Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member, Gary Blair, led Texas A&M to the 2011 NCAA Championship and transformed the women’s basketball program into a national power over the course of his 19 years leading the program (2003-2022).

Blair, a three-time national finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award, guided Texas A&M to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, five conference championships and won an Aggie basketball record 444 games. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame on Aug. 12, 2023, as the 18th NCAA DI women's basketball head coach to enter the hall.

On Feb. 24, 2022, the court at Reed Arena was named Gary Blair Court before the Aggie legend's final home game at A&M. Blair was the fourth women's basketball coaches to have a basketball court named in their honor. He ended his career with the 12th-most wins in NCAA women's basketball history.

Blair led the Aggies to their first national title in their first-ever trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four and closed out the 2010-11 season with a 33-5 record, the most victories in program history. The Aggies were voted as the No. 1 team in the coaches’ poll following the season, the first time Texas A&M stood atop either poll in women’s basketball.

With Blair at the helm, the Aggies made eight appearances in the Sweet Sixteen and reached the Elite Eight in 2008, 2011 and 2014. In 2020-21, the Aggies went 25-3, winning their first ever SEC regular season title, and reached the Sweet 16 for the third-consecutive NCAA Tournament.

Blair ranked third in career victories among active Division I coaches with an impressive before his retirement, totaling an 852-348 overall record. Blair is a five-time recipient of the TABC Texas Coach of the Year award and a six-time conference coach of the year.

Over the course of his 42-year collegiate coaching career, which includes stops at Stephen F. Austin and Arkansas, Blair led his teams to 35 winning seasons, 30 20-win seasons, 26 NCAA Tournament appearances and 41 NCAA postseason victories. Blair won a championship at every level of his coaching career including three state championships at Dallas South Oak Cliff High School, two national championships as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech, a WNIT Championship at Arkansas.

Blair's coaching tree spans the high school and collegiate ranks as nearly 60 former players, assistants and support staff members have gone on to success after their time with Blair, including 10 current Division I head coaches Blair coached 16 Aggies that were selected in the WNBA Draft, and nearly 30 former players have enjoyed successful professional careers overseas.

Jody Conradt is one of the most influential figures in the history of women’s college basketball and a pioneering leader whose impact extends far beyond the court. A native of Goldthwaite, Texas, Conradt built a legendary career defined by excellence, leadership and a commitment to advancing opportunities for women in athletics.

Over 38 years as a collegiate head coach, including 31 seasons leading The University of Texas women’s basketball program, Conradt amassed 900 career victories. At the time of her retirement following the 2007 season, she ranked No. 2 in career wins among all men’s and women’s college basketball coaches. Her coaching career also included tenures at Sam Houston State University and The University of Texas at Arlington.

Conradt’s 1985-86 Texas team made history by finishing the season 34-0 and capturing the NCAA Championship, becoming the first undefeated women’s basketball team in NCAA history. Her success was equally evident off the court, with 99% of her letter winners earning their college degrees. In addition to coaching, Conradt served as The University of Texas Director of Women’s Athletics from 1992 to 2001, helping shape the growth and prominence of women’s athletics at the university.

Her accomplishments have earned recognition at the highest levels of sports. Conradt became only the second woman inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame when she was enshrined in 1998. She is also a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame, University of Texas Women’s Athletics Hall of Honor, UT Arlington Hall of Honor and Sam Houston State University Athletics Hall of Fame.

A four-time National Coach of the Year, Conradt has been recognized throughout her career not only for her achievements in athletics but also for her leadership, character and contributions to her community. Her honors include induction into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame and Austin Women’s Hall of Fame, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Carol Eckman Award, the WNBA Inspiring Coach Award, the Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Basketball Award, the NACWAA Lifetime Achievement Award and the Joe Lapchick Character Award.

Her legacy continues to be recognized decades after her historic coaching career. Conradt received the Ann Richards Legacy Award in 2024 and was honored with the History Making Texan Award in 2026.

From her small-town Texas roots to the national stage, Conradt helped transform women’s basketball while demonstrating the importance of education, opportunity and leadership. Her influence can be seen in the generations of student-athletes, coaches and administrators who followed the path she helped create, cementing her place as one of the most consequential leaders in collegiate athletics.

In her 24 seasons (1982-2006) as head coach of the Texas Tech Lady Raiders Marsha Sharp had a career record of 572-189 and led her team to 8 conference championships, 10 sweet 16 appearances, 4 elite 8’s, and a national championship in 1993. She was named National Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1994 and SWC/Big 12 Coach of the year 7 times. She was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 1999, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003, the Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Honor in 2017. In the spring of 2010, Sharp received the Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Basketball Award and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Jostens Berenson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Despite all her successes on the court, Coach Sharp holds her players' academic achievements above all else, having ended her coaching career with a nearly perfect player graduation rate. Thanks to her vision, persistence, and her own initial gift, the Marsha Sharp Center for Student-Athletes opened in January 2004. The center provides student-athletes with the most up-to-date academic services facilities in the nation. Awarded the Lauro F. Cavazos award from the Texas Tech Alumni Association, Sharp was honored from Texas Tech by being named Head Coach Emerita, inducted into the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Honor in 2017 and the Texas Tech Basketball Ring of Honor in 2019. In the fall of 2004, Coach Sharp added author to her list of accomplishments as her book titled Tall Enough to Coach became a regional bestseller.

Retirement from the coaching arena has only left more time and energy to expand Coach Sharp’s career and pursue her other passions, both locally and nationally. On a national level, Sharp was president of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association from 2001-03 and Executive Director of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund from 2009-2011. She is involved locally with the Carillon Senior LifeCare Community Board of Directors, the Sharp Academy/Lubbock Learning Difference Center Advisory Board, and the Second Baptist Church.

At Texas Tech, she developed the J.T. and Margaret Talkington Leadership Academy, a comprehensive program and curriculum that provides opportunities that strengthen each student-athlete’s experience. A sought-after speaker, consultant, and team building expert, she continues to promote the topics of civility, ethics, and leadership for coaching staffs, athletic teams, and corporations.