We missed last year.. You think of all the people over the years, he said. What can you say about it? Ive got some (players) who can mimic me pretty good, and theyre usually right on. Theres no one in my generation who will ever eclipse his achievements. He announced in October that this would be his final season after 19 seasons at Texas A&M. You just told em you were looking for basketball players, Metcalf said with a shrug, not lovers.. Earlier this season. He figures to be honored in opposing gyms. He was raised in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Dallas. our players and coaches wildly celebrating the biggest win in womens basketball history at Texas A&M . TexAgs is an independent site and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. What I haven't gotten to do is spend a lot of time with my granddaughter and grandson.". Been divorced for about 4 years. [4] He also played a year of baseball for the Red Raidershe was a defensive center fielder with self-described poor hitting skills. If its about money, Garrido said with a wry smile, well play in Austin.. 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. Blair led the Aggies to the national championship in 2011. On March 29, 2011, Gary Blair led the program to its first ever Final Four appearance by defeating top-seeded Baylor 58-46. He grew up playing baseball, and as a 128-pound center fielder at Bryan Adams High School, he received all-city honors in 1963. Vic Schaefer came with me when Tom took the Colorado job. He is the kind of guy who meets you once, sees you years later and remembers your name and some small random fact from a conversation you had. Prairie View A&M wants to leave the Texas A&M University System. Then I joined the Marine Corps. You cant ask for much more.. During his last six seasons, his teams were consistently ranked in the final AP Top 25 polls. 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.. 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. Somebody that might be better than me can get the job done better. I took the job thinking this will be good for a year or two. Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, right, and his wife, Nan, make a long-distance relationship work. [2] During his five seasons there, Louisiana Tech reached the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament four times, winning two national championships. 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. 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. Blair, 76, has won 838 games in his career at Stephen F. Austin . There wont be another one (like him), A&M mens basketball coach Buzz Williams said of Blair. I got the girl's coaching job by default because nobody else wanted it. Rodman is a sports fan. Not too many players transfer from Texas A&M. 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 . Ask Liucci: Spring football takeaways, A&M's spring sports & more, Follow The Money - Ep. 0. . I am a product of Title IX, Blair said. 978-1-62349-536-7 Cloth Like Blair, Slocum is the winningest coach in A&M history in his sport. Hes bald and Ive got a full head of hair, so Im loving it. That allowed me to hire Mike, and it was the best hire Ive ever had. And thats OK. He had to be a sports fan. We finished third, first, first, second and first. To me, thats the least of my worries. He should do it on his terms. Last: There are not any replies to this post yet. 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. You can buy a ticket early or pay at the door. I played ping pong and basketball with Dennis Rodman when he was a kid. This portable Cubii under-desk elliptical is $129 off today. The 2023 NFL Draft runs April 2729 live from Kansas City, Missouri. He published his autobiography, A Coaching Life, last year. Senior captain Jordan Nixon admitted she was caught off guard when Blair informed the team this would be his final season. 6.12 x 9.25 x 0 in 288 pp. You cant explain how special it is to see your team work that way and win those games.. 3. [12], Blair is married to Kyla Blair and has four children and nine grandchildren. The game was tied at 45 all, when the USA hit several free throws to take a lead they would not give up. 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 can get something out of all three of those. Relationships like that make it difficult for Blair to walk away. You get to appreciate what coaching is. And a volleyball coach, and a track coach. Theres 17 other national championships we didnt win. Hes the winningest coach in Texas A&M history with a 430-170 record in 18 seasons. He loved the players. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair, 76, announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of this season. Timing is everything in coaching. But also, just excited for him. 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. Theheat doesn't bother me as long as I can play golf early in the morning. He didn't get drafted by the Detroit Pistons until he was 24. 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. The USA came back, but was still behind at halftime. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced on Thursday that this season will be the last of his historic career. [3], Blair made history with his 19971998 team. The coming season will almost certainly include. I left the high school game in 1980 when Barmore and Hogg called me up. You have to get outside. "She's seven years younger than I am, so we'll see.". 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. Blairs final season with the Aggiesbegins on Nov. 9 against A&M-Corpus Christi at Reed Arena. Our fans were getting restless, he offered in his typical bemused delivery. How did you get into womens basketball, and where did you get your basketball knowledge? 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. Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. Blair notched his 750th career win last month. We were up five in OT and we struggled so much, but Georgia played great. At the time of the offer, Blair was making an annual salary of $22,000. They made it to the UIL Texas state tournament five years in a row and won the title three times. As he had done at every stop so far, Blair got to Nacogdoches a small town in East Texas and started winning. 9 seed for the NCAA Tournament and reached the NCAA Final Four. You could get it done at those smaller venues back then. How can you be No. [9], Blair was inducted into the Ladyjack Hall of Fame during halftime of the Ladyjacks game against the Aggies on December 2, 2008. 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. 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. I'm going back and reading everything, whether it be older 12th Man Magazines or responding to letters. He has been a member of Rotary International for more than 20 years. 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 . Fantasy women's basketball: Whose numbers could fall in 2023? 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. tears streaming down the faces of former players . Thats a long-winded answer but thats who I am.. South Oak Cliff had just started its women's basketball program, and Blair became the team's first coach in 1973. Shelby Metcalf, who coached the men's team for 27 seasons, is the school's winningest coach. But the way you saw their confidence grow, the way they lit up in the gym and had so much fun and worked so hard. I get people to work with me, find out about them and get to know their strengths. Blair will be, too. Texas A&M announced on Thursday that its basketball court will be named in honor of retiring women's coach Gary Blair. Slocum, who has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments, helped him make peace with his decision. Chennedy (Carter) hit a three and I thought we would pull it off, but Georgia controlled the OT. Texas A&M was picked to finish second in the SEC preseason coaches' poll, and is ranked No. We won state the next year in 1977. Although I am excited to begin a new chapter in my life, I am even more excited to compete this year. Thats my strength. 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. But the time has come.. The following year his team, which consisted of 9 freshmen and sophomores, won 23 games and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. I am missing work, and I am missing relationships. "But he was nice looking.". [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. 2, Connecticut?. Brent Zwerneman is a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle covering Texas A&M athletics. Welcome back, Gary", "Built from scratch: Blair, Texas A&M on a roll", "Women's head coach Gary Blair seeks more improvement through patience", "It's strictly business for Texas A&M on this visit to California", "On women's basketball: Texas A&M completes tournaround", "Blair picks up No. Thats when we brought in Johnnie Harris, who did a wonderful job for me. We keep starters in (for enough time) and develop everyone. Hes a treasure not only on the floor but off the floor.. You played baseball in college. The Aggies (14-12, 4-10 SEC) will miss the NCAA Tournament this season unless they stun in the conference tournament. 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. She will be somebody we will keep an eye on throughout the year just as we will a lot of different coaches around the country.. Sport makes us better. The two appear to have only one regret concerning their long-distance arrangement. He was previously head womens basketball coach at the University of Arkansas and Stephen F. Austin State University. [7][18], Gary Blair was also selected as a 2012 namesake for Texas A&M's extended orientation camp, "Fish Camp". [4], National champion You couldnt hope for anything more. Not when you don't think about the hurt that false comments cause family members and friends who read this board. What's tough right now is that Tuesday was the first day on the road for all my coaches. I miss going out and talking shop with your colleagues and then getting up and doing it again. As for life after coaching, Blair said quality time with his family is at the top of his list. Now divorced, Blair has a son and a daughter, and three grandchildren. 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. 42 (UConn wins Dance; WBB ratings boom), 'I'm very honored and humbled': Gary Blair discusses Hall of Fame honor. 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, 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. The first year we were a Cinderella team and went to the Final Four. Weve lost recent games to South Carolina and Tennessee, but we were right there until the last possession. Then had Amber Nichols Shirey, who ended up staying there she is still the director of basketball operations there. 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. But there werent a lot of high school coaching jobs available. I'm going to sit down and enjoy watching. I was the head coach for basketball, volleyball, track and cross country for eight years, and I loved it. 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. 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. Why now? The Blairs own a home in the Traditions development in Bryan that Nan designed. In the eighth game, they played undefeated Slovakia, in a game that would determine the gold medal. [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. 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. At each new place, there was a new challenge and something to build, but it was always worth it, he said. They used to ride in vans and wear tube socks. Its time to sit up in the stands and do what you dosecond guess the coaches.. I turned it down, he said. I hired him from $72,000 to $14,000, and he had kept up with everything through his high school, and he knew so much about recruiting nationally through AAU. Sometimes, we can agree to disagree. I wanted to coach baseball, the former Texas Tech outfielder said. I usually ask experienced coaches how young people have changed since you first began coaching, but you have 45 years of experience. That will be enough., Its time to go do the other things in life. Since being named head coach in 2003, coach Gary Blair has guided Texas A&M into the ranks of the elite. After a divorce between Blair and his wife of 30-plus years, Blair married Kyla Gay in 2020. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair announced on Thursday that this season will be the last of his historic career. 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. & Nancy Foran, Media: [3][4], Blair is also actively involved with the community. 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). He was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech from 1980-1985 and head coach at Stephen F. Austin from 1985-1993. 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. On Thursday night, Blair will coach the Texas A&M womens team at home for the last time, as the school names the court at Reed Arena after him. Blair will complete a 50-year coaching career when this season ends. Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial. He made $7,000 annually coaching all of these sports. 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. Ive been at basketball schools all the way, to (A&M). He was also interviewing for the New Mexico State job, which he didnt want to take. Blair and Lewis did not get along, and their professional relationship became even more strained once the Arkansas athletic programs were divided and Lewis became the women's AD. Kelly Bond-White has been with me 21 years, he said. I had to have someone with me who could build the program up and I needed someone I could trust. Blair still marvels at the serendipity that brought him to coaching. We support him.. 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. I dont need a rocking chair or a plaque or anything like that. 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 think its just time for me to stop.. Dennis stayed and became the best he could be. Sometimes you have to wait for things. TexAgs is an independent site and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. It wasnt long before we saw he was a money-making machine. 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