Last updated July 19, 2019
Ben Blake is in his fourth year as offensive line coach at Southeast Missouri.
Blake’s offensive line helped SEMO set new single-season school records in points scored (482), points per game (37.1), touchdowns (63) and total plays (891) in 2018.
During his time at SEMO, Blake has coached two All-Ohio Valley Conference performers in tackle Drew Forbes and center Lucas Orchard. Forbes, an All-American and First-Team pick in 2018, was selected in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Blake coached veterans Garret Baker, Michael Cooke and Jake McCandless, a trio that combined for at total of 32 starts during his first season at SEMO in 2016.
He came to SEMO from the University of Sioux Falls, where he spent two seasons in the same capacity.
At NCAA Division II USF, Blake helped lead the Cougars to a combined 20-4 overall record. In 2015, the USF went 9-3 and tied for second overall in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with a 9-2 mark.
Blake’s offensive line led the nation in sacks allowed, giving up only five in 12 contests during the 2015 campaign. The Cougars also ranked 11th nationally in third-down conversion percentage (48.2 pct.), 16th in both scoring offense (39.3 ppg) and first downs (285), and 19th in total offense (472.1 ypg).
USF finished the season ranked 17th and tied for 21st in the D2Football.com and American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Top-25 Polls, respectively.
In his first season at USF, Blake put together an offensive line, which proved to be one of the best in the NSIC. Starting just one senior, the Cougars offensive front played a key role on the nation’s seventh-best and NSIC’s highest scoring team. USF, which finished 11-1 and #16/18 nationally, ranked first in the NSIC and seventh nationally with 42.7 points (512) per game. Overall, USF produced 58 touchdowns, including 30 rushing (4th, NSIC) and 28 passing (t4th), a +11 increase in that category from the year before.
The Cougars were 17th in NCAA Division II and second in the NSIC in total offense with 483.2 yards per game. The offensive front, including first team All-NSIC selection Antonio Green (sophomore guard, allowed 1.5 sacks) and honorable mention All-NSIC tackles Terry Huber (sophomore, allowed 1.5 sacks) and Jesse Springer, (freshman) paved the way for a second straight 1,000 yard rusher in Nephi Garcia. USF was 32nd nationally and fourth in the NSIC with 213.3 rushing yards per game. Garcia was fifth in the league with 1,190 yards. USF, which also received 804 yards from quarterback Luke Papilion, averaged 4.6 yards per carry with 2,559 yards on 560 carries.
A Harlon Hill candidate, Papilion helped USF lead the NSIC and rank 14th in the nation in completion percentage (.640). The Cougars produced 292 first downs that were good for third in the league. In addition, the offensive line gave up one sack or less in four of the final five games of the season.
Blake, who has 13 years of coaching experience, served as the offensive line coach, run game coordinator and strength and conditioning coach at Evangel University (Mo.) for three seasons before going to USF.
In three years (2011-13) with Evangel, Blake coached seven all-conference selections on the offensive line, including first-team honoree Keith Wright in 2012, the Crusaders’ first OL first-team selection since 2006.
Prior to his stint at Evangel, Blake spent four years (2007-10) as the co-offensive coordinator at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. He also worked as an assistant coach at Highland Community College in Kansas for two years (2005-06) and was a graduate assistant coach working with the offensive line and tight ends at Concordia University-Wisconsin (NCAA-III) in 2004.
Blake graduated from Concordia University with an undergraduate degree in business management and minor in public relations. He also earned a Master’s degree in business administration with a marketing emphasis.
He and his wife, Alyssa, have a daughter, Gracie.
