Catching up with national champion head coach Gary Blair

Key notes from Gary Blair interview

• I'm great. This is a great way to spend a Monday. You retire, and you just find the right golf days, it’s usually Tuesday-Thursday.
   
• I’ve been watching basketball and listening to you guys on the radio. I watched softball yesterday and a little of baseball. I watched Duke get beaten. On the women's side, I think it’ll be maybe the best top four we've had in a Final Four before.
   
• Give me inside 130 yards, and I can play. But look at the size of these guys. The only player I don't want on my team is Robert Cessna. I've seen his game, and I've seen his wardrobe.
   
• I enjoy giving back to this community, the Boys and Girls Club. My tournament is on Friday, May 1 at the Traditions Golf Club. On April 30th, at the Expo, we’ll have 600 people there to see our Olympians, a silent auction and dance team.
   
• The best thing is we've seen quality at the top in the men's and women’s March Madness, particularly now the Elite 8 for the men and the Final Four for women. I sure like Connecticut. Sarah Strong is a great player, Geno Auriemma and I started out the same year in ‘85. He came from Virginia Tech as an assistant coach. He’s got 12 of those rings, and I've got one of them.
   
• What a run. The story that we’ll be talking about in 20 years is how Bucky McMillan started an entire team and staff on May 1. He put together a team that went 11-7 and tied for fourth in the SEC. You just can’t do that. You got one walk on back and no one else.
   
• Joni Taylor had to play about six top 10 teams in a row, and that’s hard. The top 10 in the SEC is the top 10 in the country. If Taylor can find a point guard... Ny'Ceara Pryor reminds me so much of A'Quonesia Franklin.
   
• These kids are still out there doing their thing and creating job opportunities. I've been blessed with 50 years of coaching, and now it’s time to say that I don't have the radio voice or TV looks, but I've got the golf game.