|
Brian
Blessie
Head Baseball Coach
|
Coach Blessie begins his fifth season as the
Head Coach of the Odessa College Wranglers
Baseball Program. During the 2009 season,
the Wranglers finished with a 28-22 overall
record while finishing fourth in the Western
Junior College Athletic Conference. The
fourth place finish qualified the Wranglers
for post season play in the NJCAA Region V
Tournament. During his tenure as baseball
coach at Odessa College, Coach Blessie has
qualified for post season competition in three
of the four years at Odessa College.
Prior to becoming the Head Coach at Odessa
College, Coach Blessie spent seven years as
the assistant baseball coach at Butler County
Community College in El Dorado, Kansas. While
at Butler County, Blessie also served one season
as the interim head coach of the Grizzlies
baseball program. Blessie was responsible
for the hitters and the outfielders at Butler
County, while also serving as the assistant
pitching coach. Blessie has had over
50 players sign pro contracts or sign NCAA
Division I scholarships during his career at
the NJCAA level. Currently Coach Blessie
has three former players in the Major Leagues
that he previously coached at the two year
college level.
Before Blessie coached at Butler County CC,
he was the head baseball coach at El Dorado
High School, located in El Dorado, Kansas. While
at El Dorado High School the team made a state
tournament appearance in 1996, the first such
opportunity for the program in seven years.
Coach Blessie is originally from Omaha, Nebraska
and prepped at Omaha Burke High School. While
at Burke, Blessie was named the Gatorade and
Topps Baseball Player of the Year in the state
of Nebraska. Blessie was a 12th
round draft choice out of high school, but
opted to attend Butler County Community College
and played under the legendary B.D. Parker. Butler
County CC captured the Region VI championship
and participated in the NJCAA World Series
in 1994, eventually finishing third in the
nation. Coach Blessie was a member of
the team that enjoyed the “once in a
lifetime” experience of the national
championship atmosphere provided in Grand Junction,
Colorado. Brian moved on from Butler
County Community College to the University
of Nebraska where he was a member of the baseball
program. Coach Blessie has a Bachelor
of Science Degree from the University of Nebraska. In
addition to his coaching responsibilities at
Odessa College, Coach Blessie is also on the
professional teaching staff within the Department
of Health and Physical Education.
Brian Blessie is married to the former Shawn
Powell of El Paso, Texas and Wichita, Kansas. The
Blessie’s have four children, Taylor 18,
Allison 13, Blake 11 and Bo 10. Taylor
is currently a first year freshman at Odessa
College and is a member of the student training
staff for the women’s basketball program. Shawn
is a speech pathologist in Odessa. |