coach gary blair wife

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. What we want to do is make sure Coach is celebrated., Obviously we know (Bond-White) very well. My friends sentme pictures. Sometimes you have to wait for things. "Aggieland is a special place and has always been my destination," Blair said. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and Sam Houston State University, where he played baseball. Just last week Texans GM Nick Caserio was deflecting rumors of a possible departure. 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. 978-1-62349-536-7 Cloth Arkansas, Gary's former school and Nan's current school, and Dayton are the other two entrants in the College Station event. It was very good. He didn't play high school sports because South Oak Cliff was so hard to make teams back in those days. [19], On October 28, 2021, Blair announced he would retire from coaching at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. This outlines how and why we collect, store and use your personal data when you use our website. 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. Blair, 76, has won 838 games in his career at Stephen F. Austin . It was shocking. Fantasy women's basketball: Whose numbers could fall in 2023? Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial. When I go back to reunions I feel good because a lot of those old people dont nearly look as good. A&M's Blair, Arkansas-based wife make marriage work. Gary Blair - Women's Basketball Coach - Texas A&M Athletics - 12thMan.com 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. Social media is now as important as the three-point line. 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. What Im trying to do is max out every day. It makes you appreciate the road of women in sports. Joni Taylor is doing very well. I usually ask experienced coaches how young people have changed since you first began coaching, but you have 45 years of experience. When I got to Arkansas I needed a national recruiter, so I hired Tom Collen from Purdue. All of a sudden it was a power, sort of like Long Beach Poly. In the spring of 1977, Blair and the Bears won their first state championship. He loved their passion, the camaraderie, the hunger to win. 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.. And you suddenly have these opportunities where women arent having to go play overseas or just walk away. The numbers speak for themselves. While there he coached with Leon Barmore, who was co-head coach with Hogg at Tech for Blairs last three seasons in Ruston, La., before Barmore took over the program. Ask Liucci: Spring football takeaways, A&M's spring sports & more, Follow The Money - Ep. Fantasy women's basketball: Will the addition of Candace Parker shake up fantasy values on the Aces? [3] At South Oak Cliff, Blair coached Debra and Kim Rodman, Dennis Rodman's sisters. 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. I almost found out (against Georgia earlier this month) when we got beat in overtime. Weve lost recent games to South Carolina and Tennessee, but we were right there until the last possession. For me, hes been almost like a grandfather, she said. He was with me two or three years. He would drive me to ball games and couldnt come in and watch (due to NCAA rules), so he would sit in the parking lot and work with what whatever Internet we had around 2000. All of them are still committed to us. Three years earlier, Garrido had deadpanned why it was important UT had made the CWS in 2011. But the time has come.. . So, with both drenched in successful careers, how have the two made a long-distance marriage work? It won't be difficult to go see the team play, but it will be difficult to realize that I have a seat. Been engaged a year to a wonderful lady. When I max out, Im juggling lot of hats. Thats why its time. Ive never fired a person in my life, back to restaurant manager days. In the 200708 season, Blair led his squad to a school-first NCAA Elite Eight appearance and a 298 overall record. Sport makes us better. Seems like a disproportionately hostile response. I never sat down during our games for 19 years. Blairs final season with the Aggiesbegins on Nov. 9 against A&M-Corpus Christi at Reed Arena. . 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. Hes eager for that final year of competition. Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire. 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. Can you talk about your experience coaching at Louisiana Tech, at the dawning of womens collegiate basketball? 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. He was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech from 1980-1985 and head coach at Stephen F. Austin from 1985-1993. He handled the defense, and it was the first time Id really turned over the defense to an assistant coach. His teams reached the semifinals in the SEC tournament in both 2001 and 2002.[3]. But I made an attempt to get them all here.. Karl Malone was playing at Louisiana Tech at that time. Here's how to score the best deals on tickets, plus all the free promotions you won't want to miss. You just told em you were looking for basketball players, Metcalf said with a shrug, not lovers.. GARY BLAIR, head women's basketball coach at Texas A&M University since 2003, led the Aggies to an NCAA national championship in 2011. TexAgs is an independent site and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. Barbara Brown McCoy went on to be a standout guard at Stephen F. Austin before going into high school coaching herself. Todays kids live in the moment. I want to be the first coach at A&M to leave since Bear Bryant, on his own terms. This season's basketball fortunes a tale of two Texas A&Ms It didnt take long five successful seasons for others to come calling for Blair. 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 told Sue that two things have to happen: you have to come with me and my wife has to come with me. I turned it down, he said. Thats my strength. 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. The Aggies have won four conference titles and made 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances that have included five Sweet Sixteen berths, three trips to the Elite Eight, and a National Championship in 2011. [10], As the head coach of the women's basketball team at Arkansas, Blair compiled a 198-120 record. I was always standing and coaching. I pull for all the older men and women. 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. Only the last five years in high school we were allowed to go to state. Texas A&M to name court in honor of retiring women's basketball coach I miss going out and talking shop with your colleagues and then getting up and doing it again. Blair still marvels at the serendipity that brought him to coaching. I was in the middle of that with recruiting. Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair honors Pat Summitt in final game at Its been a great ride, Blair told The Athletic. Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial. Kelly Bond-White has been with me 21 years, he said. I played ping pong and basketball with Dennis Rodman when he was a kid. She was a nurse at Parkland Memorial who was moving into The Square apartments - Gary's longtime stomping grounds - in Dallas. How will you know when its time to retire? He should do it on his terms. Blair is a member of seven halls of fame, including the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. I turned it down to stay with the women. 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. I can get something out of all three of those. Request a review copy, Professors: The years he spent at South Oak Cliff were some of his favorites. 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. "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. "Coach Blair is a legend in women's basketball and college sports," Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said. The key to keeping a good sense of humor through this long stroll called life? He was only 5-foot-11. He said he intends to serve A&M, the Bryan Rotary Club and his charities for Special Olympics and those with special needs. I left the high school game in 1980 when Barmore and Hogg called me up. We were just coming off of a state championship team and I had just got married. We won state the next year in 1977. 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. Earlier this season. When he told us, we were a little surprised because we know that he could keep coaching if he wants to. [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. Our student body is 62,000 strong, and there are other things in life just as important as basketball. [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. Great for Gary. My all-city friend came to see us play the other day, and hes the bench warmer now. Coachs Chair: Gary Blair, Texas A&M University, No. Brent met his wife, KBTX . You want to see people compete. Nan drove in from Fayetteville on Friday night in time for the Aggies' first-round NCAA Tournament game against Albany starting 5:35 p.m. Saturday in Reed Arena. He never meant to coach womens basketball. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and Sam Houston State University, where he played baseball. See our updatedPrivacy Policyto find out more about cookies and how we use your data. He got the nickname "The Worm" from playing pinball back in the day. I dont want to just win ball games; I want to make a difference and be in every game. The focus instead will be on Blairs final season. (Elsa / Getty Images). Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, right, and his wife, Nan, make a long-distance relationship work. 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 all want to make this season special for us and for him.". Blair arrived at Texas A&M in 2003,[11] taking over the Big 12 Conference's worst team, which had not had a winning season in seven years. . Mobile phones. "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?" I had a rule for my kids that they had to play all of (the sports). The Make or Break For Jimbo's Tenure, Cromartie taking shots at the coaching staff. 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. 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. They used to ride in vans and wear tube socks. The beers were in the apartment office where she walked in, so I told my friends, 'I'm going to get a beer. 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. 9 Replies | It wasnt long before we saw he was a money-making machine. Ive missed too many ball games, too many cheerleading things, he said. 2023 Maroon & White LP. He bowled on a faculty team with their mother, Shirley. Weve done a good job of bringing in the right kids with the right parents. [3] For the first time in his career, however, one of Blair's team suffered a losing season. We were in Okinawa when everyone was trying to pull troops back. Those misses included big names like Brittney Griner, who went to Baylor, and Nneka Ogwumike, who played at Stanford. 5,245 Views | Texas A&M Women's Basketball Coaching Staff | TexAgs He grew up playing baseball, and as a 128-pound center fielder at Bryan Adams High School, he received all-city honors in 1963. Relationships like that make it difficult for Blair to walk away. You name it. The following year his team, which consisted of 9 freshmen and sophomores, won 23 games and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. He can tell you all about their kids, their jobs, their successes. 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 have enough energy. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair to retire at end of season The USA came back, but was still behind at halftime. [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. Been divorced for about 4 years. "They just feed off each other so well.". Reflection is a good time instead of procrastination, which I've done for a long time. He published his autobiography, A Coaching Life, last year. Nan visits Aggieland about a dozen times a year, and Gary visits Fayetteville about five times a year. The team finished third in the Big 12, and reached the semifinals in the Big 12 Women's Championship Tournament. 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. 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. The couple doesn't really discuss where they'll end up. Theyre not going to honor me after we beat their butt on the court. He also has four grandchildren: Logan, Lola, Landry and Reagan. 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. 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. Bill to earn a bachelor's degree in health and physical education with a minor in journalism from Texas Tech. I love competition. During my last year at South Oak Cliff, we went 40-0 with perhaps one of the best teams ever. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair will retire at season's end The Astros gave four underdog pitchers a shot. In the eighth game, they played undefeated Slovakia, in a game that would determine the gold medal. We cant get separation on teams, no one plays us close, our defense is solid but were not stopping people theyre scoring on us. [20], Gary Blair was named the assistant coach of the 1996 R. William Jones Cup Team.