All rights reserved. Cessna: Aggieland has one more season to appreciate Gary Blair - The Eagle Relationships like that make it difficult for Blair to walk away. Gary Blair - engaged? | TexAgs They put me into the office to work and I had a great year. Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, right, and his wife, Nan, make a long-distance relationship work. There wont be another one (like him), A&M mens basketball coach Buzz Williams said of Blair. [19], On October 28, 2021, Blair announced he would retire from coaching at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season. Guard Destiny Pitts said Blair has influenced her beyond basketball. "It's who's going to retire first who's going to win that battle," said a grinning Gary, 66. A&M is all about leadership. In the family: Kelly Bond-White, Texas A&M associate head . tears streaming down the faces of former players . Gary Blair looking forward to one final run to cap legendary - TexAgs He can tell you all about their kids, their jobs, their successes. I wait for people to screw up and then go in on the white horse and resurrect the program. Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair to retire at end - ESPN He loved the players. I had to put silk flowers in the urinals at away games because we always had to use the boys locker room as visitors. The sport was narrowly on his radar in 1972 when he was a PE teacher at South Oak Cliff in Dallas. I was the head coach for basketball, volleyball, track and cross country for eight years, and I loved it. Then had Amber Nichols Shirey, who ended up staying there she is still the director of basketball operations there. Then I give them responsibility and let them work. . He said he intends to serve A&M, the Bryan Rotary Club and his charities for Special Olympics and those with special needs. Nan is in her fifth year as Arkansas' director of nursing. Thats when I went to South Oak Cliff High School and got one of few jobs that were open. Blairs final season with the Aggiesbegins on Nov. 9 against A&M-Corpus Christi at Reed Arena. He even gave out his home address for the lucky first four who showed up. 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. 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. [14] This marked the first time in Aggie history that the women's basketball team had earned consecutive NCAA tournament berths. Ive never fired a person in my life, back to restaurant manager days. Wishing you all the best in your retirement. Early in his high school career, he was the most average guy that you had ever seen. 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. Seems like a disproportionately hostile response. He was 239-18 at South Oak Cliff. Texas A&M to name court in honor of retiring women's basketball coach 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 coming season will almost certainly include. Now divorced, Blair has a son and a daughter, and three grandchildren. Division regular season champion We're trying to redo my study and our game room. The focus instead will be on Blairs final season. Texas A&M's Gary Blair Texas associate head coach Johnnie Harris has worked alongside Vic Schaefer since 2007. 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. None of the big six major cities in Texas had womens athletics before Title IX. 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. The team also won the 2008 Big 12 conference tournament title. A Dallas native, Blair was the head coach at South Oak Cliff High school from 1973-1980. For the one-liner on Texas A&M, turn to Gary Blair Only two tickets were claimed. She coached a gold medal team for USA Basketball, and that always helps in recruiting. Over the past 19 seasons, the program . The next year, it became a paid thing. He got the nickname "The Worm" from playing pinball back in the day. 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.
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