Northwestern State Officially Hires Blaine McCorkle As New Head Coach

Northwestern State officially announces Blaine McCorkle as the new head coach

Northwestern State officially named Blaine McCorkle as the 16th head coach in school history.

"The opportunity to be back at the FCS level where I've spent the majority of my career is something I've wanted for a long time," said McCorkle. "It is a pure level of college football that plays for the right reasons. I'm excited to be back at that level. I'm also excited for the challenge of rebuilding – not building – Northwestern State because Northwestern State has been there before. The campus has a lot to offer. The town has a lot to offer. I'm honored and humbled to have the opportunity to restore a program a lot of people take a lot of pride in."

McCorkle is 31-25 over six seasons as the head coach at Belhaven. He led the Blazers to the first USA South Conference championship in school history and an appearance in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. He also set the school record for wins in a season with a 9-2 record this season.

The Blazers finished the 2021 season at 7-3 under McCorkle, which was the program's first winning season since 2012. He was named the USA South Coach of the Year in 2023.

McCorkle served as the offensive line coach at Delaware (2017), Richmond (2012-16), and Liberty (2009-11) prior to his stint at Belhaven. He attended LSU and was a long snapper (1995-98) for the Tigers.

Northwestern State will be a massive rebuild as the Demons have not had a winning season since 2008. The program canceled the season after the murder of safety Ronnie Caldwell, which led to the resignation of head coach Brad Laird.

2023 FCS Football Central Freshman All-American Team