Larry Blakeney
Encyclopedia
Larry Blakeney is the football
head coach
of the Troy Trojans
at Troy University
. He is currently in his 20th season as Troy's head football coach. He is the most successful coach in the history of Troy and his stint there is the 3rd longest uninterrupted tenure among active head coaches in college football
(behind John Gagliardi
and Frank Beamer
). He is only one of two coaches to have taken a football program from Division II to Division I FBS, the other being UCF
's Gene McDowell
.
Blakeney was the recipient of the Johnny Vaught
Lifetime Achievement Award by the All-American Football Foundation in 2000. He was inducted into the Wiregrass Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 and was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
on May 30, 2009. On December 21, 2010, he received the Sun Belt Conference
10th Anniversary Most Outstanding Head Coach award.
for Ralph Jordan
at Auburn
. A three-year letterman, he started eight games in 1966, scoring five touchdowns in his first four games. Blakeney lost the starting job in 1967, however, and moved to the defensive backfield in 1968. He missed the entire season with a shoulder injury, but resumed play in 1969 as Auburn posted a 9-3 record. Blakeney graduated in 1970 with a bachelor's degree
in business administration.
He also lettered twice in baseball in 1968 and 1969.
(1975–76). He compiled a 50-24-2 record as a high school head coach.
He was hired on at his alma mater
, Auburn, in 1977 as the offensive line assistant coach. In 1979, he was the tight end
and wide receiver
s coach for two years and then just wide receivers from 1981 to 1990. He added on the offensive play calling duties in 1986. During the 14 seasons at Auburn, the Tigers were 110-50-3 and won four Southeastern Conference
championships and were 6-2-1 in bowl games.
The first full year at Division I-AA, the Troy State Trojans made it to the semifinal game and finished 12-1-1, 10-0-1 in the regular season. This marked the first undefeated, regular, full season of Troy State Trojans football
and they finished ranked first in the end of season poll by Sports Network. In 1995, the team improved on that record finishing 11-0 in the regular season for the first undefeated, tie-less season in history. During the eight seasons the team was a member of I-AA football, they made the playoffs seven seasons and won the Southland Conference
championship three times and made the playoff semifinals twice.
Troy State transitioned to Division I-A in 2001. During that season they defeated three Division I-A schools, including their first win over a BCS
conference
school, Mississippi State
. The transition makes Blakeney one of two coaches to ever take a football team from Division II to I-A (the other is UCF
’s Gene McDowell
).
In 2004, Troy's first year in the Sun Belt Conference
, Blakeney coached his team to one of the biggest victories in the school's and the Sun Belt's history after defeating then #17 ranked Missouri
24-14 at home, in front of a national audience on ESPN2
. Blakeney would once again coach his team to a victory over a BCS school in 2007 at home, routing Oklahoma State 41-23 on ESPN2
.
Blakeney would earn his first bowl win in 2006, beating the Rice Owls football
team 41-17 in the New Orleans Bowl
. The team also win their first Sun Belt Conference title that year. After losing the 2008 New Orleans Bowl
in overtime against Southern Miss
and losing the 2010 GMAC Bowl
in double-overtime against Central Michigan
, Blakeney would get his second bowl victory in the 2010 New Orleans Bowl
, defeating Ohio
48-21.
ESPN recognized Blakeney as one of the top 5 non-AQ recruiting closers.
with her husband Jason Rash and two daughters, Madeline Ann Rash and Danielle Avery Rash.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Troy Trojans
Troy Trojans
The Troy Trojans were a Major League Baseball team in the National League for four seasons from 1879 to 1882. Their home games were played at Putnam Grounds , Haymakers' Grounds , and Troy Ball Clubs Grounds , all in the upstate New York city of Troy. Overall, the franchise won 131 games and lost...
at Troy University
Troy University
Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689...
. He is currently in his 20th season as Troy's head football coach. He is the most successful coach in the history of Troy and his stint there is the 3rd longest uninterrupted tenure among active head coaches in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
(behind John Gagliardi
John Gagliardi
John Gagliardi is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, a position he has held since 1953. From 1949 to 1952, he was the head football coach at Carroll College in Helena, Montana. With a career record of...
and Frank Beamer
Frank Beamer
Frank Beamer is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , a position he has held since 1987. From 1981 to 1986, Beamer served as the head coach at Murray State University...
). He is only one of two coaches to have taken a football program from Division II to Division I FBS, the other being UCF
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
's Gene McDowell
Gene McDowell
-References:...
.
Blakeney was the recipient of the Johnny Vaught
Johnny Vaught
John Howard Vaught was an American college football coach at the University of Mississippi from 1947 to 1970 and again in 1973....
Lifetime Achievement Award by the All-American Football Foundation in 2000. He was inducted into the Wiregrass Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 and was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is a state museum located in Birmingham, Alabama, dedicated to communicating the state’s athletic history...
on May 30, 2009. On December 21, 2010, he received the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
10th Anniversary Most Outstanding Head Coach award.
Playing career
Blakeney was the first sophomore to start at quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for Ralph Jordan
Ralph Jordan
James Ralph "Shug" Jordan was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach of football and basketball. He served as the head football coach at Auburn from 1951 to 1975, where he compiled a record of 176–83–6. He is the winningest coach in Auburn Tigers football...
at Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. A three-year letterman, he started eight games in 1966, scoring five touchdowns in his first four games. Blakeney lost the starting job in 1967, however, and moved to the defensive backfield in 1968. He missed the entire season with a shoulder injury, but resumed play in 1969 as Auburn posted a 9-3 record. Blakeney graduated in 1970 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in business administration.
He also lettered twice in baseball in 1968 and 1969.
Coaching career
Blakeney became a head coach at three high schools after graduation: Southern Academy (1970–71), Walker High School (1972–74) and Vestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High School
Vestavia Hills High School , founded in 1970, is a public high school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Part of the Vestavia Hills School System, the high school is known for the success of its band, math, debate, "We the People" Team, Economics Challenge Team, American football,...
(1975–76). He compiled a 50-24-2 record as a high school head coach.
He was hired on at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Auburn, in 1977 as the offensive line assistant coach. In 1979, he was the tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
s coach for two years and then just wide receivers from 1981 to 1990. He added on the offensive play calling duties in 1986. During the 14 seasons at Auburn, the Tigers were 110-50-3 and won four Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
championships and were 6-2-1 in bowl games.
Troy
Blakeney became the twentieth head football coach at what was then known as Troy State University on December 3, 1990. The program was officially still a Division II program, but were already approved to transition to Division I-AA the following season. He took over a program that had won two national championships the previous decade, but were 13-17 the previous three years.The first full year at Division I-AA, the Troy State Trojans made it to the semifinal game and finished 12-1-1, 10-0-1 in the regular season. This marked the first undefeated, regular, full season of Troy State Trojans football
Troy Trojans football
The Troy Trojans football program represents Troy University, Alabama, in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A, of which it has been a member since 2001...
and they finished ranked first in the end of season poll by Sports Network. In 1995, the team improved on that record finishing 11-0 in the regular season for the first undefeated, tie-less season in history. During the eight seasons the team was a member of I-AA football, they made the playoffs seven seasons and won the Southland Conference
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
championship three times and made the playoff semifinals twice.
Troy State transitioned to Division I-A in 2001. During that season they defeated three Division I-A schools, including their first win over a BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
conference
BCS conference
An Automatic Qualifying conference is an athletic conference in NCAA Division I FBS whose champion receives an automatic berth in one of the five Bowl Championship Series bowl games...
school, Mississippi State
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
. The transition makes Blakeney one of two coaches to ever take a football team from Division II to I-A (the other is UCF
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
’s Gene McDowell
Gene McDowell
-References:...
).
In 2004, Troy's first year in the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
, Blakeney coached his team to one of the biggest victories in the school's and the Sun Belt's history after defeating then #17 ranked Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
24-14 at home, in front of a national audience on ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
. Blakeney would once again coach his team to a victory over a BCS school in 2007 at home, routing Oklahoma State 41-23 on ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
.
Blakeney would earn his first bowl win in 2006, beating the Rice Owls football
Rice Owls football
The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:...
team 41-17 in the New Orleans Bowl
New Orleans Bowl
The New Orleans Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana since 2001. The game was sponsored by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from 2002 to 2004 and was officially called the Wyndham New...
. The team also win their first Sun Belt Conference title that year. After losing the 2008 New Orleans Bowl
2008 New Orleans Bowl
The 2008 R+L CarriersNew Orleans Bowl was the eighth edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles defeated the Troy Trojans, 30-27 in a dramatic overtime game...
in overtime against Southern Miss
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles represent The University of Southern Mississippi in Division I athletics. The teams compete in Conference USA....
and losing the 2010 GMAC Bowl
2010 GMAC Bowl
The 2010 GMAC Bowl, the eleventh edition of the college football bowl game, was played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama on January 6, 2010. The game was telecast on ESPN and matched the Central Michigan Chippewas, champions of the Mid-American Conference, against the Troy Trojans,...
in double-overtime against Central Michigan
Central Michigan Chippewas
The Central Michigan Chippewas are the sixteen men's and women's athletics teams of Central Michigan University. CMU was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1950-1970. The school's athletics programs are affiliated with the NCAA and compete in the Mid-American...
, Blakeney would get his second bowl victory in the 2010 New Orleans Bowl
2010 New Orleans Bowl
The 2010 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl was the tenth edition of the bowl. The game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on Saturday, December 18, 2010 at 9 p.m. ET. The contest was televised live on ESPN...
, defeating Ohio
Ohio Bobcats
Ohio University features 16 varsity sports teams called the Bobcats. The Bobcats compete in the Mid-American Conference in all sports. The Bobcats were a charter member of the Mid-American Conference in 1946 and are the only team still in the conference from the original 5 team league that...
48-21.
ESPN recognized Blakeney as one of the top 5 non-AQ recruiting closers.
Coaching record
Personal
Blakeney is married to the former Janice Powell and they have three daughters, Kelley, and twins Julie and Tiffany. All three daughters graduated from Troy. Tiffany is married and lives in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
with her husband Jason Rash and two daughters, Madeline Ann Rash and Danielle Avery Rash.