Cheston Blackshear Added to Army Football Coaching Staff
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point football Head Coach Jeff Monken has announced the addition of Cheston Blackshear as tight ends coach.
Blake Powers who coached the tight ends this past season will coach the running backs in 2024.
Blackshear joins the Black Knights after spending the last two seasons as an offensive line quality control coach with the Florida Gators (2022-23).
Before Florida, he spent four seasons (2018-21) at Dartmouth where he was the offensive tackles and tight ends coach. In 2019, he developed offensive line convert Jake Guidone and helped become one of the best blocking tight ends in the conference, earning an honorable mention without catching a pass. In 2021, Blackshear coached two all-conference tight ends in J.J. Jones III and Robbie Mangas.
"We are proud to welcome Cheston Blackshear to the Army Football Brotherhood. Cheston will be a fantastic fit for our culture as he has a wide variety of experience from his playing career at Florida to his coaching tenure there that will add a lot of knowledge, making an immediate impact in the development of our young men." -- Head Coach Jeff Monken
Blackshear was in the same role at Nevada from 2014-17, New Mexico 2009-12 and at Columbia from 2006-08. He also was the tight ends coach at Georgetown for the 2013 season and a graduate assistant at Illinois in 2005. Blackshear began his coaching career at Florida as a graduate assistant from 2002-04.
A native of Jacksonville, he guided Lucas Reed to Freshman All-America honors in 2009 and was selected as a candidate for the John Mackey Award (Most Outstanding Tight End). Also at UNM, he coached former NFL offensive lineman Byron Bell.
He has participated in the NFL's Bill Walsh Internship Program and worked with the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins during training camp.
Blackshear was a four-time letter winner for the University of Florida, playing in 41 games with 28 starts from 1995-1999. A member of the 1996 National Championship team, he was tabbed both a 1999 Coaches' and AP Second-Team All-SEC selection and awarded the Fergie Ferguson Award his senior year.
Following graduation, he signed with the Carolina Panthers and then played guard for the Orlando Rage of the XFL from 2000-01 and helped them lead the league in rushing. Blackshear was an All-State and Super Prep All-American at Ed White High as well, becoming the first offensive lineman ever awarded Player of the Year honors by the Florida Times-Union.
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