Schaefer to Mississippi State a done deal

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Barring a major change of heart, Vic Schaefer will be named head coach of the Mississippi State women's basketball team on Tuesday. A press conference is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Starkville and Schaefer has been pegged by the Bulldogs as the replacement for the recently retired Sharon Fanning-Otis.

Schaefer, a graduate of Texas A&M, has been Gary Blair's assistant for 15 consecutive years … dating back to the pair's days at Arkansas. On Monday, Blair told a small group of reporters, including TexAgs' Logan Lee, that all signs point to Schaefer moving east and joining the Aggies as a new SEC West rival.

"There is a press conference tomorrow at 11 at Mississippi State," Blair said. "It's coming, but right now it's Mississippi State's call. We're about to meet with our team in just a few minutes, and the release has to come from [MSU]. Speculation always comes first."

In other words, where there is smoke, there is fire.

"Every year, Vic and Kelly [Bond] get offered jobs and opportunities," Blair said. "We knew it was going to come sometime, but we'll just have to wait see.

"Fifteen years … that's tough," Blair added. "He should have had a head job long before now. I'm hoping the day comes when I lose Kelly and Vic, but I don't want to lose them both in the same year. And it could happen this year because Kelly's home school, Illinois, is open."

Blair said that Schaefer will remain on the A&M bench throughout the No. 3 seeded Aggies' run in the NCAA Tournament, which begins Saturday vs. Albany at Reed Arena.

"This is just like Tim DeRuyter," Blair said. "He's going to coach with me all the way through the post-season. That was the thing that Vic wanted and I wanted. He will be with me all the way through the playoffs."

Blair continued…

"How many other coaches would give Vic the responsibility that I give him? And that's why he stayed with me instead of taking mid-level jobs. He stayed with me because of our friendship and because we coach a lot alike. We don't have to agree on everything, but I don't hire 'yes' people … I hire basketball coaches that can get the job done. He has been so good to me in so many different ways and I can trust him."

Blair has no hard feelings and is excited to see his longtime assistant finally get the opportunity that he deserves.

"He is good at what he does and I wish him well."

Notes

* No. 3-seeded Texas A&M opens the NCAA Tournament Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Reed Arena, taking on No. 14-seeded Albany. If the Aggies win, they will take on the winner of the 6 vs. 11 game between Arkansas and Dayton on Monday.

* A&M is in the Raleigh Regional would head East to the State of North Carolina if it can get out of its own four-team pod ... setting up a potential Elite Eight national championship game rematch vs. No. 1 seed Notre Dame.

* For what it's worth: Schaefer returned my text immediately following the Aggies' selection show party, informing me that he will not be able to make his regular Tuesday appearance on TexAgs Radio because of an appointment. Schaefer also said that he would be at A&M's practice Tuesday at 5 p.m. If you didn't already know of the extraordinarily high character and supreme class of Vic Schaefer, let this serve as just another shining example of that. Not many coaches in his situation would have taken the time to return a text. But he did. He always does and is one heck of a fine Aggie.