Blanton was promoted to Associate Head Wrestling Coach on October 1, 2021 by Head Coach Deral Brown after serving as Head Assistant Coach under Cy Wainwright from 2018 until 2021.
In his first year as Associate Head Coach, the Wolves captured their 10th Super Region II Title while also tutoring two student-athletes to All-American status at the 2022 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships.
During his time as Head Assistant, the Wolves captured two NCAA Super Region II Titles (2019, 2021). Blanton also helped lead the program to three consecutive South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Championships (2019-2021).
The December 2011 graduate returned to his alma mater almost immediately following his graduation, being hired on July 1, 2012 as an Assistant Coach under then head coach Jason Valek. After Valek left the program, Blanton stayed on staff in the same role under Cy Wainwright until his promotion to Head Assistant in 2018. Blanton’s stint as Assistant from 2012-2018 saw the program win three NCAA Super Region Titles and the first three Conference Championships from the inception of the conference in 2016 (2016-2018). Blanton has been on staff for all six of the Wolves’ Conference Titles. As a wrestling coach, Blanton has mentored 61 NCAA National Qualifiers, 26 NCAA All-Americans, 4 NCAA Finalists, and an NCAA National Champion.
From 2014-2021, Blanton wore several hats, as he also served as the Newberry football program’s kicking coach and head equipment manager. The football program won the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Championship, and made the NCAA Division-II Playoffs in 2015 and 2016. Blanton tutored multiple All-Conference and All-American specialists in his stint with the football program.
In his career as a wrestler at Newberry, Blanton was the 2010 NCAA National Champion at 184 lbs. Blanton was a three-time NCAA All-American and four-time NCAA National Qualifier. He is tied for the most wins all-time with at Newberry with 143, a record he shares with Head Coach, Deral Brown, and BJ Young. Blanton also holds the program record for most career falls, with 61. He was also a punter and wide receiver for the Newberry football team in 2006 and 2007, winning the South Atlantic Conference Championship in Newberry's 11-win season of 2006. Because of his accomplishments, Blanton was inducted into the Newberry Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.
Coach Blanton currently resides in Newberry with his wife, Mo, and their four children – Campbell, Brantleigh, Sawyer, and Kendall.
