Posted by Gerry J. Gilmore
on March 28, 2003

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The head coach at the University of Mississippi for 16 seasons, John Blair has been named volleyball coach at Tennessee Tech University.

The "dean" of Southeastern Conference coaches when he resigned at Ole Miss following the 2001 season, Blair was the winningest volleyball coach at Mississippi with 210 career wins.

"We are very pleased to have John joining the Tennessee Tech athletic staff," said interim Athletics Director Mike Hennigan. "The search committee was not only impressed with his background and credentials, but also by his focus on academics and his coaching experience at the Olympic and SEC levels."

Also a former head coach at Illinois and assistant coach at Tennessee, Blair replaces Jennie Gilbert, who resigned in January. He begins his position April 1.

"In a sense, this position is a coming home for me," said Blair, who grew up in Knoxville and attended the University of Tennessee. "I'm excited about coming back to Tennessee and looking forward to the opportunity to coach at an institution that's been a part of my volleyball experience for as long as I can remember. I'm chomping at the bit to get going."

During his tenure at Ole Miss, Blair made sure his players were successful both on the court and in the classroom. He coached six all-SEC players and had 70 players named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

"It's not by accident that academics will continue to be a focus of the program," he said. "We'll have a strong orientation toward the student-athlete, and the most important thing is for them to graduate.

"Part of my excitement about coming to Tennessee Tech is that I sense that the staff really cares about student-athletes," he said. "The focus is not only on winning. I sensed a high level of commitment among the staff and it shows they care about the kids' all-around success."

In 1996, the Lady Rebels led the conference with a record eight members named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Seven Lady Rebels earned SEC Academic honors in both 2000 and 2001. In addition, five of his players earned Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.

Tech's new coach is held in high regard from his peers around the Southeastern Conference. "Coach Blair has led his team at Ole Miss with authority and patience and his coaching style is professional and positive," said Kim Christopher, head coach at South Carolina.

Florida coach Mary Wise added, "John always put a competitive team on the floor. When we played Ole Miss, we knew the team would be well-coached and have a specific game plan geared to beating Florida."

The athletic administration at Mississippi also recognized his dedication to success. "John always made sure his student-athletes and their education came first," said Lynette Johnson, associate athletics director at Ole Miss. "His student-athletes always excelled in the classroom and on campus."

Prior to his position at Mississippi, Blair served three seasons as assistant volleyball coach at the University of Tennessee. While with the Lady Vols, he helped UT capture SEC titles in 1983 and 1984.

Blair, 53, also served as head coach at the University of Illinois from 1980 through 1982, after spending one season as an assistant coach for the Illini. His 1980 Illinois team participated in the AIAW National Championship Tournament.

A native of Knoxville, Blair earned his bachelor's degree in Education from Tennessee in 1976. He played volleyball for the Volunteers under coach Bud Fields, who led the team to a ninth-place finish in the open nationals in 1976. He competed in the World University Games in 1973, and was a member of the United States training team for the Pan Am Games in 1974 and the U.S. National training team in 1975.

In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Blair coached the South men's team to a gold medal in 1986 and a bronze medal in 1987 in the U.S. Olympic Festival, and led the Texas Stars USA Volleyball team to the 1996 championship in the men's master's division.