In Blaine McCorkle’s family, college football is the chosen profession.
In less than two decades in the family business, McCorkle has worked his way through the industry, proving the ability to connect with student-athletes while building a program.
It was that skill set that brought McCorkle to Northwestern State as the program’s 16th head coach Nov. 28, 2023, following in the footsteps of his father, Sam, a forner head coach at West Alabama and at UT Martin.
McCorkle came to Natchitoches after a successful six-season run as the head coach at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. In that time, McCorkle turned the Blazers into a conference champion that earned the school’s first NCAA Division III playoff berth.
McCorkle led Belhaven to the outright 2023 USA South Conference championship — the first such title in program history. Belhaven went 9-2 in 2023, capping a three-year run in which the Blazers posted a 24-7 mark under McCorkle.
In McCorkle’s first three seasons laying the foundation at Belhaven, the Blazers won seven total games — including a 3-2 mark in the pandemic-affected 2021 spring season. That marked the first winning season for Belhaven since 2012.
That success came after McCorkle inherited a Belhaven program that had not won more than three games in a season since 2013.
At Belhaven, McCorkle coached 47 all-conference athletes, 10 all-region selections and All-Americans Kendrioun Boatman (offensive line) and Carlton Brown (defensive line). Belhaven running back Kolbe Blunt was named a 2023 semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, awarded to Division III’s most outstanding player.
When he arrived in Natchitoches in November, McCorkle said FCS was his comfort zone — as proven by his resume.
McCorkle has coached at six FCS schools — Delaware, Richmond, Liberty, Tennessee Tech, Chattanooga and UT Martin — and has spent 18 of his 26 coaching seasons at FCS schools.
Most of McCorkle’s time as an assistant came as an offensive line coach, including a nine-season run alongside head coach Danny Rocco at Delaware, Richmond and Liberty.
During that time, McCorkle was part of five conference championship teams (2007,2009, 2010, 2012, 2015) and three teams that reached the FCS Playoffs (2014, 2015, 2016).
In 2017, McCorkle tutored a pair of All-CAA offensive linemen at Delaware, helping the Blue Hens go 7-4 — the most wins for the perennial power in four seasons.
Before following Rocco to Delaware, McCorkle was part of a Richmond staff that led the Spiders to the second round of the FCS Playoffs and a season-ending No. 16 national ranking. A season later, the Spiders reached the national semifinals and finished the season ranked No 3. Richmond’s playoff success continued in 2016, reaching the quarterfinals ahead of a No. 8 ranking.
Specifically, McCorkle’s offensive lines at Richmond were dominant. In his first season (2012), the Spiders ranked third nationally in fewest sacks allowed (5). In 2013, the Spiders’ line helped Richmond set almost every school season passing record. In 2014, Richmond allowed the fewest sacks in the Coastal Athletic Association and 11th-fewest nationally.
In 2015 and 2016, the Spiders ranked second in the CAA in scoring and total offense.
While at Richmond, McCorkle coached a cadre of award-winning linemen, who enjoyed success at the next level.
Five of his Richmond linemen — Austin Gund, Nick Ritcher, Jacob Ruby, Thomas Evans and Alex Light — all played in the NFL after their time with the Spiders.
Ritcher was a first-team AP and American Football Coaches Association All-American who was named the Touchdown Club Division I Offensive Lineman of the Year in Virginia.
Austin Gund, currently the assistant offensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills, was a three-time All-CAA selection who was a second-team All-American. Thomas Evans followed Ritcher as the Touchdown Club award winner, earned All-CAA honors and now competes in the World’ Strongest Man competitions.
Jacob Ruby, a two-time All-CAA selection under McCorkle, has played more than 100 games in the Canadian Football League and has earned CFL All-Star honors.
During his second stint at Liberty from 2009-11, McCorkle helped guard Malcolm Boyd earn third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press in 2011 while helping Liberty build the Big South’s top passing offense in terms of yards and efficiency while ranking second in total offense (426.5 yards per game) and scoring (35.9 points).
That followed a 2010 season in which McCorkle’s charges Alex Stadler and Justin Vargas earned first-team All-Big South honors. Those two helped quarterback Mike Brown lead the NCAA in total offense (346.36 yards per game). Liberty’s offensive line under McCorkle that season ranked fifth nationally in fewest sacks allowed (0.64 per game) and fewest tackles for loss per game (4.18). Offensively, Liberty averaged 459.91 yards per game, second nationally.
In his first season back at Liberty, McCorkle’s offensive line helped the Flames lead the nation in scoring at 36.36 points per game. Liberty’s 31 rushing touchdowns were fourth nationally while it ranked second nationally in red-zone efficiency (92 percent).
McCorkle spent the 2008 season as the offensive line coach at Tennessee Tech before returning to Liberty.
At Liberty in 2007, McCorkle served as a strength and conditioning and offensive assistant, helping craft an offense that set a school record with 469 points. Liberty’s 42.6 points per game average ranked them third nationally. The 32 rushing touchdowns set a school single-season record and helped start a run of four straight Big South Conference championships for the Flames.
Under McCorkle, left tackle Stephen Sene earned first-team All-Big South honors, competed in the Hula Bowl and signed a free-agent contract with the New England Patriots.
In 2006, McCorkle coached offensive tackles at Chattanooga where he helped the Mocs pick up a victory against perennial FCS powerhouse Georgia Southern.
A 2000 LSU graduate with a degree in education, McCorkle’s journey brings him full circle to Louisiana where he began his coaching career as a student assistant with the Tigers in 1999, working with the offensive line and coordinating the defensive and special teams scout units.
That fall followed a four-year career as a long snapper at LSU where McCorkle was part of three bowl teams, including one that broke a seven-year bowl drought for the Tigers and perhaps foreshadowed what was to come in his coaching career.
McCorkle is married to the former Gina Lucido and is the father of four children, Gracie, Emma, Audrey and Sammy.
