Obviously should have been Geno Auriemma.

Lake08 said:

---

Should have hired her instead of Gary (great person, and caught lightning in a bottle with Vic)

---

No, thanks.

We'll be fine with Joni.

I really don't think people understand what this coaching staff has had to work through in terms of injuries and talent (all talented but zero experience). With the exception of Patty and to some extent Roby, we don't have a single player on the roster that averaged more than 8 minutes on the court last season. I don't think there is any quick turn around and there wouldn't have been for any coach stepping into this season. I love GB and he was a magnificent/legendary coach for our program, but he left the cupboards bare to some extent.

Kim Mulkey is a great coach, but she is chaos. Absolute chaos. If she had not snagged Morris away from A&M and Angel Reese from the portal, she would have a very poor team this season. Depending on the portal year in and year out is a tough way to build a program from the ground up.

Let's give coach Taylor and staff some time. They've got this.

Lake08 said:

---

Should have hired her instead of Gary (great person, and caught lightning in a bottle with Vic)

---

No.

Mulkey is, clearly, a great coach. But what Blair accomplished after what Peggy Gillom left behind is one of the greatest coaching accomplishments in women's basketball history. His first real recruiting class that he built from absolutely nothing (which included Aqua and Atunrase) ended up winning the conference tournament before they were done. That success led to signing Tyra White and Sydney Colson, who were the top recruits in the state in their class if memory serves.

It's no surprise he had a good staff along the way and I've no doubt he's immensely proud of that. But to pretend that 2011 team was "lightning in a bottle" shows you don't have any idea what happened in the 10 years prior.

Additionally, let's say by some miracle we had hired Mulkey. She would have left us not long after tasting a bit of success. It's clear we won't support women's basketball to the degree that Baylor did, and that's why she stuck around Waco for as long as she did. And despite giving her everything she ever wanted, every step of the way, she still spurned them for LSU.

And if we are going to credit assistant coaches, it's worth pointing out that she had Leon Barmore on her bench for a decent part of her Baylor run. He's probably in the top 3 of women's basketball coaches of all time (behind Auriemma and Pat Summit).

Blair's inability to keep toxicity out of his locker room after the championship, inability to successfully refute negative recruiting, staying in the game a few years too long, and clearly taking his foot off the gas a bit is why things ran aground in the end. But that championship is his. That team had his fingerprints all over it. And that play style was similar to his teams all the way back to his days at SFA - pressure help man-to-man with quickness and versatility at the wing and post.

Blair is a hall-of-fame worthy Texas basketball coaching legend. He's one of the few still around (at least as of last year) that did it the old fashioned way. And his name deservedly belongs on the court.

So once again, no. Gary Blair was the right hire. He was the best possible hire. And we're lucky to have had him.

Lake08 said:

---

Should have hired her instead of Gary (great person, and caught lightning in a bottle with Vic)

---

We tried she said no

Lake08 said:

---

BQ_90 said:

---

Lake08 said:

---

Should have hired her instead of Gary (great person, and caught lightning in a bottle with Vic)

---

We tried she said no

---

Is that documented? Not saying you're incorrect, I just never heard that

---

I don't remember where or when it was discussed, but we interviewed her and she said she didn't think A&M would support WBB to the level it needed to be. At that time she wasn't far off, we didn't support MBB or WBB.

frenchtoast said:

---

I love Coach Blair and what he did here, but knowing what we know now shows Mulkey would have been the better hire. I had also heard she turned us down, so it's not like we didn't try.

---

I DISAGREE 1000% Just because she's a good coach at Baylor & LSU - there is no guarantee she would have been a good coach here. I'm glad we had Coach Blair interview after KM - and accept before KM re-thought & tried to accept - but it was TOO LATE..

Kbeauty63 said:

---

frenchtoast said:

---

I love Coach Blair and what he did here, but knowing what we know now shows Mulkey would have been the better hire. I had also heard she turned us down, so it's not like we didn't try.

---

I DISAGREE 1000% Just because she's a good coach at Baylor & LSU - there is no guarantee she would have been a good coach here. I'm glad we had Coach Blair interview after KM - and accept before KM re-thought & tried to accept - but it was TOO LATE..

---

I'm unaware she tried to accept later unless I'm not understanding what you're trying to say.

I think she would have far more success here than Blair. We'll never know. But she's a truly elite coach.

If she was here we all would adore her and defend her antics.

Oh those missed Missed opportunities. She is not coming here ever, so time to move on and quit lamenting that she will.

I look forward to the first time we beat her. Do y'all remember all those years when we beat tu over and over and over and over again. Those were the good days. We will be back...

Yep! Joni will get us rolling.

and she won't look and act like a refugee from a lunatic asylum while doing so.

Win win for us!

She had to wait and make a special entrance today so her minions could kiss her ring and cheer.

And they call us a cult

She is so fun to hate.

"Should have hired her instead of Gary (great person, and caught lightning in a bottle with Vic)


What pure nonsense.

Kim Mulkey and the LSU coaching staff are “dressed to the nines” for their Sweet 16 matchup with Utah!! pic.twitter.com/cWmKW9H1Qx

— Mark Sturgis (@SturgisSports) March 24, 2023

Must be flamingo night, turn on espn it looks even worse when she's flapping around on the sidelines

Obviously now they are just trolling. No one could possibly think those are good looks. Buffoonery in wardrobe.

Not even a drag queen would be willing to wear an outfit that gaudy.

Lake08 said:

---

alamoaggie64 said:

---

"Should have hired her instead of Gary (great person, and caught lightning in a bottle with Vic)


What pure nonsense.

---

If you would have preferred Blair over Mulkey, you don't understand life. How are his recruits working out the last couple years. Please….

---

He won a National Title here. Mission Accomplished.

A comment from Reddit: "She killed and skinned a muppet to make those sleeves."

Bucketrunner said:

---

You'll excuse me if I can't dredge up any pity for bailer.

---

Haha!! No pity needed. Those two programs deserve each other!