MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Shane Lyons has announced that Vince Blankenship has been promoted to assistant athletics director/head athletics trainer for football.

“Vince Blankenship brings a wealth of experience to our Sports Medicine program,” said Steve Uryasz, executive senior associate athletics director, who also oversees the athletic training unit. “Vince’s experience at two NCAA Power Five institutions and the NFL made him the logical candidate. A licensed physical therapist and certified athletic trainer, Blankenship’s familiarity with WVU and our student-athletes further solidified his position.

“We are committed to the well being of our student-athletes and Vince’s commitment has been evident on and off the playing field. We look forward to building a nationally recognized sports medicine program similar to our WVU Football program.”

Blankenship will provide oversight of the athletics medical unit for the football team, including the day-to-day operation of the training room. He will supervise the daily care, rehabilitation and prevention of athletic injuries for the football program as well as supervise the long-term rehabilitation with all other WVU sports on campus. He also will continue his duties as an instructor in the WVU athletic training education program.

Blankenship has been a member of the West Virginia athletic training staff since 2014 as an assistant athletic trainer and physical therapist, working primarily with the Mountaineer football and golf programs. He was named athletics rehabilitation specialist in the fall of 2016.

Prior to coming to WVU, he worked with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions and the University of Georgia football programs. While receiving his doctorate in physical therapy at Georgia Regents University, Blankenship worked as a part-time athletic trainer for University Hospital and Georgia Regents University, covering high school and collegiate sports.

Blankenship earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science with an athletic training emphasis at Georgia in 2009, and his doctor of physical therapy at Georgia Regents University in 2013. Additionally, he is a Titleist Performance Institute Level II Medical Professional.

He and his wife, Idania, have a son, Noah.