Former Oklahoma soccer coach John Blake died at age 59, the school announced Thursday.
Blake, a Sooners nose guard under Barry Switzer, trained his alma mater from 1996 to 1998 and was an assistant in college and in the NFL. Switzer told KWTV’s Dean Blevins that Blake died of a heart attack while walking.
Blake served as an assistant in Tulsa, Oklahoma and with the Dallas Cowboys before landing the Sooners’ first job at age 34 on December 31, 1995. He became the first black head coach in any sport in history. from school and spent 12-22 with the Sooners.
“We are stunned and saddened by the news of Coach Blake’s passing,” Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione said in a prepared statement. “He never hesitated to show love for his family, his players, or how much he valued the honor of being a Sooner. His legacy as OU’s first black head coach in any sport is incredibly significant and will live forever. We offer our sincere hearts. Thoughts and our prayers to his family. It was a Soon before and after. “
Blake was a defensive line coach in the state of Mississippi, Nebraska and North Carolina before resigning in 2010 amid an investigation into player involvement with agent Gary Wichard, an old friend of Blake’s. The NCAA in 2012 gave Blake a three-year order for his cause in the North Carolina scandal. He spent his last season as a coach with the Buffalo Bills in 2016.
“What I always heard about Coach Blake is how much he loved and cared about his players and how those feelings were reciprocated,” Oklahoma football coach Lincoln Riley said in a prepared statement. “That is such a profound element of the coaching profession: developing relationships with players that extend beyond the field. Our program is very saddened to learn of Coach Blake’s passing and we extend our deepest condolences to his family.”
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