Dover, DE --- Delaware State University as appointed Benjamin "Ben" Blacknall as head football coach of the Hornets. The announcement was made by President William B. DeLauder.
Blacknall, 50, has more than 29 years of collegiate coaching experience. This past season, he was assistant head coach/defensive coordinator at Morehouse College in Atlanta. The previous 24 years, he served as an assistant under legendary head coach Willie Jeffries at South Carolina State (1977-78; 1989-1998), Wichita State (1979-1983), and Howard (1984-1988).
Prior to accepting the Morehouse job, Blacknall was assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/director of recruiting at South Carolina State. During his two stints as an assistant at SC State, he helped lead the Bulldogs to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships in 1977, 1978, and 1994. The 1994 Bulldog squad also earned a 31-27 victory over Grambling in the Heritage Bowl.
Blacknall's achievements at South Carolina State include guiding the Bulldogs to the number one ranking in total defense among all Division I-AA teams in 1989. Among the players he coached were former MEAC Defensive Players of the Year Bobby Moore (DE/1978), Robert Porcher (DL/1991), Joe Montford (LB/1993), and Jermaine Derricott (DB/1998). Porcher was a first round draft pick of the NFL's Detroit Lions, and is currently a starter for the team. Moore (Oakland Raiders), Montford (Cleveland Browns) and Derricott (Baltimore Ravens) were all signed by NFL clubs following their South Carolina State careers. Another Blacknall product at SC State, Anthony Cook, is currently a standout defensive lineman for the Washington Redskins.
Blacknall is a 1973 graduate of North Carolina A&T. He earned four varsity letters as a member of the Aggies football squad while Jeffries was an assistant coach there. Blacknall was an All-MEAC First Team linebacker during his junior and senior years, and was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Year in 1972. He helped lead the Aggies to the Black College National Championship in 1969.
Blacknall, a United States Air Force veteran, began his coaching career as an assistant at North Carolina A&T from 1972 to 1976.
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