GRINNELL COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Pioneers Complete Their Coaching Staff

Monday, August 4, 2014

Pioneers Complete Their Coaching Staff

Cortney Roberts and Gene Blalock

The 2014 Pioneers have completed their coaching staff with the additions of Gene Blalock and Cortney Roberts. Blalock most recently coached at his alma mater, Robinson High School, in Tampa, FL. This will be Roberts first season in coaching, having just finished graduate school at Austin Peay St. in Tennessee.

I will be in my fifth season as the head coach, once again coordinating the offense and coaching the offensive linemen. Head baseball coach Tim Hollibaugh will be the assistant head coach and will work with the defensive line. Jason Martinez returns for his fifth season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, while Nick Plato will be in his third season as the special teams coordinator and wide receivers and quarterbacks coach. Nate Smith will also be in his fifth season, working with the linebackers and kickers. Tom Brinkman '13 returns for his second season working with the defensive backs. Blalock will also work with the defensive backs and Roberts will coach the running backs.

Blalock was an outstanding defensive lineman at Upper Iowa University and had made several coaching stops before landing back at Robinson High School. Roberts was a walk-on defensive back at West Alabama. He also served as a student trainer at West Alabama, and completed his Masters Degree as an athletic trainer at Austin Peay.

I'm excited to add both of these guys to the staff. Excitement is high for 2014. It's Time!

The Honor G

The Honor G, the official emblem of Grinnell College athletics, was first used at the Iowa state track championship in 1892. Designed by Earnest "Skip" Atherton, class of 1895, the original Honor G consisted of a scarlet maltese cross with a black "I and "C" (for Iowa College) superimposed on the cross. Two years later in 1894, the "I" and "C" were replaced by a black gothic "G", and the modern day Honor G was born. The gothic "G", which was also used on letter sweaters and is now used on letter jackets, was replaced by an Old English "G" in the mid-1930's. After some protest, it was quickly changed back to the gothic "G", and it has remained unchanged since that time.