David Blanchard is in his 28th season as a member of the South Carolina State coaching staff. Elevated to assistant head coach in 2007, Blanchard coaches the Bulldog defensive line, an assignment he has held for the last 21 seasons. He served as recruiting coordinator under Coach Buddy Pough for seven seasons (2002-08) and was offensive line coach under retired Bulldog head coach Willie Jeffries.
Blanchard joined the SC State staff as a full-time coach in 1995, following one year as a student assistant. He has continued to build upon the team’s history of success in developing outstanding defensive linemen. During his tenure, he has aided in the development of some of the best linemen to ever wear the Garnet & Blue in former National Football League offensive linemen Lewis Kelly, Raleigh Roundtree, Dawani Fladger and tight end Arthur Love who earned a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots, as well as defensive lineman Ken Jones, who played in the 2007 Arena Bowl Championship with the Columbus Destroyers. Blanchard also coached former Bulldog standout and All-MEAC performer Ronell Ferguson.
In 2013, the Bulldog defense ranked first in the nation in total defense and team sacks and was second in rush defense. Two of Blanchard's players, Andrew Carter and Alex Glover, were named SBN All-Americans.
In 2002, Blanchard made the switch from offensive line coach to defensive line. Since that time, he has helped Coach Pough win or share five MEAC titles. In addition, he has gone on to develop some of the best defensive lines in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, producing at least one All-MEAC defensive lineman in each of the last seven seasons.
In 2011, it was Jason Ayers and Patrick Washington. Before that, it was Cedric Lloyd and Keyon Brooks. Eric Turner was a first-team selection in 2006 and the year prior, Travis Kinloch earned his second All-MEAC nod under Blanchard’s tutelage. However, the best example of Blanchard’s leadership came in former Bulldog nose tackle Marcus Darby, who came to SC State with no prep experience, but earned All-MEAC honors in the 2004 season.
In 2014, he coached one of the best defensive lineman to play for SC State in Javon Hargrave. Hargrave had a stellar year leading the nation in tackles for loss (23.5/2.3 per game) and finishing second in sacks (16/1.5 per game). He was ranked #1 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in sacks and tackles for loss and finished with 55 tackles, eight (8) quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. Hargrave broke the school record for sacks in the game, while tying the FCS Division I-AA National and MEAC Record with his six sack performance against #14 nationally-ranked Bethune-Cookman.
A standout offensive lineman for the Bulldogs from 1990-94, Blanchard earned All-MEAC honors as a center in 1992 and 1993, and was a teammate of former All-MEAC and All-Pro Offensive lineman Orlando “Zeus” Brown. He also anchored the SC State offensive line that propelled the Bulldogs to the 1993 Heritage Bowl title against Southern University.
Blanchard earned a bachelor of science from SC State in 1994. In 1999, he completed an internship with the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Jimmy Johnson.
Blanchard is a 1989 graduate of Thomson High School in Thomson, Ga., where he was a letterwinner in both football and basketball. He earned all-region honors twice (1987-89) and all-state accolades in 1989.
He and his wife, the former Trevenia Bracey, are the proud parents of two children, daughter Morgan (22) and son David Jr. (16).
