Ke’Sha Blanton joined the Oakland women’s basketball staff as an associate head coach on May 2, 2019.
Prior to the 2021-22 season, Blanton assumed acting head coaching duties for a second time for Jeff Tungate who took a medical leave of absence to care for a recurring back issue. This time under her guidance, the Golden Grizzlies posted a 15-15 overall record and 11-9 mark in Horizon League play coming just one win shy of the program HL league record of 12 which the team matched during the 2020-21 season.
During the 2022 #HLWBB Championships, Blanton led the No. 7 seed Oakland on a historic tournament run. Oakland defeated No. 10 seed Wright State marking the first time the Golden Grizzlies won a Horizon League tournament game at home and the victory was also the second HL tournament win in program history since the 2017-18 season when the No. 7 Golden Grizzlies defeated No. 10 UIC, 80-56 in the first round at Little Caesars Arena. Blanton then guided Oakland to a 63-52 upset win at No. 2 seed Youngstown State propelling the Golden Grizzlies into the semifinals in Indianapolis, Ind. for the first time in program history. Oakland would bow out of the tournament with a setback to No. 1 seed and eventual HL champion, IUPUI.
Individually under Blanton's guidance, Breanne Beatty was named to the 2022 #HLWBB All-Tournament Team marking the first time in program history an Oakland women's basketball student-athlete earned HL All-Tournament Team honors.
Kahlaijah Dean also was selected to the All-Horizon League Third Team marking the fourth consecutive year Dear earned all-league honors. Kendall Folley was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman team. During the regular season, Dean was named Nike #HLWBB Co-Player of the Week (12/13) while Kennedie Montue and Kendall Folley earned back-to-back Nike #HLWBB Freshman of the Week honors (1/3 & 1/10).
In 2019-20, Oakland went 11-19 overall. After opening the season with a 2-2 mark, Blanton assumed acting head coaching duties for Jeff Tungate who took a medical leave of absence to care for a recurring back issue. Under her guidance, the Golden Grizzlies went 9-17 overall with a 6-12 mark in Horizon League play to make their seventh consecutive appearance in the Horizon League Tournament as the No. 8 seed before falling at No. 5 seed Milwaukee.
Blanton led Oakland to a 72-53 win over Lourdes to secure the program's 800th win (12/21) and two wins over FlU and Jacksonville State at the FIU Thanksgiving Classic. In league play, she led the Golden Grizzlies to a Metro Series sweep over arch-rival Detroit Mercy which marked the fifth and sixth consecutive victories over the Titans and a 2-0 home mark against Green Bay and Milwaukee which marked the first time since the 2016-17 season Oakland got wins over both schools in consecutive games at home on the Blacktop.
Also under Blanton's guidance, Kahlaijah Dean earned Sixth Player of the Year and All-Horizon League Third Team honors while Alona Blackwell was a Horizon League All-Freshman Team selection and garnered Nike® Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors three times in a four-week span.
Blanton came to the Golden Grizzlies after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Miami (Ohio). While at Miami (Ohio), Blanton helped guide the RedHawks to a 44-20 overall record and pair of Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) appearances. The team finished the 2018-19 campaign with a 23-9 overall record and 13-5 Mid-American Conference (MAC) mark securing the program’s first back-to-back 20-win seasons since the 1980's.
In 2017-18, the RedHawks finished 21-11 which was the largest improvement in the nation from the previous season in terms of total victories (nine more than 2016-17, 12-21).
Prior to Miami (Ohio), Blanton spent five seasons at Detroit Mercy as an assistant coach where she helped the Titans to a Horizon League Championship game appearance and 18-14 overall record during the 2016-17 season. Blanton also served as 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 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.
In her first year at Detroit Mercy in 2012-13, she worked with the Horizon League 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 the team to a Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) tournament title as the top seed in the East Region in addition to three student-athletes earning All-Horizon League honors
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-year tenure including a 24-8 mark in 2010-11 in which the Seminoles earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. She also worked with all-conference performers Cierra Bravard and current WNBA player Natasha Howard who 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.
Blanton, a native of Toledo, Ohio, earned a Master of Science degree in sports administration from Florida State in 2012. She also graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with a concentration in broadcast journalism from Toledo in 2009.
