John Blake (American football) facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 6, 1961 Rockford, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | July 23, 2020 (aged 59) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1979–1982 | Oklahoma |
| Position(s) | Nose guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1987–1988 | Tulsa (TE/WR) |
| 1989 | Oklahoma (DL) |
| 1990–1992 | Oklahoma (LB) |
| 1993–1995 | Dallas Cowboys (DL) |
| 1996–1998 | Oklahoma |
| 2003 | Mississippi State (DL) |
| 2004–2006 | Nebraska (DL) |
| 2007–2010 | North Carolina (DL) |
| 2016 | Buffalo Bills (DL) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 12–22 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
|
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John Fitzgerald Blake (March 6, 1961 – July 23, 2020) was an American college and professional football coach. He played college football as a nose guard for the Oklahoma Sooners. He served as the head coach of the Sooners from 1996 to 1998.
Coaching career
Blake served as the head coach for the Oklahoma Sooners from 1996 to 1998, succeeding the one-year term of Howard Schnellenberger. He compiled a career record of 12–22, which is the worst three-year stretch at the University of Oklahoma football history. Despite his overall record as college head coach, Blake was a great recruiter, bringing in more than half of the 2000 championship team's 22 starters, including future NFL players like safety Roy Williams and linebacker Rocky Calmus.
Prior to his arrival in Norman, Blake had served as the defensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys, working alongside future UNC coach Butch Davis (2007–11) as well as former Sooner and then Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer. The Dallas Cowboys won two Super Bowls (1993 & 1995) during Blake's stint. Blake also worked as a defensive assistant at Oklahoma in the early 1990s under Gary Gibbs.
Blake served as the defensive line coach at Mississippi State University in 2003. He later held the same position on Bill Callahan's staff at the University of Nebraska from 2004 to 2006. Blake resigned his position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Sunday, September 5, 2010. On February 16, 2016 Lamar University announced that they had hired Blake to serve as their defensive line coach. After one month at Lamar and during the Cardinals' spring camp, Blake accepted the defensive line coach position with the Buffalo Bills on March 15, 2016 following the Bills' firing of Karl Dunbar.
Death
Blake died on the morning of July 23, 2020 at the age of 59. He suffered a heart attack while walking near his home and was transported to Baylor University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma Sooners (Big 12 Conference) (1996–1998) | |||||||||
| 1996 | Oklahoma | 3–8 | 3–5 | 4th (South) | |||||
| 1997 | Oklahoma | 4–8 | 2–6 | T–4th (South) | |||||
| 1998 | Oklahoma | 5–6 | 3–5 | T–4th (South) | |||||
| Oklahoma: | 12–22 | 7–17 | |||||||
| Total: | 12–22 | ||||||||
