Blankenship named C-USA Coach of the Year
After leading his team to a Conference USA Championship and a berth in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Tulsa head coach Bill Blankenship has been named C-USA Coach of the Year, as selected by a vote by the league's head coaches.
Blankenship led the Golden Hurricane (10-3, 7-1 C-USA) to its fourth C-USA Championship Game and second title in 2012 after posting a 7-1 record during league play. He guided Tulsa to its ninth 10-win season in program history and fourth in the past six seasons.
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During his two years as head coach, Blankenship has amassed 18 wins, which is tied for the second-best start by a TU football coach. Tulsa has posted a 14-2 record in regular season Conference USA play under his leadership.
The Golden Hurricane won seven consecutive games from Sept. 8 through Oct. 20 and averaged 35 points per game. The leading C-USA ground attack (240.2 ypg) out-rushed opponents by nearly 1,600 yards, ranked 11th nationally in rushing yardage and scored 37 touchdowns on the ground.
Tulsa also leads C-USA in total (353.9 ypg) and rush (121.2 ypg) defense, red zone defense, kickoff returns (27.4 ypr) and sacks for (48) and against (9).
Blankenship will lead Tulsa in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Monday, Dec. 31, in Memphis, Tenn., against Iowa State. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.