Bowling Green State University Athletics
Blackney To Step Down Following 2000 Season
September 26, 2000 | Football
Sept. 26, 2000
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green State University football coach Gary Blackney has informed BGSU Director of Athletics Paul Krebs that he will resign from his position following the conclusion of the 2000 season.
"Gary Blackney is one of the classiest and finest individuals I have been associated with in my career," said Krebs. "He has been a friend of mine for 15 years and has meant a great deal to many people here at the University and in the community."
Blackney is third in career victories at BGSU with a 58-45-2 record in nine-plus seasons and is the only coach in school history to win a bowl game, capturing post-season victories at the 1991 California Raisin Bowl and the 1992 Las Vegas Bowl.
"I think there is a need for change, both for myself and for the program," said Blackney, who informed his family and Krebs of his decision on Sunday. "I think this diverts attention away from my job status and hopefully puts it back where it should be, and that is on the accomplishments of our players."
He is 45-26-2 against MAC foes and earned MAC Coach of the Year honors after guiding the orange and brown to league titles in 1991 and 1992. A member of the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees, Blackney and Toledo coach Gary Pinkel have the longest current tenure among MAC coaches.
"I am extremely grateful to everyone at BGSU and in the community for the support I have received over the years," Blackney added. "I want to thank Jack Gregory for giving me this opportunity 10 years ago, and I have a great deal of respect and admiration for people like BGSU President Sidney Ribeau and Paul Krebs. Everyone I have been fortunate enough to work with and meet through our passion for this institution has been tremendous."
After coming to BGSU following a seven-year tenure as an assistant at Ohio State, Blackney tied an NCAA rookie coach record with 11 wins in his first season. In addition, he is the only Falcon mentor to win 10 games in back-to-back seasons and led the program to a MAC record 19-game winning streak.
"I have a positive feeling about Bowling Green," said Blackney. "I am extremely proud of the young men who have been a part of the program and I want to thank all of the assistant coaches I have had the opportunity to work with for their loyalty and efforts."
A national search for a replacement will begin immediately.
"We will do a thorough search to find the person who is the best fit for BGSU," said Krebs. "I believe this is an attractive situation and we should not have a shortage of applications."
Blackney has been a college coach since 1970 and was a defensive coordinator at Ohio State and Wisconsin. He also served on staffs at Syracuse, UCLA, Rhode Island and Brown.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
BLACKNEY'S YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD AT BGSU
Year Overall MAC Notes 1991 11-1-0 8-0 California Raisin Bowl Champions 1992 10-2-0 8-0 Las Vegas Bowl Champions 1993 6-3-2 5-1-2 Third Place in the MAC 1994 9-2-0 7-1 Second Place in the MAC 1995 5-6-0 3-5 Sixth Place in the MAC 1996 4-7-0 3-5 Tied for sixth in the MAC 1997 3-8-0 3-5 Tied for fourth in MAC East 1998 5-6-0 5-3 Tied for third in MAC East 1999 5-6-0 3-5 Fifth Place in MAC East 2000 0-4-0 0-1 10 Seasons 58-45-2 45-26-2 Third Most Wins in BGSU History
ACCOLADES
PREVIOUSLY
QUICK FACTS
