Jim
Blankenship is now the new Women's Coach At D1
Florida Gulf Coast University.....Congratulations
Jim and Good Luck!!
Staff Spotlight….Jim
Blankenship
This season Coach
Jim returns as the coach of our Girls U14 and U16 White teams. Jim was formerly our
Girls Director of Coaching for several years in the ‘90’s, prior to
his leaving to start the Women’s Soccer program at University of
Miami in 1998. Coach Jim built Miami into a national contender in
only four years. Under his direction, the Hurricanes climbed as high
as a no. 14 national ranking. Blankenship's recruiting classes were
recognized by soccer magazines (Soccerbuzz.com and Soccer
America) as some of the top-rated collegiate classes between
1998 and 2001. Coach Jim is also the new Women's Head Coach at
Florida Gulf Coast University which will begin it's program in the
06/07. Jim
was the Asst. Coach for FAU last season.
Prior to coaching at Miami, Blankenship was the head women's soccer
coach for Lynn University from 1986-98. While at Lynn, he was named
NAIA Coach of the Year five times (1988, 1990, 1992, 1994 & 1995)
and NSCAA Coach of the Year twice (1992 and 1994). His teams won the
National Championship three times (1992, 1994 & 1995) and were
runners-up twice (1991 and1993). Under his tenure, 18 Academic All
Americans and 40 All Americans graduated. He was inducted into Lynn
University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in the spring of 2003.
Jim played collegiate soccer at Florida International University and
graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Administration and Recreation
in 1982. He later went on to earn his Masters of Science in Sports
Administration from St. Thomas University. He is also currently a
State ODP coach and has been a site administrator for the MLS, WUSA
and Umbro Select. Coach Jim holds USSF and NSCAA State and National
Coaching Licenses.
