LP. 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. Well hold on to these and were not finished recruiting.. Blair did the impossible. He also started perfecting recruiting. The very best thing I could do was stay with those girls. The Aggies (22-10) are a third seed in the NCAA Tournament, and a favorite to emerge from the first two rounds in College Station and wind up in the Sweet 16 in Raleigh, N.C. 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 lived for that. He figured he had a few more years left in him. I am missing work, and I am missing relationships. On March 29, 2011, Gary Blair led the program to its first ever Final Four appearance by defeating top-seeded Baylor 58-46. You could tell Cheryl was the next coming. We keep starters in (for enough time) and develop everyone. 8 b&w photos. The Louisiana Tech position paid $22,500 and also provided a six-year-old brown station wagon. Didn't realize I said something inappropriate. He was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech from 1980-1985 and head coach at Stephen F. Austin from 1985-1993. Hes the winningest coach in Texas A&M history with a 430-170 record in 18 seasons. I will not be second-guessing. 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. He was also interviewing for the New Mexico State job, which he didnt want to take. Arkansas, Gary's former school and Nan's current school, and Dayton are the other two entrants in the College Station event. During his last six seasons, his teams were consistently ranked in the final AP Top 25 polls. He was also inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023. . I dont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. He was a good kid, and he grew eight inches after high school. Those misses included big names like Brittney Griner, who went to Baylor, and Nneka Ogwumike, who played at Stanford. "It's who's going to retire first who's going to win that battle," said a grinning Gary, 66. [10], As the head coach of the women's basketball team at Arkansas, Blair compiled a 198-120 record. Blair will be, too. You get to appreciate what coaching is. Wishing you all the best in your retirement. ", "I love Aggieland, and I love Fayetteville," Gary said. 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. tears streaming down the faces of former players . [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.

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