John Blake was a former Oklahoma nose guard and assistant coach. He won two Super Bowl rings as a defensive line coach with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s before leading the Sooners to a 12-22 record from 1996-98.
Blake is a former reserve defensive back who spent time at Baylor (2014-17) and Southern Methodist (2018). He is also the son of former Oklahoma coach John Blake, who became the first Black head coach in any sport when he took charge of Oklahoma.
Notre Dame also added Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and Ariella Ellis to the program’s staff as director of recruiting advancement and director of on-campus recruiting respectively. Tagovailoa-Amosa is a former Notre Dame defensive lineman and team captain from 2021 who spent last season as a graduate assistant at LSU, while Ellis is coming off two years spent as football operations director at her alma mater Virginia State, which competes at Division II level.
Last summer, he worked briefly as a scouting intern with the NFL’s Houston Texans. Blake is armed with plenty of experience at the college level, and his departure is a cruel blow for Colorado as the program looks to continue the upward trajectory under Sanders.
Sanders is considered one of the best athletes in sports history after sensationally starring in both the NFL and MLB during his playing days. He was brought to Colorado to turn the Buffaloes around, as the program had won double-digit games just once since 2002 and its 1-11 record in 2022 was its worst since 2012.
Colorado slipped to a 4-8 record in 2023 but Sanders’ son Shedeur and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter helped the Buffaloes claim a 9-3 record – including going 7-2 in the Big 12 – last season. Blake is moving on up, too; Notre Dame reached the National Championship Game last season, falling to Ohio State.
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