In case you were not aware, Texas A&M women's basketball is in serious trouble.
The Aggies are as close to a national title in this sport in terms of time as they are in any, with Gary Blair leading the Aggie women to the sport's pinnacle back in 2011, when they triuphed over Notre Dame. That's a big reason why Blair was allowed to stay as long as he did, even as his teams declined in quality over the years: you don't just fire a national-championship winning coach (unless they're Ed Orgeron, I guess).
In the 2022 offseason, the Aggies hired Joni Taylor from Georgia. Known for her recruiting prowess, most thought this was a pretty solid move at the time— one that could potentially reignite some interest in the program after it had waned in Blair's final years as head man.
Texas A&M women's basketball needs to make a change
Well, here we are three years hence, and while there have been some solid moments, it's looking like this is a gamble that is not exactly paying off. Again, just for those who have not been paying attention, the Aggie women finished the year with a 10-19 record, 3-13 in conference, on an 11-game losing streak, and winning not a single game on the road.
Oh, and three of their best players have now entered the transfer portal.
This is a situation that is quickly becoming untenable. Especially on a campus where some of the other major women's sports are thriving— women's tennis won a national title last year and are currently the 2nd-ranked team in the nation, and softball is ranked 5th— these results are unacceptable.
Simply by virtue of a lack of scrutiny, this may slide by for now. I get that there are some budget constraints that have to be considered with Jimbo Fisher's buyout continuing to be paid off and the upcoming revenue-share model hitting soon.
But if Texas A&M women's basketball wants to compete with the big players in this league— the South Carolinas of the world— then excellence must be demanded. We've seen it in recent memory; it's not as though it's far off. It's eminently possible.
It may take some tough decisions, but that's the business of college athletics. A change is needed in this program— before it's too late.