An Eight-Time Coach of the Year, This Coach Might be Best Known for his Playing Career

Rusty Blair spent 33 seasons at the helm of the Cuesta College men’s basketball program.

In those years, he accumulated 578 wins; 14 times he posted 20-win seasons, leading the Cougars to 11 Western State Conference titles. He was an eight-time conference coach of the year.

In his career, he sent over 110 athletes to four-year universities.

He was also widely considered the best basketball player to ever come out of San Luis Obispo County. His senior season at San Luis Obispo High School, he was named the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section Division 2A Player of the Year and was selected a first-team All-American.

Unfortunately, Blair passed away last year May 18 at the age of 74.

In June of 1992, Blair took over the reins of the basketball program following an extensive playing and coaching career. He attended the University of Oregon, where he was a three-year starter for the Ducks.  He played professionally for 12 seasons in Europe beginning in 1972 and returned briefly to the United States to serve as an assistant coach at Cal Poly SLO. 

He returned to Europe to play full-time in Belgium and Holland from 1977 until 1985. He averaged 27.2 points and 10.4 rebounds as a professional and in 1984-85 hit a Dutch record 95 percent of his free throws. During the 1978-79 season, Blair led Europe in scoring with 38.5 points per game. 

He transitioned to coaching, leading several teams in Europe. While coaching in Holland's top professional league in 1989 he led the team to within one game of the final eight of the European Championships.  He received Coach of the Year honors.

In 1997, Blair has his finest season as the Cougars’ head coach, leading the program to a 33-5 record and its only state championship appearance.  Overall, he led Cuesta to the to the post-season 21 times.

Blair earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon and his master's and teaching credential from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Hall of Fame/Championship Dinner will be held on March 12 at the Visalia Marriott at the Convention Center. Tickets can be purchased here.

He and his wife, Kaatje, have two children, Casey and Kelly.  His daughter, Kelly and his son, Casey were both all-conference basketball players at Cuesta. Casey is currently the women's basketball coach.