Owassa High School’s Bill Blankenship Receives 2021 AFCA®/AFCF® Power of Influence Award
January 10, 2022
Owasso (Okla.) High School Head Coach Bill Blankenship has been named the recipient of the 2021 AFCA®/AFCF® Power of Influence Award. Blankenship was nominated by Oklahoma Football Coaches Association. He was honored today during the 2022 AFCA Convention.
The Power of Influence award was created as a way for the AFCA® and AFCF® to honor a deserving high school football coach. Coaches who receive this award are recognized for their impact on their team, as well as the legacy they leave with the school and surrounding community. This award is not based on wins and losses; however, it should be noted that coaches of powerful influence have longevity and success. This is the first AFCA award specifically designed to honor a high school coach.
RELATED ARTICLE: Five High School Coaches Earn AFCA Regional Power of Influence Award Honors
Blankenship completed his fifth season at Owasso in 2021 by leading the Rams to an 8-3 record and a trip to the Oklahoma Class 6A playoffs. Since arriving as the head coach in 2017, Blankenship has guided Owasso to two state championships and two trips to the state semi-finals and has a record of 52-10. Prior to Owasso, he spent one season as the head coach at Fayetteville (Ark.) High School, leading the Bulldogs to a 12-1 record and the Arkansas 7A state championship.
Blankenship was a quarterback at the University of Tulsa from 1975-79. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2007. Blankenship served as wide receivers coach, running backs coach, special teams coordinator and senior associate head coach before he was named head coach in 2011. In his four seasons, Blankenship led the Hurricanes to 24 wins and two bowl games. His best season came in 2012 when Tulsa went 11-3, won a Conference USA title and beat Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl.
Prior to his run at Tulsa, Blankenship was an Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame member for what he did at Tulsa Union High School. In his 14 years as head coach, Union won 154 games, made the state playoffs all 14 years, reached the quarterfinals 10 times, made the semifinals nine times, appeared in seven state championship games and won three state titles in 2002, 2004 and 2005. Prior to Union, Blankenship coached at Edmond Memorial High School, Spiro High School, Sapulpa High School and Eastwood Christian High School. He has achieved an overall high school coaching record of 269-79.
Past Power of Influence Award winners include: Larry Dippel, Amarillo (Texas) H.S. (2002); John McKissick, Summerville (S.C.) H.S. (2003); Marcus Borden, East Brunswick (N.J.) H.S. (2004); Ron Stolski, Brainerd (Minn.) H.S. (2005); Sid Otton, Tumwater (Wash.) H.S. (2006); Rob Younger, Sweet Home (Ore.) H.S. (2007); George Smith, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) H.S. (2008); Jim Drewry, Booneville (Miss.) H.S. (2009); Brent Steuerwald, Shenendehowa (N.Y.) H.S. (2010); Noel Dean, Lowell (Mich.) H.S. (2011); Andy Lowry, Columbine (Colo.) H.S. (2012); Bob Burt, Cypress (Calif.) H.S. (2013); Ott Hurrle, Scecina Memorial (Ind.) H.S. (2014); Sam Harrell, Fort Worth Christian (Texas) H.S. (2015); Tony DeMatteo, Somers (N.Y.) H.S. (2016); Allan Trimble, Jenks (Okla.) H.S. (2017); Rick Jones, Greenwood (Ark.) H.S. (2018); Dave Nelson, Minnetonka (Minn.) HS (2019) and Don Smolyn, Lenape Valley Regional High School (2020).
About AFCA
The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to “maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession” and to “provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football.”
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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Owasso (Okla.) High School Head Coach Bill Blankenship has been named the recipient of the 2021 AFCA®/AFCF® Power of Influence Award. Blankenship was nominated by Oklahoma Football Coaches Association. He was honored today during the 2022 AFCA Convention.
The Power of Influence award was created as a way for the AFCA® and AFCF® to honor a deserving high school football coach. Coaches who receive this award are recognized for their impact on their team, as well as the legacy they leave with the school and surrounding community. This award is not based on wins and losses; however, it should be noted that coaches of powerful influence have longevity and success. This is the first AFCA award specifically designed to honor a high school coach.
RELATED ARTICLE: Five High School Coaches Earn AFCA Regional Power of Influence Award Honors
Blankenship completed his fifth season at Owasso in 2021 by leading the Rams to an 8-3 record and a trip to the Oklahoma Class 6A playoffs. Since arriving as the head coach in 2017, Blankenship has guided Owasso to two state championships and two trips to the state semi-finals and has a record of 52-10. Prior to Owasso, he spent one season as the head coach at Fayetteville (Ark.) High School, leading the Bulldogs to a 12-1 record and the Arkansas 7A state championship.
Blankenship was a quarterback at the University of Tulsa from 1975-79. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2007. Blankenship served as wide receivers coach, running backs coach, special teams coordinator and senior associate head coach before he was named head coach in 2011. In his four seasons, Blankenship led the Hurricanes to 24 wins and two bowl games. His best season came in 2012 when Tulsa went 11-3, won a Conference USA title and beat Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl.
Prior to his run at Tulsa, Blankenship was an Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame member for what he did at Tulsa Union High School. In his 14 years as head coach, Union won 154 games, made the state playoffs all 14 years, reached the quarterfinals 10 times, made the semifinals nine times, appeared in seven state championship games and won three state titles in 2002, 2004 and 2005. Prior to Union, Blankenship coached at Edmond Memorial High School, Spiro High School, Sapulpa High School and Eastwood Christian High School. He has achieved an overall high school coaching record of 269-79.
Past Power of Influence Award winners include: Larry Dippel, Amarillo (Texas) H.S. (2002); John McKissick, Summerville (S.C.) H.S. (2003); Marcus Borden, East Brunswick (N.J.) H.S. (2004); Ron Stolski, Brainerd (Minn.) H.S. (2005); Sid Otton, Tumwater (Wash.) H.S. (2006); Rob Younger, Sweet Home (Ore.) H.S. (2007); George Smith, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) H.S. (2008); Jim Drewry, Booneville (Miss.) H.S. (2009); Brent Steuerwald, Shenendehowa (N.Y.) H.S. (2010); Noel Dean, Lowell (Mich.) H.S. (2011); Andy Lowry, Columbine (Colo.) H.S. (2012); Bob Burt, Cypress (Calif.) H.S. (2013); Ott Hurrle, Scecina Memorial (Ind.) H.S. (2014); Sam Harrell, Fort Worth Christian (Texas) H.S. (2015); Tony DeMatteo, Somers (N.Y.) H.S. (2016); Allan Trimble, Jenks (Okla.) H.S. (2017); Rick Jones, Greenwood (Ark.) H.S. (2018); Dave Nelson, Minnetonka (Minn.) HS (2019) and Don Smolyn, Lenape Valley Regional High School (2020).
About AFCA
The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to “maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession” and to “provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football.”
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
