Brandon Blaney

Position: Assistant OL/Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends Experience: 8th Year Alma Mater: Youngstown State, 1999

One of Mark Mangino's first appointees in 2002, Brandon Blaney is entering his eighth year at Kansas. In February of 2006, Blaney was named the team's recruiting coordinator after serving as assistant recruiting coordinator since 2003. He also serves as the team's tight ends coach, a position he has held since his arrival in Lawrence.

After the 2008 season Blaney was named the assistant offensive line coach by Mangino, as he will assist John Reagan in addition to coaching the tight ends and continuing his duties as the recruiting coordinator.

In 2008 he worked with a true freshman tight end in Tim Biere, who had six receptions on the year. After the season he was in charge of overseeing a recruiting class which has been called one of the best classes in recent KU history.

One of his protégés, Derek Fine, finished his career in 2007 as the Kansas career and season tight end receptions leader before being drafted in the fourth round by the Buffalo Bills. Fine, one of the most highly regarded tight ends in the Big 12 Conference, finished his Jayhawk career with 98 receptions, including 46 in 2007. Fine pulled in 46 balls for 394 yards and four touchdowns during his senior campaign. In 2006, Blaney helped with the progression of Fine, who finished third on the team with 28 receptions and five touchdowns.

As the recruiting coordinator for the Jayhawks, Blaney led and organized all recruiting efforts across the country by the Kansas assistant coaches which resulted in the signing of 18 highly-touted football players in February of 2007. Some of these players made an immediate impact on the Kansas football program during the fall of 2007, including Dezmon Briscoe, Chris Harris, Jake Laptad and Jonathan Wilson.

During the 2005 season, Blaney watched as Fine finished fifth on the team with 22 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown. Off the field, Blaney orchestrated one of KU's highest-ranked recruiting classes, which included three of the top four-rated high school players from the state of Kansas.

In 2004, Blaney guided the efforts of tight end Lyonel Anderson, who finished fourth on the team with 33 receptions and second with 328 yards receiving. During the spring of 2005, Anderson signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Before arriving in Lawrence, Blaney also played a part on two coaching staffs that led teams (Youngstown State and Oklahoma) to national championships.

Blaney is a 1999 graduate of Youngstown State where he served four years (1995-98) on the coaching staff as a student assistant, working with the offensive line and special teams.

He was on the Youngstown staff in 1997 and played a meaningful role in helping the Penguins win the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship.

A native of Lamar, Mo., Blaney worked in the spring of 1999 as a graduate assistant coach at Youngstown State.

He moved to the University of Oklahoma for the 1999 season, and worked alongside Mark Mangino as an offensive line graduate assistant coach for two seasons.

Blaney earned his second national championship ring in helping the Sooners to an undefeated season and the 2000 national championship.

Blaney spent the 2001 season as a graduate assistant, working with the linebackers at Ohio State, where he was reunited with former Youngstown State head coach Jim Tressel.

Blaney and the former Sarah Lingeman were married in 2006 in Lee, N.H. The couple resides in Lawrence with dogs, Anzac and Sydney.