By AP
Tulsa, OK – Tulsa hires Bill Blankenship as football coach
MURRAY EVANS,Associated Press
TULSA, Okla. (AP) Tulsa has promoted assistant Bill Blankenship to become its head football coach.
Athletic director Bubba Cunningham made the announcement Friday, saying the 54-year-old Blankenship is "a leader and a proven winner." Blankenship is replacing his former boss, Todd Graham, who now is Pittsburgh's coach.
Blankenship played at Tulsa under F.A. Dry and John Cooper before starting a long career as an Oklahoma prep coach.
Graham hired Blankenship as an assistant in January 2007. Tulsa has won 10 or more games three times since then, including this season, when the Golden Hurricane finished 10-3 and was ranked No. 24.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.