Gary Blair
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Gary Claude Blair (born August 10, 1945) is a retired women's basketball
head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
. He coached for 37 years closing with Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball, who he coached from 2003 until his retirement in 2022. In his 37 years as a collegiate head coach, Blair only suffered two losing seasons, 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. He led the Aggies to the NCAA national championship in 2011. 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. Blair was inducted into the
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's bask ...
in 2013 and the
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
in 2023.


Early life

Gary Blair is the son of Lee, a plaster foreman, and Jean, a housewife. He was raised in the Forest Hills neighborhood of
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
. He grew up playing baseball, and as a 128-pound
center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
at Bryan Adams High School, he received all-city honors in 1963. Following his high school graduation in 1963, he enrolled at
Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public university, public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship instit ...
, where he failed out of architecture, and moved to California to become a restaurant manager. He got a U.S. Army draft notice in 1969, and decided to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, completing a two-year tour of duty. He was stationed in
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
during his duty. After his tour, he lived in the
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
area, running a restaurant in
Costa Mesa Costa may refer to: Biology * Rib (Latin: ''costa''), in vertebrate anatomy * Costa (botany), the central strand of a plant leaf or thallus * Costa (coral), a stony rib, part of the skeleton of a coral * Costa (entomology), the leading edge o ...
and
Culver City Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights to the ea ...
. At age 27, he used his
G.I. Bill The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I. (military), G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in ...
to earn a bachelor's degree in health and physical education with a minor in journalism from Texas Tech. He also played a year of baseball for the Red Raiders—he was a defensive
center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
with self-described poor hitting skills. He earned his master's degree in education from the school in 1974. When head women's basketball coach
Marsha Sharp Marsha Sharp (born August 31, 1952) is the former head coach of Texas Tech University's women's basketball team, the Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball, Lady Raiders. She retired after 24 years at the conclusion of the 2005–06 season. Sharp wa ...
retired from Texas Tech in 2006, Blair got calls from his friends to take over the position. Blair stated, "It wasn't the right fit or the right time. Timing is everything in coaching."


Early coaching career

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 Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...
coach gig at South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, a predominantly Black school. South Oak Cliff had just started its women's basketball program, and Blair became the team's first coach in 1973. He was initially the boy's P.E. teacher, while waiting for an offer to coach the baseball team, but when asked to coach the girls' team, he accepted. He also started the boys and girls golf team, and served as its first coach as well. He made $7,000 annually coaching all of these sports. In his seven seasons at South Oak Cliff, he set a state record with five consecutive state tournament appearances and a 239–18 record. 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. For his efforts, Blair was inducted into the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame. At South Oak Cliff, Blair coached Debra and Kim Rodman,
Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Renowned for his defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding forw ...
's sisters. Blair used to play ping pong with Dennis. 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. In October 1980, Blair was offered an assistant coaching job at Louisiana Tech by then-head coach Sonja Hogg. At the time of the offer, Blair was making an annual salary of $22,000. The Louisiana Tech position paid $22,500 and also provided a six-year-old brown station wagon. Blair initially rejected the offer, but upon his wife's encouragement, he accepted it. He would coach under Leon Barmore, who replaced Hogg. During his five seasons there, Louisiana Tech reached the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament four times, winning two national championships.


Head coaching career


Stephen F. Austin (1985–1993)

Blair's first head coaching experience at the collegiate level came at Stephen F. Austin University in
Nacogdoches, Texas Nacogdoches ( ) is a city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Stephen F. Austin State University is located in Nacogdoches and special ...
. 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. His teams won seven straight conference championships, and appeared in the NCAA Tournament six times. During his last six seasons, his teams were consistently ranked in the final AP Top 25 polls. 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. 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. Blair was inducted into the Ladyjack Hall of Fame during halftime of the Ladyjacks game against the Aggies on December 2, 2008.


Arkansas (1993–2003)

As the head coach of the women's basketball team at
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
, Blair compiled a 198–120 record. During his first season, the Lady Razorbacks won 15 of their 29 games, their first winning season in several years. The following year his team, which consisted of 9 freshmen and sophomores, won 23 games and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. In the summer of 1996, while his Arkansas team was in their offseason, Blair spent several months in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
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. Every one of the players he helped coach during that tournament later went on to play in the WNBA. Blair made history with his 1997–98 team. The team, unranked in the national polls, received a No. 9 seed for the NCAA Tournament and reached the NCAA Final Four. His teams reached the semifinals in the SEC tournament in both 2001 and 2002. 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. 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. 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.


Texas A&M (2003–2022)

Blair arrived at Texas A&M in 2003, taking over the Big 12 Conference's worst team, which had not had a winning season in seven years. 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 The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida ...
. For the first time in his career, however, one of Blair's team suffered a losing season. The following year the Aggies improved, earning a postseason invitation for the first time since 1996. In his third season with the Aggies, Blair guided his team to their first Associated Press Top 25 ranking in ten years. 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). The team finished third in the Big 12, and reached the semifinals in the Big 12 Women's Championship Tournament. With a Number 6 seed to the NCAA Tournament (A&M's first such invitation since 1996), Blair became only the fourth coach in NCAA history to take three different schools to the NCAA Tournament, although this became his only appearance where his team lost in the first round. Following their successful season, Blair was named the Women's Basketball News Service National Coach of the Year. 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 Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...
. In the 2006–2007 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. This marked the first time in Aggie history that the women's basketball team had earned consecutive NCAA tournament berths. On February 20, 2008, Blair posted his 500th career win as a head coach at
Reed Arena Reed Arena is a sports arena and entertainment venue located at the corner of Olsen Boulevard and Kimbrough Boulevard in College Station, Texas. This facility is used for Texas A&M University basketball games and commencement ceremonies, concerts, ...
against the Iowa State Cyclones. In the 2007–08 season, Blair led his squad to a school-first NCAA Elite Eight appearance and a 29–8 overall record. The team also won the 2008 Big 12 conference tournament title. In the NCAA tournament, the team lost to eventual national champion Tennessee. 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. On March 29, 2011, Gary Blair led the program to its first ever Final Four appearance by defeating top-seeded Baylor 58–46. On April 3, 2011, the Aggies defeated top-seeded Stanford 63–62 to advance to the national title game. 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. Blair, 65, also became the oldest women's coach to win a national championship. Gary Blair was also selected as a 2012 namesake for Texas A&M's extended orientation camp, "Fish Camp". On October 28, 2021, Blair announced he would retire from coaching at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.


USA Basketball

Gary Blair was named the assistant coach of the 1996 R. William Jones Cup Team. The competition was held in
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
, Taiwan. The USA team was dominant, winning their games by an average off 33 points per game. The USA team won their opening seven games, behind the scoring leadership of Sheri Sam, who averaged 13 points per game. In the eighth game, they played undefeated Slovakia, in a game that would determine the gold medal. The USA fell behind; Slovakia had a 22–15 lead. The USA came back, but was still behind at halftime. The game was tied at 45 all, when the USA hit several free throws to take a lead they would not give up. The USA team won the game and the championship 72–62. In the final game, the USA beat South Korea to finish the competition with a perfect 9–0 record.


Coaching honors

Blair has received the following honors over his coaching career: * 2013
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's bask ...
* 2009
Southland Conference The Southland Conference (SLC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in ...
Hall of Honor inductee * 2008 Stephen F. Austin State University Ladyjack Hall of Fame inductee * 2007
Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida ...
Coach of the Year * 2007
Naismith College Coach of the Year The Naismith College Coach of the Year Award (officially known for sponsorship reasons as the Werner Ladder Naismith College Coach of the Year) is an award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to one men's and one women's NCAA Division I collegiate c ...
finalist * 2007 Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year * 2006 Women's Basketball News Service National Coach of the Year * 2003 Naismith Coach of the Year Finalist * 2002 Texas High School Basketball Hall of Famer * 1996 U.S. Jones Cup Team Assistant Coach * 1995 ''
Basketball Times ''Basketball Times'' was an American basketball magazine that was in circulation from 1978 to 2021, and was published by Akers Ink LLC. ''Basketball Times'' published monthly and mainly focused on college basketball. The headquarters was in Matthe ...
'' National Coach of the Year * 1995 Women's Basketball News Service National Coach of the Year * Five-time
Southland Conference The Southland Conference (SLC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in ...
Coach of the Year (1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) * Five-time District VI Converse Coach of the Year


Hall of Fame

Blair was inducted in the
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's bask ...
in June 2013. Joe McKeown, the head women's basketball coach at Northwestern delivered the introduction speech by videotape. His credentials include 28 years of head coaching experience at Stephen F. Austin,
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
and
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
with a 71% lifetime winning percentage, along with the 2011 Division I National Championship. He was also inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023.


Coaching style

He stresses offensive rebounding and defense to his teams, and his 2007 Texas A&M team ranked among the nation's best in scoring defense, blocked shots, and steals. Much of his recruiting is done in-state, and Blair says that he recruits students for their offensive showing and then teaches them to play defense later.


Family and personal

Blair is married to Kyla Blair and has four children and nine grandchildren. Blair is also actively involved with the community. He has been a member of
Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and p ...
for more than 20 years. He has also held his "Celebrity Golf Classic" to benefit
Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 172 countries. Special Ol ...
for over 15 years; recently, the program has raised over $100,000 annually.


Coaching record


See also

* List of college women's basketball career coaching wins leaders


References


External links


Coach Blair's biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, Gary 1945 births Living people American women's basketball coaches Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball coaches Baseball players from Dallas Basketball coaches from Texas Bryan Adams High School alumni High school basketball coaches in Texas Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball coaches Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks basketball coaches Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball coaches Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball players