Larry Blakeney

College coach infobox


Name = Larry Blakeney
| ImageWidth =
Caption =
DateOfBirth = Birth date and age|1947|9|21|mf=y
Birthplace = Birmingham, Alabama
DateOfDeath =
Deathplace =
Sport = Football
College = Troy
Conference = Sun Belt
Title = Head coach
CurrentRecord = 37-35 (I-A)
OverallRecord = 136-68-1 (66.6%)
BowlRecord = 1-1
Awards =
Championships = 2006 Sun Belt Co-Champion
2007 Sun Belt Co-Champion
CFbDWID = 184
Player = Y
Years = 1966-69
Team = Auburn
Position = Quarterback
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1977-1990
1991-Present
CoachTeams = Auburn (Assistant)
Troy
FootballHOF =
CollegeHOFID =

Larry Blakeney (born September 21, 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama) is the football head coach of the Troy Trojans at Troy University. He is the most successful coach in the history of Troy and his stint there is the 4th longest uninterrupted tenure among active head coaches in college football (behind Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden and Frank Beamer).

Playing career

Blakeney was the first to start at quarterback for Ralph Jordan at Auburn. As a three-year letterman, he led the Auburn Tigers football team to two bowl games. In 1968, they defeated Arizona Wildcats 34-10 in the Sun Bowl and in 1969 they lost 36-7 to Houston Cougars in the Bluebonnet Bowl. He graduated in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

He also lettered twice in baseball in 1968 and 1969.

Coaching career

Blakeney became a head coach at three high schools after graduation: Southern Academy (1970-71), Walker High School (1972-74) and Vestavia Hills High School (1975-76). He compiled a 50-24-2 record as a high school head coach.

He was hired on at his alma mater, Auburn, in 1977 as the offensive line assistant coach. In 1979, he was the tight end and wide receivers coach for two years and then just wide receivers from 1981 to 1990. He added on the offensive play calling duties in 1986. During the 14 seasons at Auburn, the Tigers were 110-50-3 and won four Southeastern Conference championships and were 6-2-1 in bowl games.

Troy

Blakeney became the twentieth head football coach at what was then known as Troy State University [The school did not become Troy University until 2004.] on December 3, 1990. The program was officially still a Division II program, but were already approved to transition to Division I-AA the following season. He took over a program that had won two national championships the previous decade, but were 13-17 the previous three years.

The first full year at Division I-AA, the Troy State Trojans made it to the semifinal game and finished 12-1-1, 10-0-1 in the regular season. This marked the first undefeated, regular, full season of Troy State Trojans football and they finished ranked first in the end of season poll by "Sports Network". In 1995, the team improved on that record finishing 11-0 in the regular season for the first undefeated, tie-less season in history. During the eight seasons the team was a member of I-AA football, they made the playoffs seven seasons and won the Southland Conference championship three times and made the playoff semifinals twice.

Troy State transitioned to Division I-A in 2001. During that season they defeated three Division I-A schools, including their first win over a BCS conference school, Mississippi State. Since joining I-A (from 2002), Troy has posted a 29-31 record. The transition makes Blakeney one of two coaches to ever take a football team from Division II to I-A (the other is UCF’s Gene McDowell).

Blakeney earned his first bowl win in 2006, beating the Rice Owls football team 41-17 in the New Orleans Bowl.

Coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Troy State Trojans (D-II)
conf = Independent
startyear = 1991
endyear = singleCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1991
name = Trojans
overall = 5-6
conference =
confstanding =
ranking = CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Troy State Trojans (I-AA transition)
conf = Independent
startyear = 1992
endyear = singleCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1992
name = Trojans
overall = 10-1
conference =
confstanding =
ranking = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = D-II transition
overall = 15-7
confrecord = CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Troy State Trojans (I-AA)
conf = Independent
startyear = 1993
endyear = 1995CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1993
name = Trojans
overall = 12-1-1
conference =
ranking = I-AA semifinalCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1994
name = Trojans
overall = 8-4
conference =
ranking = I-AA first roundCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1995
name = Trojans
overall = 11-1
conference =
ranking = I-AA first roundCFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Troy State Trojans (I-AA)
conf = Southland Conference
startyear = 1996
endyear = 2000CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1996
name = Trojans
overall = 12-2
conference = 5-1
confstanding = 1st
ranking = I-AA semifinalCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1997
name = Trojans
overall = 5-6
conference = 2-5
confstanding = T-6th
ranking = CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1998
name = Trojans
overall = 8-4
conference = 5-2
confstanding = T-2nd
ranking = I-AA first roundCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1999
name = Trojans
overall = 11-2
conference = 6-1
confstanding = T-1st
ranking = I-AA quarterfinalCFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 2000
name = Trojans
overall = 9-3
conference = 7-0
confstanding = 1st
ranking = I-AA first roundCFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = I-AA
overall = 86-24-1 (.782)
confrecord = 25-18 (.582)CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Troy State Trojans (I-A transition)
conf = Independent
startyear = 2001
endyear = singleCFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2001
name = Trojans
overall = 7-4
conference = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = I-A transition
overall = 7-4
confrecord = CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Troy State Trojans (I-A)
conf = Independent
startyear = 2002
endyear = 2003CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2002
name = Trojans
overall = 4-8
conference = CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2003
name = Trojans
overall = 6-6
conference = CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Troy Trojans (I-A)
conf = Sun Belt Conference
startyear = 2004
endyear = CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2004
name = Trojans
overall = 7-5
conference = 5-2
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname = Silicon Valley Football Classic
bowloutcome = L, 21-34
ranking = CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 2005
name = Trojans
overall = 4-7
conference = 3-4
confstanding = 5th
ranking = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 2006
name = Trojans
overall = 8-5
conference = 6-1
confstanding = T-1st
bowlname = New Orleans Bowl
bowloutcome = W, 41-17
ranking = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 2007
name = Trojans
overall = 8-4
conference = 6-1
confstanding = T-1st
ranking = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = I-A
overall = 37-35
confrecord = 20-8CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 136-68-1
bcs = no
poll =
polltype = no

Personal

Blakeney is married to the former Janice Powell and they have three daughters, Kelley, and twins Julie and Tiffany. All three daughters graduated from Troy. Tiffany is married and lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband Jason Rash and two daughters, two-year-old Caroline Elizabeth Taylor and one-year old Madeline Ann Rash (as of November 2004).

References

* [http://www.troytrojans.com/index.php?s=&change_well_id=2&url_article_id=195 Official Biography at Troy]
* [http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/soul/genrel/auto_pdf/record-book-m-footbl.pdf Southland Conference Recordbook]

Persondata
NAME=Blakeney, Larry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=20th century American football coach
DATE OF BIRTH=September 21, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH=Birmingham, Alabama
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=