Gary Blair
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| Gary Blair | ||
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| Title | Head Coach | |
| College | Texas A&M University | |
| Sport | Basketball | |
| Team record | 102–58 | |
| Place of birth |  Dallas, Texas |
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| Career highlights | ||
| Overall | 510–221 | |
| Championships | ||
| Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship (2008) Big 12 Conference Championship (2007) WNIT Championship (1999) Southland Conference Championship (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) Southland Conference Tournament Championship (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) Texas Class 4A High School Championship (1977, 1978, 1980) |
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| Awards | ||
| Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year (2007)[1] TABC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year (2006, 2007) National Coach of the Year, Women's Basketball News Service (2006) Southland Conference Coach of the Year (1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee |
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| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||
| 1973–1980 1980–1985 1985–1993 1993–2003 2003–present |
South Oak Cliff HS Louisiana Tech (asst.) Stephen F. Austin Arkansas Texas A&M |
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Gary Claude Blair is the head coach of the Texas A&M University women's basketball team. In his 23 years as a head coach, Blair has only suffered one losing season,[2] and has reached postseason play 17 times, including 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Final Four appearance in 1988. He is listed in the top 35 of the all-time winningest active NCAA Division 1 women's basketball coaches, and is one of the few coaches to guide three different schools to national rankings and NCAA Tournament berths.[3]
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[edit] Early life
Gary Blair was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he attended Bryan Adams High School and was named an all-city baseball player. Following his high school graduation he completed a four-year tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps before earning a bachelor's degree in health and physical education with a minor in journalism from Texas Tech University (while playing a year of baseball for the Red Raiders). He earned his master's degree in education from Texas Tech in 1974.
[edit] Early coaching career
Blair gained head coaching experience at Dallas's South Oak Cliff High School. In his seven seasons there, 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.[3]
Following his success in the high school ranks, Blair accepted a job as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech under Leon Barmore.[2] During his five seasons there, La. Tech reached the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament four times, winning two national championships.[3]
[edit] Head coaching career
[edit] Stephen F. Austin (1985–1993)
Blair's first head coaching experience at the collegiate level came at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas. 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, appearing in the NCAA Tournament six teams, and, 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.[3]
[edit] Arkansas (1993–2003)
As the head coach of the women's basketball team at Arkansas, 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.[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. Every one of the players he helped coach during that tournament later went on to play in the WNBA.[3]
Blair made history with his 1997-1998 team. The team, unranked in the national polls, received a number 9 seed for the NCAA Tournament and reached the NCAA Final Four, an unprecedented occurrence. His teams reached the semifinals in the SEC tournament in both 2001 and 2002.[3]
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.[3]
[edit] Texas A&M University (2003–present)
Blair came to Texas A&M in 2003, taking over the Big 12 Conference's worst team, which had not had a winning season in seven years.[4] 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.[3] For the first time in his career, however, one of Blair's team suffered a losing season.[5]
The following year the Aggies improved, earning a postseason invitation for the first time since 1996.[3]
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.[3] With a Number 6 seed[2] 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,[3] although this became his only appearance where his team lost in the first round.[6]
Following their successful season, Blair was named the Women's Basketball News Service National Coach of the Year.[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.[3]
In the 2006-2007 season, Blair's Aggies again reached the NCAA Tournament, this time as the fourth seed, and advanced to the second round of the tournament.[6] This marked the first time in Aggie history that the women's basketball team had earned consecutive NCAA tournament berths, as well as their first set of consecutive 20-win seasons.[7]
On February 20, 2008, Blair posted his 500th career win as a head coach at Reed Arena against the Iowa State Cyclones.[8]
[edit] Coaching record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks (Southland Conference) (1985 — 1993) | |||||||||
| 1985–1986 | Stephen F. Austin | 16–12 | 7–3 | ||||||
| 1986–1987 | Stephen F. Austin | 25–6 | 9–1 | 1st | NWIT | ||||
| 1987–1988 | Stephen F. Austin | 29–5 | 13–1 | 1st | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 1988–1989 | Stephen F. Austin | 30–4 | 13–1 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1989–1990 | Stephen F. Austin | 28–3 | 14–0 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1990–1991 | Stephen F. Austin | 25–6 | 14–0 | 1st | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 1991–1992 | Stephen F. Austin | 28–3 | 17–1 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 1992–1993 | Stephen F. Austin | 28–5 | 17–1 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| Stephen F. Austin: | 210–43 | 104–8 | |||||||
| Arkansas Ladybacks (Southeastern Conference) (1993 — 2003) | |||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Arkansas | 15–14 | 3–8 | 9th | |||||
| 1994–1995 | Arkansas | 23–7 | 7–4 | T–4th | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 1995–1996 | Arkansas | 21–13 | 3–8 | 10th | NWIT Fourth Place | ||||
| 1996–1997 | Arkansas | 18–10 | 5–7 | T–7th | |||||
| 1997–1998 | Arkansas | 22–11 | 7–7 | T–6th | NCAA Final Four | ||||
| 1998–1999 | Arkansas | 20–14 | 5–9 | 11th | WNIT Champions | ||||
| 1999–2000 | Arkansas | 17–15 | 4–10 | 10th | WNIT Semifinals | ||||
| 2000–2001 | Arkansas | 20–13 | 6–8 | T–6th | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 2001–2002 | Arkansas | 22–11 | 7–7 | T–7th | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 2002–2003 | Arkansas | 22–11 | 7–7 | 7th | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| Arkansas: | 198–120 | 54–75 | |||||||
| Texas A&M Aggies (Big 12 Conference) (2003 — present) | |||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Texas A&M | 9–19 | 2–14 | T–11th | |||||
| 2004–2005 | Texas A&M | 16–15 | 4–12 | T–9th | WNIT Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2005–2006 | Texas A&M | 23–9 | 11–5 | 3rd | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2006–2007 | Texas A&M | 25–7 | 13–3 | T–1st | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 2007–2008 | Texas A&M | 29–8 | 11–5 | T–3rd | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
| Texas A&M: | 102–58 | 41–39 | |||||||
| Total: | 510–221 | ||||||||
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National Champion Conference Champion Conference Tournament Champion |
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[edit] Coaching style
Blair is known foremost for being a teacher. He constantly stresses to his players the value of studying and earning a good education, and works to instill in his players confidence and a sense of accountability.[5] He stresses offensive rebounding and defense to his teams,[2] and his 2007 Texas A&M team ranked among the nation's best in scoring defense, blocket shots, and steals.[4]
Much of his recruiting is done in-state,[7] and Blair says that he recruits students for their offensive showing and then teaches them to play defense later.[4]
[edit] Family
Blair is married to Dr. Nan Smith-Blair, a nursing assistant professor. The couple has two children and a grandson.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ 2006-07 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Awards Announced. Big 12 Conference (2005-03-02). Retrieved on 2007-03-07.
- ^ a b c d Cessna, Robert (January 16, 2007). Big 12 Coaches Owe Much to Louisiana Tech (English). The Bryan-College Station Eagle. Retrieved on 2007-04-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Gary Blair (English). Texas A&M University Athletic Department. Retrieved on 2007-04-13.
- ^ a b c Smith, Kate (February 10, 2006). Built from scratch: Blair, Texas A&M on a roll (English). USAToday. Retrieved on 2007-04-13.
- ^ a b Davoust, Kyle (November 16, 2004). Women's head coach Gary Blair seeks more improvement through patience (English). The Battalion. Retrieved on 2007-04-13.
- ^ a b Nadel, John (March 16, 2007). It's strictly business for Texas A&M on this visit to California (English). USAToday. Retrieved on 2007-04-13.
- ^ a b Patrick, Dick (March 6, 2007). On women's basketball: Texas A&M completes tournaround (English). USAToday. Retrieved on 2007-04-13.
- ^ Texas A&M Athletics (2008-02-20). "Blair picks up No. 500 With Win Over ISU". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
[edit] External links
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