Bio

Red River Athletic Conference Regular Season Championships - 2014, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023
Red River Athletic Conference East Division Championships - 2022
Red River Athletic Conference Tournament Championships - 2020, 2021, 2022
NAIA Tournament Appearances - 2013-2023
NAIA Fab Four Appearances - 2013, 2018
Red River Athletic Conference Coach of the Year - 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
LABC Small College Coach of the Year - 2013, 2020, 2021, 2023

Kyle Blankenship was named the second Head Coach on June 29, 2012, to lead the men’s basketball program since its reinstatement in 2003. Since that time, he has led LSUS to the NAIA National Tournament in each of his eight seasons, including two trips to the Fab Four (2013 and 2018). His teams have averaged over 25 wins per season, while winning nearly 75 percent of their games (256-88). Blankenship is highly-regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country, having coached twenty All-Americans during his tenure at LSUS including the 2019 NAIA-NABC National Player of the Year. 

Last season, Blankenship started his tenth year of the Pilot program with the Men's team ranked at No.12 in the NAIA. The Pilots went 26-8 on the season opening the season with 5-2 before entering conference play. The conference season saw the Pilots make a run at the conference title going 16-4 in conference play and taking the regular season crown. The Pilots made their 19th NAIA National tournament appearance again taking the Alexandria bracket as the region champions. The Pilots went on to the Round of 16 and again fell, this time to the eventual national champions the College of Idaho. The Pilots had a stellar year as they swept conference awards. Jalen Brooks was named the RRAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year while Jordan DeCuir was named Freshman of the Year. Brooks was named to the RRAC First Team as well while DeCuir picked up second team selection and Stacey Thomas and Tyler Washington found Honorable Mention. Blankenship collected two more Coach of the Year titles in the RRAC and LSWA. He had one lone Pilot named All-American as Jalen Brooks was placed on the NAIA First Team.

2021-2022 saw the Pilots off to a rocky start as five of their eight losses came in the 2021 portion of the season setting them at 7-5 heading into the 2022 section. The Pilots finished the season at 25-8 overall and 13-2 in the Red River while also securing the regular season and conference tournament titles in back to back seasons. The Pilots made their run to the NAIA National tournament winning out in the Alexandria Bracket nad advancing to the Round of 16. The Pilots fell to Oklahoma Wesleyan in the Sweet 16 round. Blankenship had five players placed on RRAC All-Conference teams including Leondre Washington as a repeat first team All-Conference and as an LSWA Honorable Mention before being selected to the NAIA All-American second team. Jeff Boyd was named the RRAC Defensive Player of the Year under Blankenship's leadership, and was later named as a Third Team All-American. Blankenship was named as the RRAC for the fourth time in his Pilot tenure and second year in a row. 

In the 2020-2021 season Blankenship and the Pilots battled obstacles courtesy of the COVID-19 Pandemic all season long. In a shortended season, the Pilots finished in the final poll ranked No. 2 and making a trip to the NAIA Tournament Opening Round where they fell to Jamestown in the Championship. The Pilots finsihed the season with a 16-2 overall record and a 6-1 record in conference play. The season concluded with the program's seventh regular season conference crown and the ninth conference tournament crown. After the season, Blankenship was named the LABC Small College Coach of the Year for the second straight year and the third time in his stellar coaching career. The season also saw the titling of four RRAC All-Conference Players while Kadavion Evans was named the RRAC and LABC Player of the Year and Leondre Washington was named the RRAC Newcomer of the Year. Both Evans and Washington were named NAIA All-Americans as well with Evans landing on the 1st squad and Washington being placed on the 3rd team.

In 2019-20, Blankenship was named the LABC Small College Coach of the Year after guiding the Pilots to a 29-3 overall record which included the eighth Conference Tournament championship in school history. The Pilots were awarded a No.1 seed in the NAIA National Tournament before the season was shutdown prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. LSUS finished the 2019-20 season winning fourteen straight games, while setting a new record for most consecutive home wins (25). Traquan Knight led a trio of Pilots who were named to the NAIA All-America Team, as he was selected a 1st Team All-American following a season where he collected both the RRAC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards. Forward Gilbert Thomas was picked as a 3rd Team All-American, while Kadavion Evans was a NAIA Honorable Mention selection. Knight, Thomas and Evans were all members of the RRAC All-Conference 1st Team.

The 2018-19 started off slow, but the Pilots won nine straight to finish the regular season before losing in the in the conference tournament championship game. In the big dance, the Pilots dominated the higher-seeded William Jessup Warriors in the first round, and later fell to the eventual National Champion in the final seconds of the Sweet 16. Following the season, Jeff Garrett was named as the first National Player of the Year in school history - collecting both NABC and NAIA Honors. Garrett led the country in rebounding with over 14 RPG, setting an all-time LSUS single season record for rebounds, while also scoring over 18 PPG and leading the country in double-doubles.

In 2018, Coach Blank led the Pilots back to the top of the RRAC as they were the regular season champs for the second time in his tenure and the sixth overall regular season title in program history. Their 2017-18 win total matched the program’s best with 30 wins while the five losses finished as the third fewest all time. The individual awards were as plentiful for the Pilots as three players were NAIA All-American selections: Stevie Clark (1^st Team), Jamal Ray (3^rd Team) and Benjamin Batts (Honorable Mention). The Pilots swept the RRAC individual post season awards as well with Clark being named the RRAC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, Ray the Defensive Player of the Year and Blankenship as the RRAC Coach of the Year. Batts, Clark and Ray were First Team All-RRAC selections..

In just his second season (2013-14), Blankenship steered the Pilots to the program’s 5^th regular season conference championship and the first regular season title as a member of the Red River Athletic Conference. He was selected as the 2014 RRAC Coach of the Year, while senior Brandon Davis was named the RRAC Player of the Year and garnered 1^st Team NAIA All-America honors. In addition, senior Will Nelson was named the LSWA Newcomer of the Year and to the NAIA All-American Team as an honorable mention.

In his first year as the head coach of the Pilots' program and first of his coaching career, he took the 2012-13 LSUS squad to uncharted postseason waters by reaching the NAIA Fab Four for the first time in school history. The Pilots finished Blankenship’s inaugural season ranked no. 4 in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Final Coaches' Top 25 poll after their remarkable run in Kansas City. LSUS dished out three consecutive upsets in the national tournament, eliminating eighth-seeded Pikeville (91-87), ninth-seeded Evangel (Mo.) (77-70), and the no. 1 overall seed and then unbeaten Columbia (Mo.) (79-78).

Even after the final buzzer sounded on the 2012-13 season, LSU Shreveport's name was still mentioned on the final day of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA National Tournament. Recognized for their outstanding display of character and sportsmanship throughout the entire National Tournament, the Pilots claimed the Dr. James Naismith-Emil S. Liston Team Sportsmanship Award. In addition, Coach Blankenship was recognized with the Charles A. Krigel Award which is presented to the coach of the squad that earns the Naismith-Liston Sportsmanship Award for his leadership to his team. Following the conclusion of his first season as a head coach, Blankenship was named the 2013 Louisiana Small College Coach of the Year by his peers and the members of the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches. He was also a finalist for the Don Meyer National Coach of the Year Award. Brandon Davis was the RRAC Newcomer of the Year, the LABC Small College Player of the year, and a 2^nd Team NAIA All-American.

Blankenship came to LSUS after serving as the top assistant for two seasons at Rogers State University, where he helped lead the Hillcats to back-to-back appearances in the Elite Eight of the NAIA National Tournament. Rogers State reached the 20-win plateau both years, while finishing each season ranked in the Top 25.

Prior to Rogers State, Blankenship coached one season at Lamar State College – Port Arthur. In his lone year as an assistant, he helped guide the Seahawks to a record-breaking season, including a school-record 20 wins and a second place finish in the South Division of the Texas Eastern Conference (Region XIV).

The Shreveport native is no stranger to LSU Shreveport basketball. He began his coaching career at LSUS, while also playing one season as he finished his playing career in 2006 for the Pilots. As a player and coach Blankenship helped the Pilots to a 106-27 overall record, two regular season Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) titles, four consecutive GCAC Tournament championships (2006-2009) and four straight NAIA National Tournament appearances (2006-2009).

Blankenship guided the Pilots offense to a record-breaking season and a No. 1 national ranking in his final season as a player in 2005-06. He finished his career at LSUS as the school’s single-season assists leader (199) and single-game assists record holder (14), while leading the nation in assists-to-turnover ratio.

He began his playing career at The University of Tulsa in 2001 where he was a team captain, three-year letter winner and a member of two Western Athletic Conference championship teams that made two consecutive appearances in the second round of the NCAA Tournament (2002 and 2003).

Blankenship was a standout high school player at C.E. Byrd High School from 1997-2001, playing all four seasons for former LSUS Head Coach Chad McDowell. Blankenship was a two-time All-City selection as a junior and a senior, while earning All-State honors as a senior.

Blankenship earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from The University of Tulsa in 2006. He and his wife, Alexis, were married in 2015 and currently reside in Shreveport with their three children - daughters Landry and Sloane, and son Gentry.

BLANKENSHIP’S COLLEGIATE PLAYING RECORD
Year School Record
2001-02 Tulsa 27-7
2002-03 (RS) Tulsa 23-10
2003-04 Tulsa 9-20
2004-05 Tulsa 9-20
2005-06 LSUS 28-4
TOTAL 100-51

ASSISTANT COACHING RECORD
Year Position School Record
2007-08 Asst. Coach LSUS 31-3
2008-09 Asst. Coach LSUS 22-12
2009-10 Asst. Coach Lamar St. 20-11
2010-11 Asst. Coach Rogers St. 22-12
2011-12 Asst. Coach Rogers St. 24-9
TOTAL 119-47

HEAD COACHING RECORD
Year School Overall/RRAC Record
2012-13 LSUS 27-7 18-4
2013-14 LSUS 21-9 16-2
2014-15 LSUS 21-11 12-8
2015-16 LSUS 18-14 10-8
2016-17 LSUS 20-10 12-6
2017-18 LSUS 30-5 15-3
2018-19 LSUS 23-11 14-4
2019-20 LSUS 29-3 16-2
2021-21 LSUS 16-2 6-1
2021-22 LSUS 25-8 13-2

2022-23 LSUS 26-8 16-4
TOTAL 256-88 147-44