"We are extremely excited for Coach Blackwell and his family to join our community at Montgomery Catholic. We feel very fortunate to have a man of such high character, faith, and vision leading our student athletes. I look forward to seeing the impact Coach Blackwell will be able to have on our athletes and overall community for many years to come," said Athletic Director Daniel Veres.On joining Montgomery Catholic Blackwell said, "My family and I are honored and blessed to have this opportunity to lead this program. I am very thankful to Mrs. Ceasar, Mr. Barwick, and Coach Veres for their confidence and faith in me. I am eager and ready to begin working the process of guiding and developing these young men, not just in football, but in life as well. I have been very impressed and encouraged by the leadership and the vision of the administration and their supporters. I am excited to have the challenge of making some facility improvements and improving on the atmosphere here that is God centered and goal driven. I look forward to building relationships and pride in the students and players here at Catholic and will be actively engaged in their futures!"
Blackwell began his football coaching career at St. Paul's Episcopal School in Mobile. His roles included passing game coordinator and co-offensive coordinator. He also has 6 years experience as a college Assistant Baseball coach; three years at Campbell University and three years at Montevallo. On leaving his position at St. James School, Coach Blackwell said, "I am very thankful to Saint James, Jimmy Perry, Melba Richardson, and Jerry Browning for allowing me to be a part of their school and to the players for all of their hard work and dedication. I will miss them greatly and I am very grateful for the relationships and friendships my family and I were able to have there."
Blackwell grew up in Montgomery and graduated from Lee High School. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and a Master's degree in Education from the University of Montevallo. He and his wife, Brandi, have been married for nine years and are the proud parents of a son and daughter, Will and Kayla.
Coach Blackwell begins his new position at Catholic in mid-January.
"I will work diligently with my staff to develop a plan offensively and defensively that allows for the best success for our players. We will work extremely hard on building character, respect, discipline, and toughness on and off the field for our program, each other, and our opponents. Our training and preparation will be key in creating a foundation for success in the future. There will be a process and goal for every drill, lift, rep, and meeting that takes place. I am excited to begin meeting with the families and players to begin building our own 'Family' in football." said Blackwell.
"We welcome Coach Blackwell and his family to Montgomery Catholic. I am excited about his vision for our football program and look forward to a long relationship in which Coach will build our program while mentoring our young men." said President Anne Ceasar.
On Wednesday, February 11, Montgomery Catholic will host a reception in the Middle/High School campus Library to welcome Coach Blackwell and his family to the school.
