Eastern Michigan Athletics
Women's Basketball
Blanton, Ke'Sha
Ke'Sha Blanton
- Title:
- Interim Head Coach
- Email:
- kblanto3@emich.edu
- Phone:
- 734.487.0481
Ke'Sha Blanton is in her second season with the EMU women's basketball program in 2023-24. Blanton came to Ypsilanti after a three-year stint as the Associate Head Coach at Oakland University. She also spent time as the Golden Grizzlies' acting head coach on multiple occasions.
During the 2022-23 season, Blanton helped guide the team into the conference tournament after a season that saw the team finish an even 15-15 in regular season play. Blanton worked closely with the point guards increasing the amount of assists made from the previous season by over 100 helpers. Under Blanton and the rest of the staffs guidance, Lachelle Austin led the Green and White with a 3.0 assists per game average and 87 total.
Prior to the 2021-22 season, Blanton assumed acting head coaching duties for Jeff Tungate, who took a medical leave of absence. Her second stint in that role, Blanton led the Golden Grizzlies to a 15-15 overall record and 11-9 mark in Horizon League play. Blanton and the Golden Grizzlies finished just one Horizon League-win shy of the program record, 12, which the team matched during the 2020-21 season.
During the 2022 Horizon League Women's Basketball Championships, Blanton led No. 7-seeded Oakland on a historic tournament run in which it defeated No. 10 seed Wright State at home. The victory marked just the second conference tournament win in Rochester in program history. Blanton then guided Oakland to a 63-52 upset win at No. 2 seed Youngstown State, propelling the Golden Grizzlies into the semifinals in Indianapolis, Ind. for the first time in program history.
Under Blanton's guidance, Breanne Beatty was named to the 2022 Horizon League's All-Tournament Team, the first time in program history that a player from Oakland has earned the honor. Kahlaijah Dean also was selected to the All-Horizon League Third Team, marking the fourth consecutive year Dean earned all-league honors. Additionally, Kendall Folley was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman team.
In 2019-20, Oakland went 11-19 overall. After opening the season with a 2-2 mark, Blanton assumed acting head coaching duties for Tungate. Under her guidance, the Golden Grizzlies went 9-17 overall with a 6-12 mark in Horizon League play to make their seventh consecutive appearance in the Horizon League Tournament as the No. 8 seed before falling at No. 5 seed Milwaukee.
Blanton led Oakland to a 72-53 win over Lourdes to secure the program's 800th win, Dec. 21. She led the Golden Grizzlies to a Metro Series sweep over arch-rival Detroit Mercy, which marked the fifth and sixth consecutive victories over the Titans. Blanton's squad also notched a 2-0 home mark against Green Bay and Milwaukee, respectively, which marked the first time since the 2016-17 season Oakland got wins over both schools in consecutive games at home.
Blanton came to the Golden Grizzlies after two seasons as an assistant coach at Mid-American Conference member Miami. Blanton helped guide the RedHawks to a 44-20 overall record and pair of Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) appearances while in Oxford. The team finished the 2018-19 campaign with a 23-9 overall record and 13-5 league mark en route to securing the program’s first back-to-back 20-win seasons since the 1980s.
In 2017-18, the RedHawks finished 21-11, which was the largest improvement in the nation from the previous season in terms of total victories (nine more than 2016-17, 12-21).
Prior to Miami, Blanton spent five seasons at the University of Detroit Mercy as an assistant coach where she helped the Titans to a Horizon League Championship game appearance and 18-14 overall record during the 2016-17 season. Blanton also served as defensive coordinator, helping the Titans go from the bottom of the league to the top in field goal and 3-point field goal percentage against. In 2014-15, Blanton played a major role in the recruitment of Darianne Seward, who went on to garner Horizon League All-Freshman Team honors that same year.
In her first year at Detroit Mercy in 2012-13, she worked with the Horizon League preseason Player of the Year and three-time all-conference performer Rosie Reynolds, the school's first student-athlete to post 1,000-plus points, 500-plus assists, and 600-plus rebounds. Blanton also helped the team to a Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) tournament title as the top seed in the East Region in addition to three student-athletes earning All-Horizon League honors.
Prior to her time at Detroit Mercy, Blanton spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Florida State University where her responsibilities included assisting coaches in practice, recruiting, player development, scouting, community relations and extensive film breakdown of opponent's players, plays, and defenses.
While at FSU, Blanton was part of a staff that amassed 38 wins during her two-year tenure including a 24-8 mark in 2010-11 in which the Seminoles earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. She also worked with all-conference performers Cierra Bravard and WNBA player Natasha Howard, who led the Atlantic Coast Conference in double-doubles that year.
A native of Toledo, Ohio, Blanton graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a concentration in broadcast journalism from the University of Toledo in 2009. She also earned a Master of Science degree in Sports Administration from Florida State University in 2012.
During the 2022-23 season, Blanton helped guide the team into the conference tournament after a season that saw the team finish an even 15-15 in regular season play. Blanton worked closely with the point guards increasing the amount of assists made from the previous season by over 100 helpers. Under Blanton and the rest of the staffs guidance, Lachelle Austin led the Green and White with a 3.0 assists per game average and 87 total.
Prior to the 2021-22 season, Blanton assumed acting head coaching duties for Jeff Tungate, who took a medical leave of absence. Her second stint in that role, Blanton led the Golden Grizzlies to a 15-15 overall record and 11-9 mark in Horizon League play. Blanton and the Golden Grizzlies finished just one Horizon League-win shy of the program record, 12, which the team matched during the 2020-21 season.
During the 2022 Horizon League Women's Basketball Championships, Blanton led No. 7-seeded Oakland on a historic tournament run in which it defeated No. 10 seed Wright State at home. The victory marked just the second conference tournament win in Rochester in program history. Blanton then guided Oakland to a 63-52 upset win at No. 2 seed Youngstown State, propelling the Golden Grizzlies into the semifinals in Indianapolis, Ind. for the first time in program history.
Under Blanton's guidance, Breanne Beatty was named to the 2022 Horizon League's All-Tournament Team, the first time in program history that a player from Oakland has earned the honor. Kahlaijah Dean also was selected to the All-Horizon League Third Team, marking the fourth consecutive year Dean earned all-league honors. Additionally, Kendall Folley was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman team.
In 2019-20, Oakland went 11-19 overall. After opening the season with a 2-2 mark, Blanton assumed acting head coaching duties for Tungate. Under her guidance, the Golden Grizzlies went 9-17 overall with a 6-12 mark in Horizon League play to make their seventh consecutive appearance in the Horizon League Tournament as the No. 8 seed before falling at No. 5 seed Milwaukee.
Blanton led Oakland to a 72-53 win over Lourdes to secure the program's 800th win, Dec. 21. She led the Golden Grizzlies to a Metro Series sweep over arch-rival Detroit Mercy, which marked the fifth and sixth consecutive victories over the Titans. Blanton's squad also notched a 2-0 home mark against Green Bay and Milwaukee, respectively, which marked the first time since the 2016-17 season Oakland got wins over both schools in consecutive games at home.
Blanton came to the Golden Grizzlies after two seasons as an assistant coach at Mid-American Conference member Miami. Blanton helped guide the RedHawks to a 44-20 overall record and pair of Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) appearances while in Oxford. The team finished the 2018-19 campaign with a 23-9 overall record and 13-5 league mark en route to securing the program’s first back-to-back 20-win seasons since the 1980s.
In 2017-18, the RedHawks finished 21-11, which was the largest improvement in the nation from the previous season in terms of total victories (nine more than 2016-17, 12-21).
Prior to Miami, Blanton spent five seasons at the University of Detroit Mercy as an assistant coach where she helped the Titans to a Horizon League Championship game appearance and 18-14 overall record during the 2016-17 season. Blanton also served as defensive coordinator, helping the Titans go from the bottom of the league to the top in field goal and 3-point field goal percentage against. In 2014-15, Blanton played a major role in the recruitment of Darianne Seward, who went on to garner Horizon League All-Freshman Team honors that same year.
In her first year at Detroit Mercy in 2012-13, she worked with the Horizon League preseason Player of the Year and three-time all-conference performer Rosie Reynolds, the school's first student-athlete to post 1,000-plus points, 500-plus assists, and 600-plus rebounds. Blanton also helped the team to a Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) tournament title as the top seed in the East Region in addition to three student-athletes earning All-Horizon League honors.
Prior to her time at Detroit Mercy, Blanton spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Florida State University where her responsibilities included assisting coaches in practice, recruiting, player development, scouting, community relations and extensive film breakdown of opponent's players, plays, and defenses.
While at FSU, Blanton was part of a staff that amassed 38 wins during her two-year tenure including a 24-8 mark in 2010-11 in which the Seminoles earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. She also worked with all-conference performers Cierra Bravard and WNBA player Natasha Howard, who led the Atlantic Coast Conference in double-doubles that year.
A native of Toledo, Ohio, Blanton graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a concentration in broadcast journalism from the University of Toledo in 2009. She also earned a Master of Science degree in Sports Administration from Florida State University in 2012.
| The Ke'Sha Blanton File | ||
| Name: | Ke'Sha Blanton | |
| Hometown: | Toledo, Ohio | |
| College: | University of Toledo - Bachelor's in Communications - 2009 Florida State University - Master's in Sports Administration - 2012 |
|
| Professional Experience | ||
| Year | School/Team | Position |
| 2022-Pres. | Eastern Michigan University | Assistant Women's Basketball Coach |
| 2019-22 | Oakland University | Assoc. Head Women's Basketball Coach |
| 2017-19 | Miami University | Assistant Women's Basketball Coach |
| 2012-17 | University of Detroit Mercy | Assistant Women's Basketball Coach |
| 2010-12 | Florida State University | Graduate Assistant Coach |
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