Head coach Megan Duffy announced the hiring of Ke'Sha Blanton as an assistant coach on Apr. 21, 2017.
"Ke'Sha Blanton has been on my radar for many years," said Duffy. "I've watched her move up the coaching ranks through her time in Ohio and at Detroit Mercy. She's driven, works extremely hard and invests in building relationships. Ke'Sha's ties in the Midwest will help bring quality student-athletes to Oxford. Her energy and knowledge to develop our guards will be exciting to watch moving forward."
Blanton comes to Miami after spending the last five seasons at Detroit Mercy as an assistant coach. She helped the Titans in making it to the Horizon League Championship game this past year and assisted the team in notching a 18-14 overall record. Blanton was the 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 her first year at Detroit Mercy in 2012-13, she worked with the the league's 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 three student-athletes to All-Horizon League honors and the team earned the top seed in the Women's Basketball Invitational East Region, a tournament the Titans would go on to win. 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. Overall, during her time at Detroit Mercy, Blanton coached three to all-freshman first team honors and five more to all-conference recognition.
Prior to her time at Detroit Mercy, Blanton spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Florida State, 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 years there, including a 24-8 year in 2010-11 that saw the Seminoles earn a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. She worked with all-conference performers Cierra Bravard and current WNBA player Natasha Howard, the latter of which led the Atlantic Coast Conference in double-doubles that year. In 2011, Blanton played a big role in coaching the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Christian Hunnicutt.
Her coaching career started when she began working with various elementary, high school and AAU teams while still in college and immediately following.
Blanton graduated Magna Cum Laude in communications with a concentration in broadcast journalism from Toledo in 2009. She went on to earn her master's degree in sports administration from Florida State.
"I'm excited to be a part of Coach Duffy's staff," said Blanton. "It's a great opportunity to help build a successful program with support from a great administration and a university that is built on tradition. Coach Duffy's excitement and energy are contagious and it's lighting a way to a bright future."
