Ranking the 2023 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalists
9. Gary Blair
A standout women鈥檚 college basketball head coach, Blair went 852-348 in 37 seasons as coach at Arkansas, Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M. His 852 wins ranked No. 12 all-time at the time of his retirement.
Over the course of his career, Blair鈥檚 teams went to 23 NCAA tournaments, two Final Fours and his Aggies won the 2011 NCAA championship. He is one of just three women鈥檚 basketball coaches to lead two different programs to the Final Four and was twice named a finalist for Naismith Coach of the Year.
For Blair, his national title is certainly a feather in the cap for his entrance into the hall. However, a lack of national recognition as Coach of the Year puts him behind some other coaches on this list.