Texas A&M will be naming the Reed Arena court after national champion and Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach Gary Blair.
The court will be named “Gary Blair Court” in a pregame ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 24, as Texas A&M faces South Carolina, according to the Texas A&M Athletics announcement. The Texas A&M System Board of Regents approved the move, making Blair the third women’s basketball coach to have a court named after them, said A&M Athletics.
“This is an incredible honor,” Blair said. “Having my name on that beautiful floor is a humbling experience. 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. My former players, assistants and staff members deserve all the credit. We dedicated our lives to this program and A&M and built it on doing things the right way, the Aggie way."
Blair led the Aggies for 19 seasons and 443 victories, according to Texas A&M Athletics; his community impact also left a mark on Aggieland.
"Coach Blair’s charities has raised over 1.4 million dollars since its creation in 2003. He has helped provide extra funding for multiple charities in the Brazos Valley and worked closely with Special Olympics-Texas," said A&M Athletics.
Blair will be retiring from his coaching career at the end of the 2021-2022 season.
“Coach Blair roamed the sidelines at Reed Arena for 19 years and won a national championship, so it is only appropriate to have his name attached to the court and a great way to honor his legendary coaching career,” Director of Athletics Ross Bjork said. “As Coach Blair wraps up his stellar career, we are so grateful for the support of Wayne Roberts for making this possible with his contributions and support of Texas A&M Athletics. Wayne’s act of selfless service will be on special display each time the Aggies play on Gary Blair Court.”
