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People I
Sports
The Battalion
Page IB • Tuesday, January 27, 2004
omen’s basketball gets new attitude
'hir’s style and flair have made A&M's women’s basketball the toast of campus
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Since Texas A&M Athletic
Director Bill Byrne arrived in
CoUege Station a Uuie more
than a year ago, he has
upgraded A&M athletics to
provide a product that will not
only compete at the national
level in every sport, but also
entertain Aggie fans.
One only has to look at his
first and only coaching hire to
understand what Byrne is try-
ing to bring to A&M athletics.
■ On March 31, 2003, Byrne hired Gary Blair to
■place the recently ousted Peggie Gillom to take
over as head coach of A&M women’s basketball,
■air was hired away from the University of
■rkansas where he posted a 198-120 record over 10
■asons, becoming Arkansas’ all-time winningest
Bad coach.
TROY MILLER
‘At this point
I ■ B my career, I
ials Hasn't looking
Jf-up for a job. hut
t re: sometimes a
ian ofo»eat job conies
newiffl looking for
>t of? you," Blair said
essnaBhen he was
anile hied. “There
■) Fw no1 ^ lot of
GARY BLAIR BIO
EIIuDuXlJl
Head coach:
South Oak Cliff High School
• Record: 239-18
• 3 Texas Class 4A state titles
Asst, coach:
Louisiana Tech University
• 2 NCAA National Championships
test re
Baches that
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Build leave a
Ten Mi
Bogram they’ve
built into the top
iciuls:
B, but I had a
iblic.
lit of reasons.
Bxas is my
Bme state, and
lie been famil
ial with Texas
■&M for a long
time. I know
■hat kind of
pi igram A&M
c; be. and l
Head coach :
Stephen F. Austin University
• Record: 210-43
• 7 Southland Conference
Championships
1993 - 2003
Head coach:
University of Arkansas
•Record: 198-120
• 1997 - 98 Final Four
Head coach:
TexasA&MUnivereity^^^.
Rubin DiLuna • THE BATTALION
SOURCE • ACCIEATHLETICS.COM j
want to be the architect to get it done.” .
If Blair wants to build A&M into a national
power, he has a lot of work ahead of him. The
Aggies have not placed higher than ninth in the Big
12 conference since its inception in 1996.
But Blair’s energy is already being felt in
Aggieland, even if the team has a losing record
and has gone winless in conference play
through six games.
Blair has gone all out in trying to get fans to
attend games. He has devised a way to get corpo
rations to sponsor games where fans get in free.
Blair has been accommodating to the media,
speaking to them at any time of the day. He has
even gone so far as walking door-to-door through
Bryan and College Station handing out tickets so
people will come see his team.
And for a sport where many Aggies would
have had to be paid to attend games in seasons
past, Blair’s magic seems to be working.
Aggie students and fans have come out in
droves, at least by A&M women’s basketball stan
dards, to see the women play. A year ago, 72 fans
were counted on the south side of Reed Arena
when the Aggies faced Texas. This Sunday when
the Aggies welcomed the No. 3 Longhorns back
to Reed for their 2(X)4 showdown. 4,336 fans
came to watch.
Twice the Aggies have broken single-game
home attendance records, and they will most like
ly set a new season home attendance mark as well.
Now that Blair has reached the community, he
can start working on the product he puts on the
floor. So far. he is doing a superb job there, too.
Sure, Blair’s troops are winless in conference,
but nobody expected this team to win games, or
even be competitive. Instead, the Aggies have put
up a fight in all of their ballgames. Only in their
loss to Nebraska were the Aggies outscored by
more than 10 points.
No. 16 Baylor had to come back from a 16 point
halttime deficit to beat the Aggies, and Texas bare
ly escaped Reed Arena with a two-point victory.
There is no doubt that the Aggies are out
matched just about every time they step on the
See Blair on page 4B
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Art Wright • THE BATTALION
A&M head coach Gary Blair instructs his team during a timeout Sunday in the Aggies' 64-62 loss to No. 3 Texas.
The Buck Weirus Spirit Award
honors 52 students who demonstrate high INVOLVEMENT, create positive EXPERIENCES throughout
the Aggie community, IMPACT student life at Texas A&M and help enhance the Aggie SPIRIT. Unlike
other awards, the Buck Weirus Spirit Award recognizes those students who make contributions to
the university by participating in student organizations, Aggie traditions and university events. Email
spiritaward@AggieNetwork.com for more information.
Applications Now Available:
On-line at
www.AggieNetwork.com/events/buckweirus.aspx
And...
Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center Reception Desk
Office of the President, 8th Floor Rudder
Vice Pres, for Student Affairs Office, 10th Floor Rudder
Office of the Dean of each College
Office of Graduate Studies
Department of Student Activities, Suite 125 Koldus
Department of Multicultural Services, Suite 137 MSC
Office of the Commandant, 102 Military Sciences
MSC Student Programs Office, 216 & 223 MSC
International Center, Bush Library
International Programs Office
Student Life, Sbisa Location
North Side Area Office, Residence Life
South Side Area Office, Residence Life
Applications due by 5:00 pm
on February 6, 2004
to The Clayton Williams, Jr. Alumni Center Desk
Involvement B Experiences
Impact
Application Workshops
Tuesday, January 27
5:30-6:30 pm
Koldus Building
Room 146
Thursday, January 29
6:00-7:00 pm
The Association of Former Students
Lecture A
Monday, February 2
7:00-8:00 pm
Rudder Tower
Room 404
Wednesday, February 4
7:30-8:30 pm
The Association of Former Students
Lecture A
The Association
OF FORMER RTUOENTft 1 *
/ ^ \ Utpartmant of
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