Texas A&M to honor Gary Blair by naming Reed Arena court in his honor

The court inside Reed Arena will now bear the name and legacy of Texas A&M basketball’s all-time winningest coach.

On Thursday afternoon, the Texas A&M System Board of Regents approved the decision to name Reed Arena’s hardwood “Gary Blair Court” in honor of 19-year women’s basketball head coach Gary Blair.

Blair is credited with rebuilding the once-struggling program into one of college women’s basketball’s best — leading the Aggies to a 2011 National Championship, 16 straight NCAA Tournaments, three Elite Eights, five conference titles and 443 victories.

Before he arrived in 2003, the program had only appeared in the NCAA Tournament twice.

“This is an incredible honor,” Blair said via a release. “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.”

A generous donation from Wayne Roberts ’85 made the dedication possible.

“He’s a Hall of Fame coach, but an even better person and a wonderful representative of Texas A&M,” Roberts said in a release. “I suggested using my naming rights to put Coach Blair’s name on the court instead because Coach Blair is the one who paid for this through his performance and contribution to Texas A&M. I am very happy to see someone so deserving be recognized in such a meaningful way.”

Texas A&M’s Director of Athletics Ross Bjork echoed the same sentiments.

“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,” Bjork said.

Blair’s latest honor will now make him just the third women’s basketball coach to currently have a court named after them, joining Tennessee’s Pat Summitt and North Carolina State’s Kay Yow.

The official naming ceremony will take place next Thursday, Feb. 24, before the Aggies’ matchup with the top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks.

Thursday will also mark Blair’s final game at Reed Arena, as he is set to retire following the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.