Marble Falls hires Newman Smith's Blair

Marble Falls lured away a fixture of North Texas baseball with the hiring of J.T. Blair in the Hill Country. Blair has been head coach at Carrollton Newman Smith for 10 years _ 14 years combined in the Newman Smith program.

Former Southlake Carroll football coach Todd Dodge, in his first year at Marble Falls, knew of Blair from competing in the same district as Carroll. Dodge also once coached at Newman Smith before Blair arrived there.

The 41-year-old Blair helped establish and maintain Newman Smith as perennially strong program even as the school's demographics dramatically changed to an older neighborhood over the years. Blair has a strong baseball legacy as well as having coached under highly respected Fred Howard at Newman Smith.

Under Blair since 2003, Newman Smith won seven district titles, five bi-district championships, three area titles and had a regional quarterfinal appearance competing in very difficult UIL Class 5A and 4A state playoff brackets.

Prior to being hired at Newman Smith in 1998, Blair was an assistant at Denton Ryan. Blair played at Navarro College and the University of Texas-Pan American.  He also has been a scout for two major league franchises.