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In his ninth season on the University of Houston's coaching staff, Will Blackburn begins his seventh year as an assistant coach. Blackburn will coach Houston's horizontal jumpers and throwers for the fourth season. He also assists with the multi-event athletes. In addition to his coaching duties, Blackburn coordinates Houston's recruiting efforts. In 2009, Blackburn helped maintain the proud tradition of Houston jumpers and throwers as 12 of his pupils advanced to the Midwestern Regional in Norman, Okla and two advanced to the NCAA Championships. Chris Carter was a regional qualifier where he finished in fifth place in the triple jump and set a personal record of 16.34 meters. After qualifying for the NCAA Championships, Carter placed tenth in the meet. Brittany Williams advanced to the NCAA Championships after finishing sixth place in the javelin throw at Regionals and finished in 13th with a throw of 48.04 meters. Houston long jumpers, Ed Turner, Lamar Delaney and Isaiah Sweeney, swept the top three places at the Conference USA Indoor championships while teammate Chris Carter finished in sixth place. The same foursome continued to exert their dominance as all four again placed among the top seven at the C-USA Outdoor championships. Similar results were to be expected in the triple jump and the Cougars under Blackburn's tutelage did not disappoint. Chris Carter won the C-USA Outdoor triple jump while two other Cougars placed in the top five. Carter's title ensured him of the C-USA Male Athlete of the Year award. Shaunda McPherson was the female champion at the C-USA Indoor Championships while Dayo Ogunniyi and Tai'shea Reese finished in fourth and sixth place respectively. The discus throwers showed their muscle as four Cougars, Matt Dudley, Brandon Hubbard, Andy Tackett and Sidney Flores, locked down four of the top seven places at the C-USA Outdoor Championships. Hubbard was a Regional qualifier and finished in 20th place. Hubbard was also selected as an All-American Strength and Conditional Athlete of the Year. As a true freshman, Dudley would finish in second place at the discus and shot put events at the Indoor Championships. Kierra Pulliam would establish the second longest shotput in Houston history with her throw of 14.95 meters at the Rice All Comers Meet. During the 2008 season, Blackburn witnessed a pair of his throwers break school records, as Brandon Hubbard and William Krokey set new benchmarks in the weight throw and the hammer throw. Blackburn also coached a group of talented freshmen jumpers, including Chris Carter who won the triple jump and Ed Turner who won the long jump at the conference indoor championships. Turner would garner C-USA Indoor Freshman of the Year. In 2007, Blackburn coached Brandon Hubbard, James Lee, Ashley Bryant, Quin'shundolyn McPherson and Dayo Ogunniyi. Hubbard set a school record in the hammer during the outdoor season. Lee earned a C-USA Championship in the discus and a NCAA Regional Qualifier. He also finished in the top five in the UH record books in the discus. In her first year as a Cougar, Bryant was an NCAA Qualifier and finished in the all-time Houston top five in the discus and hammer. McPherson and Ogunniyi were NCAA Regional Qualifiersand McPherson was named the 2007 C-USA Indoor Freshman of the Year. Blackburn also tutored UH record holder Amanda Villanueva in 2007. Villanueva set a UH record in the weight throw at the 2007 Conference USA Indoor Championships with a throw of 61-1.25. In 2006, Blackburn coached Caresir Hamilton to a Conference USA Indoor and Outdoor Championship in the triple jump. Hamilton also set a school record in the triple jump with a leap of 43-4.50. Jonathan Reeves earned the Conference USA Outdoor Championship in the shot put with a throw of 62.3 and was also a conference champion in the discus with a throw of 189.0. Reeves also qualified for the NCAA Championship in the shot put. In 2005, he coached C-USA men's and women's indoor and outdoor long jump champions, Brandon Bray and Jasmine Jackson. Jackson finished in 10th place at the NCAA Championships after leaping 21-7, and Caresir Hamilton was a NCAA qualifier in the triple jump. Blackburn coached the C-USA runner-up in the men's shot put and a NCAA qualifier in the men's discus. He also has tutored three of the school's top five women's throwers in the weight throw and hammer, including Shayla Bowman, the school record holder in each event. During the 2004 season, Blackburn coached Vincent Marshall to the Indoor Conference USA championship in the triple jump and runner-up at the Outdoor Championships en route to qualifying for the NCAA Championships Blackburn began his coaching career after competing in the discus for the UH track and field team. He won the discus at the 2000 Texas Southern Relays and was the runner-up at the Conference USA Championships that season. He was Houston's top athlete in the weight throw as a freshman and threw the hammer during the outdoor campaign that year. When he returned for his sophomore season, he injured his back while lifting weights during preseason workouts. He missed the 1998 indoor season and competed in one event during the outdoor campaign before undergoing back surgery for a ruptured disk. Besides his coaching duties at the University of Houston, Blackburn has also been he coach for the Houston Gold Masters Club. Masters athletes are between the ages of 50 and 76 years old. Blackburn has tutored Jean Vander Cruyssen and Joe Summerlin, among others. Cruyssen set a 2003 American record in the javelin for her age group and Summerlin had the fastest American 100 meter time in 2007. Born in El Paso, Texas, Blackburn earned his bachelor's degree in education from UH. He was a member of the Dean's List, Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and he received an endowed athletics scholarship. He received a masters in sports administration and teaches in the health and human performance and kinesiology department at UH. Before coming to Houston, Blackburn was a two-sport star in football and track and field at Dayton High School in Dayton, Texas. He was named the MVP for both teams and earned the school's Most Valuable Athlete Award. Blackburn married the former Geri Blankenship of Crosby, Texas in 2004. The couple has a son, Hudson Michael Blackburn. |
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