Bill Blankenship Position: Assistant Head Coach, Special Teams Coordinator & RBs

THIRD YEAR

Bill Blankenship is in his third season at The University of Tulsa. He spent his first year in 2007 as receivers coach and the 2008 campaign as special teams coordinator. Blankenship will serve as an assistant head coach for special teams and running backs in 2009.

Blankenship, a former Tulsa quarterback, returned to his alma mater in January 2007 and coached the Hurricane wide receivers in his first year. Under his guidance this year, Tulsa has ranked 10th nationally in kickoff return yardage, as well as 10th in punt return defense.

Before entering the collegiate coaching ranks, he spent 22 years as an Oklahoma High School coach.

Blankenship resigned as the head football coach at Tulsa's Union High School in December 2005 after leading his team to a second consecutive state championship at the Oklahoma Class 6A school.

As a head coach on the prep level, Blankenship compiled a 205-68 record, including a 10-win average per season for his last 20 years, appeared in the state championship game eight times and won three state titles.

He spent 14 years as the head football coach and athletic director at Union High School, where he registered a record of 154-26. His teams qualified for the state playoffs 14 times, reached the quarterfinals 10 times and the semifinals in nine seasons. Blankenship's teams made the state championship game seven times.

He guided his Union team to Oklahoma Class 6A state titles in 2002, 2004 and 2005. Blankenship's teams at Union won eight straight District championships and had a 56-game home winning streak from 1997 through 2005.

Blankenship had more than 100 student-athletes receive college scholarships in his 14 seasons at Union High School.

Before moving to Union, Blankenship coached two seasons at Edmond Memorial High School and before that posted a 34-17 mark in four seasons at Spiro High School. He also coached at Sapulpa High School and Eastwood Christian School.

Blankenship, 52, was a three-year letterman and quarterback at Tulsa during the 1975-79 seasons, starting in 1977 and '79. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1979, and received a master's degree from Northeastern State in 1985.

He and his wife, Angie, have three sons, all three of whom played college football. His oldest son, Josh, played quarterback at Tulsa before earning All-America honors at Eastern Washington University. Caleb was an all-conference tight end at Tulsa, while his youngest son, Adam, played at Illinois State.

Alma Mater: Tulsa `79
Birthdate: December 12, 1956
Hometown: Spiro, Okla.
College Coaching Experience: Entering third year at Tulsa
Playing Experience: Three-year letterwinner at Tulsa (1975-79).
Was the starting quarterback in 1977 and 1979.
Recruiting Areas: Eastern Oklahoma and Missouri

Bowl Games as a Player
1976	Independence Bowl (Tulsa)

Bowl Games as a Coach
2008 GMAC Bowl (Tulsa)
2009 GMAC Bowl (Tulsa)