Will Blanden

Will Blanden joined the Cornell football coaching staff in July 2021 as defensive backs coach and was elevated to Defensive Pass Game Coordinator in 2023. He spent the previous eight years at Bloomsburg where he coached the defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs and served as special teams coordinator during his time with the Huskies. Blanden most recently was the interim defensive coordinator in the spring of 2021 before joining the Big Red. He also has previous stops at Nichols College and Western Connecticut State. In his first two seasons with the Big Red, Blanden has developed four different All-Ivy League players. 

Prior to Cornell

In seven seasons at Bloomsburg, Blanden’s teams went 52-28 with a pair of NCAA Division II Playoff appearances. He coached three All-Americans, including two on the defensive line, along with a conference Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team Academic All-American. Among his charges were 2014 BSN National Player of the Year Justin Shirk, who was invited to training camp with the Indianapolis Colts, as well as the school's all-time sacks leader, Chris Gary (29.5 sacks). Overall, his unit accounted for 84.5 of the team’s 115.5 sacks over the team's past four campaigns.