University of Dayton Athletics

Before coming to coach at UD, Blackburn worked as a steelworker for two years before going to Wilmington College where he played football and baseball and basketball. Then after graduation he would coach high school basketball for four years at West Carrollton in Ohio and then coach for eight years at Xenia in Ohio.  

During World War II Blackburn would join the Navy Physical Education program at Chapel Hill. While in North Carolina, Blackburn became a golf pro. 

While at UD Blackburn took on a team that had a losing record from the year before and turned this team around to become winners. Overall Blackburn would have a record of 352-141 which is a winning percentage of .714 in 17 seasons. In post season play Blackburn had a record of 22-12. Blackburn was able to lead the Flyers to the NIT in 1962. 

During the 1950s and 1960s Blackburn established UD as a basketball powerhouse by being able to have his team go to the NIT finals six times. Blackburn was the first UD coach to receive the NIT invention.  Also during the 1950s and the 1960s, Blackburn had the most wins out of any NCAA coach. 

During the 1963/1964 season, Blackburn would become sick with cancer and had to have Don Donoher become the coach in the middle of the season. Blackburn would coach his final game on February 28, 1964. Eight days later Blackburn died. 

Although Blackburn died, the memory of him still lives on. The court where the UD Men and Women teams play on was named after Blackburn on November 22, 1997. Also Blackburn has a trophy named after him where the winner of the Dayton/Xavier game takes away the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy.