Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Sad News in the NCAA WBB Coaching Ranks

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Rae Rippetoe-Blair dies in accident

A woman who was killed Friday when she and her motorcycle fell from the U.S. 183 flyover has been identified by her family as former UTSA women’s basketball coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair, 52.

The wreck occurred Friday afternoon when Rippetoe-Blair lost control of her vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycle while exiting MoPac Blvd. onto U.S. 183 using the flyover. The bike and rider both went over the edge and fell to the ground below.

No other cars were involved in the accident, police said.

Her mother, Anita Rippetoe, said that Rippetoe-Blair had sold her motorcycle and had driven to Austin to deliver it to the buyer when she was killed.

Her daughter loved to ride her motorcycle on Hill Country roads, stopping in
small towns like Bandera to check out live music shows, Rippetoe said.

“She said it was very peaceful,” Rippetoe said.

Rippetoe-Blair became the UTSA women’s basketball coach in 2000 after eight seasons as assistant head coach at Oklahoma State University, her alma mater.

She went 216-173 during her tenure at UTSA and led the Roadrunners to the NCAA tournament in 2008 and 2009. UTSA won the Southland Conference tournament twice under her leadership.

“She never had any children, but her basketball team was her children she tried to take care of every one of them,” Rippetoe said.

Rippetoe-Blair resigned from her coaching position in August to take care of her husband, Craig, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, Rippetoe said. He passed away in March at the age of 51. The couple was married for 23 years and will be buried together in Ardmore.

Rippetoe-Blair had just visited her family in Ardmore earlier this week, Rippetoe said, and her daughter had talked about starting a new job and a possible return to coaching.

“She was trying to get her life back on track,” Rippetoe said.

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A young "Worldwide" obsessing over
a photo shoot. This is the last known
picture of him clean-shaven.

The latest Cardinal Couple Radio Hour is now archived and on the

Soundcloud. You can access it by clicking the Crescent Hill logo at the top

of the article or over on The Right Side of The Site. 

We have two great interviews to listen to...Paulie's chat with Jeff Walz and "Lmo's" interview of Asia Taylor. We also look at the WNBA All-Star voting, Worldwide reviews the Volleyball schedule and we present him a quiz on senior guard Jude Schimmel. Don Paulie also makes an appearance.

CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO will return again to the internet on July 12th...we are taking our broadcast slot off next week. It was either that or a 60 minute retrospectitve of the evolution of the bounce pass in basketball.

PAULIE
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