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John Blake enters his first season on the North Carolina staff. Blake, who spent the last three seasons at Nebraska, serves as the Tar Heels' associate head coach, recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach. Head coach Butch Davis and Blake previously worked together as members of Jimmy Johnson's staff with the Dallas Cowboys. Blake joined the Dallas staff as defensive line coach after Davis was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1993. That year, Dallas ranked eighth in the league in total defense and beat Buffalo, 30-13, in Super Bowl XXVII. After Davis left to become the head coach at Miami in 1995, Blake remained in Dallas and won another Super Bowl title under head coach Barry Switzer. Many observers consider Blake to be the nation's top recruiter. In fact, the Wall Street Journal named Blake one of the nation's top three recruiters in a 2007 article and American Football Coaches Quarterly selected him as the nation's top recruiter. Blake was instrumental in Carolina's consensus top 20 recruiting class in February, which included the nation's No. 1 defensive player Marvin Austin, a Blake recruit. Nebraska's 2005 class was considered by most recruiting analysts to be one of the top five in the country. His role in helping bring some of the country's most talented players to Lincoln led to Blake's inclusion as a finalist for National Recruiter of the Year by Rivals.com. He also was responsible for recruiting the majority of starters on Oklahoma's 2000 national championship team. Blake was hired as Nebraska's defensive line coach in 2004, and the Huskers ranked second in the Big 12 and 11th nationally in rushing defense that season. Nebraska allowed just 104.0 yards rushing per game, including a league-low 2.9 yards per attempt. In 2005, Nebraska's defense ranked in the top 30 nationally in all four major defensive categories, including being the top-ranked unit in the country for sacks and tackles for loss. In 2006, Nebraska was 9-4 during the regular season and accepted an invitation to play Auburn in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 2007. The Huskers defensive line was ranked the top defensive line unit in the country by CollegeFootballNews.com. Blake also coached in the Huskers' 32-28 win over Michigan in the 2005 Alamo Bowl. Prior to his stint at Nebraska, Blake served one season as Mississippi State's defensive line coach in 2003. He was the director of a professional developmental camp called "A Chance To Advance Football Camp" for four years before joining MSU. Among his clients were Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, New Orleans Saints defense end Darren Howard and Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney. A native of Rockford, Ill., Blake played for Switzer at Oklahoma from 1979-82 where he earned All-Big Eight honors at nose guard. He later returned to his alma mater to serve as head coach of the Sooners from 1996-98. At Oklahoma, Blake began as a student assistant working with the defensive line in 1985 and earned a national championship ring that season. The Sooners lost just two games during his first tenure on the staff. Blake's first full-time assistant position was at Tulsa from 1987-88, where he coached the tight ends and wide receivers. He returned to his alma mater in 1989 as the Sooners' defensive line coach, and then served as Gary Gibbs' linebackers coach from 1990 to 1992. After Johnson hired Blake in Dallas, five players made the Pro Bowl during his three seasons. Blake's defensive line was considered one of the best in the NFL during his tenure. Among others, Blake tutored pro bowlers Charles Haley, Russell Maryland, Leon Lett, Chad Henning, Tony Tolbert and Jim Jeffcoat. Blake earned his bachelor's degree in public relations and recreation from Oklahoma in 1986. He and his wife, Freda, have one son, Jourdan. The Blake File |
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