Football
- Title:
- Special Teams Analyst
- Email:
- football@kent.edu
David Blake serves as the special teams analyst at Kent State, where he assists with the special teams.
In 2024, he was Concord University’s defensive coordinator and associate head coach before being promoted to interim head coach. His defense featured standout performers, including linebacker Ryker Brown, who was named 2nd Team All-Mountain East Conference and Academic All-District, and defensive lineman Jacorey Jackson, who earned All-MEC Honorable Mention. Kendall Bournes ranked 2nd in the league in tackles, while Brown ranked 3rd. Safety, Khwan Mickens finished 2nd in the NCAA in fumbles recovered, and the defense recorded its most takeaways in back-to-back games since 2019 and most interceptions in a 3-game stretch since 2014.
In 2023, Blake was a special teams and defensive assistant at Kent State, working with cornerbacks and specialists. The previous year, he served as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Westminster College, where his offense was led by PAC Offensive Player of the Year Ryan Gomes.
In 2021, he was associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Bluefield State, helping restart the football program after a 40-year hiatus. Despite fielding a defense made up almost entirely of freshmen, the unit ranked 1st nationally in first down defense, 4th in pass efficiency defense, 5th in passing touchdowns allowed, and 16th in passing yards allowed.
Blake’s earlier career included stops at Auburn in 2020 and Rhodes College in 2019. From 2016 to 2018, he worked as the defensive quality control and player personnel at the University of Memphis, where the Tigers won 2 American Athletic Conference Western Division Championships and appeared in three bowl games: the 2016 Boca Raton Bowl, 2017 Liberty Bowl, and 2018 Birmingham Bowl. Memphis also put together its top recruiting classes in school history during that time.
A Pennsylvania native, Blake played defensive back at West Liberty University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, and later completed his master’s degree at Memphis. He also served nine years in the United States Navy. David and his wife, Ashley, are both West Liberty graduates, and they have a daughter, Scarlett.
