Texas A&M Hires Georgia's Joni Taylor As Women's Basketball Coach

Joni Taylor takes over Aggies program after seven seasons with Lady Bulldogs

Texas A&M hired Georgia women's basketball coach Joni Taylor to the same position. Taylor is set to replace legend Gary Blair, who elected to retire following the 2021-22 season. 

"As the process evolve, and the more we got to know Coach Taylor, it became crystal clear that she was the right coach to lead our program in a new era of Aggie basketball," A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said in a release Wednesday morning. 

Taylor, 43, just completed her seventh season with the Lady Bulldogs, losing to No. 3 seed Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Georgia finished sixth in the SEC at 20-9 overall and 9-7 mark in conference play. 

Joni Taylor

Joni Taylor

Joni Taylor

Replacing an icon in the sport isn't something new for Taylor. In 2015, she took over for Andy Landers, the all-time winningest coach in Georgia history. Since arriving in Athens, Taylor has posted a 140-75 record with four NCAA tournament appearances. 

"I am extremely excited and humbled to have the opportunity to lead the Texas A&M women's basketball program," Taylor said in a statement. "You were talking about a program that is rich for tradition and an institution that leads not only in the SEC, in the country. I am excited to get there and meet the team and immerse myself and our family in Aggieland." 

Although the terms have not yet been announced, A&M is expected to increase Taylor’s pay by a substantial amount. Taylor agreed to terms on a six-year extension with UGA last year, upping her salary from $100,000 to $850,000 per year. The figure would also increase incrementally to $925,000 in the final year of that current deal. 

Taylor played for the Alabama from 1997-01. She also has coached at Troy, Louisiana Tech and LSU before joining Landers in Athens in 2015. 

Taylor posted a 62-48 record in the SEC. The Lady Bulldogs have finished in the top five of SEC standings twice — 12-4 in 2018 and 10-5 in 2021. 

Nationally, Georgia ranked as high as No. 11 during the season, but two losses to unranked opponents dropped Taylor's squad to No. 20. In 2020, the Lady Bulldogs finished ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll after posting a 21-7 overall record. 

For her efforts, Taylor was named SEC Coach of the Year. 

Joni Taylor

Joni Taylor

Joni Taylor

"Coach Taylor is a proven winner that knows how to recruit and develop talent," Texas A&M deputy athletic director Kristen Bowen said. "As a former student-athlete and coach in the league, she understands what it takes to be successful in the SEC, as well as on the national stage. She is well-respected and highly regarded throughout our industry." 

The Bulldogs released a statement saying that they would begin conducting national search immediately for Taylor's replacement. 

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