Dan Blank, College Coach and Soccer Poet

Building a team and program from scratch, in any sport, is always going to be challenging. There are so many factors to consider in terms of finding the right players and coaching staff as well as getting them to buy into a plan the coach can implement. College soccer has some amazing coaches who have a knack for winning and success regardless of which school they represent. One of those coaches has worked at both the D-I and D-III level and has become more than just a coach. He’s now known as the Soccer Poet and his name is Dan Blank, the current head coach of Widener College in Pennsylvania.

Dan Blank has been coaching since 1991 and through his experiences, he was able to create multiple how-to books on the game of soccer. Two of his more notable works are Everything Your Coach Never Told You Because You’re a Girl and Soccer IQ. Both books share a tremendous amount of information on how to not only conduct yourself as a player on the pitch but becoming a smarter player as well. Blank shares vivid anecdotes of key moments with his team that provide a lot of insight into the inner workings of the college game.

As for his results on the pitch, Blank has been able to practice what he preaches in his books and achieved great success. He refers to his time at D-III school, Embry-Riddle. Blank was able to turn the team into a national power by the time he left. They made numerous tournament appearances and won three conference titles. Eventually, he would get an opportunity to make the leap to D-I where Blank had just as much success.

The Soccer Poet would make two stops, at Georgia and Ole Miss. He became the first coach in SEC history to have the conference’s best defense in two separate universities. An accolade that can only be achieved with a proper plan and solid work ethic to execute it. That’s a clear sign of what Coach Dan Blank is capable of achieving, no matter which level or school, he gets results.

With his success in the women’s game, the book Everything Your Coach Never Told You Because You’re a Girl is a must-read. For any young female athlete looking to take their game to the next level, this book has everything you could ask for. The game of soccer will always be a physical one but mental strength is the difference between good players and great players. Of course, if you’d like to purchase his books to get any other relevant information, go to his website.

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