Texas A&M hires Georgia's Joni Taylor as next head coach

Taylor just wrapped up her seventh year with Georgia, a season in which she led the Bulldogs to a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The team defeated No. 11 Dayton 70-54 in the first round before losing to No. 3 Iowa State 67-44 in the round of 32.

The 43-year-old registered a 140-75 record during her career at Georgia and was named SEC Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award following the 2020-2021 campaign. That season, the Bulldogs went 21-7 and appeared in the SEC Tournament championship game for the first time since 2004.

"I am extremely excited and humbled to have the opportunity to lead the Texas A&M women's basketball program. You are talking about a program that is rich with tradition and an institution that leads not only in the SEC, but in the country. I am excited to get there and meet the team and immerse myself and our family into Aggieland," Taylor said. "I have known Coach Blair since I was a player at the University of Alabama and he was at Arkansas. The way he led young women on and off the court and was a steward of our game is something I have always admired. He created a National Championship program during his 19 years at A&M, to be able to continue that legacy is an honor. I am excited to have the opportunity to be around him, learn from him and for him to show me the way."

Taylor replaces longtime A&M coach Gary Blair, who announced in October that he would be retiring at the end of the season. Blair — a women's basketball Hall-of-Famer — has been coaching at the college level for 36 years and has been at the helm of the Aggies since 2003.

"The more we got to know Coach Taylor, it became crystal clear that she is the right coach to lead our program into this new era of Aggie basketball," Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said. "Her passion, energy, knowledge of the game, recruiting acumen, experience in the SEC and leadership in modern day college athletics are all the characteristics that make Coach Taylor the perfect fit for Texas A&M and our basketball program."

Under Blair, Texas A&M won five conference titles (including the 2021 SEC regular-season championship) and captured the 2011 NCAA Tournament crown. While the program reached the "Big Dance" 16 times in the last 19 seasons, the Aggies posted one of their only two losing seasons in 2021-2022 with Blair, finishing 14-15 and on the outside looking in.