Josh Blankenship named new Tiger head football coach
Launch the media gallery 1 playerBroken Arrow Public Schools Board of Education approved the hiring of Josh Blankenship as the new head football coach at Broken Arrow High School in a special meeting Friday.
“Josh’s unmistakable passion for using the game of football as a vehicle to leave a lasting legacy with his players led us to today,” said Broken Arrow Executive Director of Athletics Steve Dunn. “The high standard of excellence that he has set for this program and his unyielding will to motivate his staff and players in daily pursuit of that standard is going to lead to championship culture and championship football in Broken Arrow.”
Blankenship was introduced to his team and the media at a press conference following the Board meeting.
“I’m blown away by this opportunity,” Blankenship said. “This place is home to me. To be able to bring my family here is what excites me the most. I’m humbled and I’m grateful.”
Blankenship has coached at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado for the past seven years including the last three as the head football coach. The Adams State football program competes at the NCAA Division II level in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Blankenship has a record of 8-14, which is the highest two-year win total since the 2013-2014 seasons.
In 2018, Blankenship coached a back-to-back Harlon Hill finalist, which is often considered to be the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. In the same season, he coached two AP All-Americans, and his starting running back broke the school record for rushing yards in a season. Blankenship developed the Adams State University offense into the nation’s second-ranked passing offense (2017), and in back-to-back season (2018-2019) he coached the nation’s individual leader in both receptions and receiving yards per game. In 2019, he coached the nations individual leader in tackles for loss, who averaged 2.2 TFLs per game, including a collegiate best 20 solo tackles behind the line of scrimmage in 11 games.
“Coach has been like a father to me,” said Chad Hovasse, a 2018 All-American at Adams State. “He never accepted anything less than my best and brings the best out of his players both on and off the field.”
Prior to his time in Alamosa, Blankenship was an assistant coach at the University of Tulsa working with the Golden Hurricane quarterbacks. Prior to that he was the head coach and acting athletic director at Muskogee High School. Before his time there he was on the football staff at Union High School for five state championships including three as the offensive coordinator (2008-2010) and two as the quarterback coach (2004-2005).
As a player, Blankenship spent three seasons as the signal caller for Tulsa from 1999-2001 before ending his collegiate career at Eastern Washington in 2002. In three seasons as the starting quarterback for Tulsa, Blankenship compiled 5,273 yards passing and 21 touchdowns. At Eastern Washington he threw for 3,243 yards and 30 touchdowns en route to being named second-team All-American by Football Gazette. He was also named the 2002 Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Blankenship had a brief stint with the Miami Dolphins in 2003 and from 2005-2007 played in the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League for several different organizations.
“This is unbelievable. The talent is unbelievable,” the Tigers new football coach said. “I’m excited about what we’re going to do and the way we’re going to do it. I’m excited to build on the culture that’s already established here and has been grown here.
“As a little kid, I was a ball boy for my dad (Bill Blankenship, now the Owasso head football coach), and I would go catch those PATs and field goals falling down out of the tree in the end zone at Kirkland. A legacy is something we’re going to be focused on. It’s going to be hard and the standard is going to be very, very high. But, the reward is worth it.”