John Bland is now entering his sixth season as the head coach for the Patriots having finished the 2010 campaign 7-4 overall and 5-1 in the Mid-South Conference West Division.

Bland's Patriots brought home the Mid-South Conference West Division Championship and earned their fourth consecutive play-off berth. Eleven players were named to All-Conference teams, four being 1st Team All-Conference players, including two MSC West Freshmen of the Year. Four players were named CollegeFanz All-Americans. Two players were named to the MSC All-Academic Team and one was also listed as NAIA Academic All-Americans. Six individual records were broken, two team records were broken, one team record was tied, and Cumberlands was able to keep the legendary "Brass Lantern" from their win against Union College for the fifth consecutive year. In addition, Bland was named the MSC West Coach of the Year. Bland's overall record is now 40-15 as head coach of the Patriots and 45-20 overall.

Bland finished his first year, 6-4 overall and 3-2 in the Mid-South Conference East Division, where his Patriots took second place. Nine players were named to All-Conference teams, two school records were broken, and the team brought back the coveted Brass Lantern from the annual Union/Cumberlands game. The Patriots knocked off NCAA Division I-AA Austin Peay State University, #5 Bethel College, and #21 UVA-Wise. Bland's Patriots finished the 2006 campaign ranked at 26th.

In his second year, Bland went 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the Mid-South Conference East Division to win the MSC Championship and earn their first berth into the playoffs since 1988. Fifteen players were named to All-Conference teams, two team records were broken, two team records were tied, four individual records were broken, and the Cumberlands retained the coveted Brass Lantern from the annual Union/Cumberlands game. The Patriots knocked off nationally ranked #9 UVA-Wise in overtime to win the MSC Championship and finished the season ranked #17 nationally.

In the third year, Bland notched a 10-2 overall, 6-0 record in the Mid-South Conference Eastern Division, going 1-1 in the post-season and ranked #6 nationally. With another MSC East Championship and tying the best season record in school history with 10 wins and 2 losses, the Patriots moved to a post-season ranking of #8 and hosted the first round of the Football Championship Series. Winning round one advanced the Patriots to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in history. The Patriots placed 6 players on the Mid-South Conference teams, had the MSC East Defensive Player of the year, had one team record broken, nine individual records broken, two individual records tied, and were able to keep "Brass Lantern" from their win against Union College. For his accomplishments, Bland was named the 2008 MSC East Coach of the Year and AFCA NAIA Region-I Co-Coach of the Year.

Bland came to the Patriots after spending five years as the quarterbacks coach at NCAA Division I-A Rice University in Houston, Texas. While at Rice, Bland under Ken Hatfield's reign, was instrumental in assisting the Owls' in gaining the most wins in a season since 1953 with an 8-4 record in 2001. Since that time, Rice was sixth in the nation in rushing in 2002, second in 2003, and led the nation in 2004. Bland's quarterbacks accounted for almost one-third of the team's rushing totals during that time and in 2003 his quarterback was the first in Rice history to rush and pass for 2000 yards in a career.

Prior to Rice, Bland coached at NCAA Division II Southern Arkansas University. Bland served as an assistant coach from 1994-1999 and was promoted to head coach in 2000. While there, Bland's offense broke several school and conference records, led the conference in scoring in 1998 and 1999, and was among the conference leaders in most offensive categories. In 1997, the Muleriders won the Gulf South Conference championship and were ranked 10th nationally.

Bland also gained invaluable experience at Central High School in Columbia, Tennessee where he served as an assistant coach for two years. In graduate school, at Auburn University, he worked as a graduate assistant under Pat Dye and while completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Arkansas he served as a student assistant.

Bland spent his collegiate playing days at the University of Arkansas where he was a four year letterman as a quarterback. While in Fayetteville, Bland helped the Razorbacks to four consecutive bowl appearances in the Holiday, Liberty, Orange, and Cotton Bowls. He was named the permanent captain for the 1988 Southwest Conference Championship squad that competed in the Cotton Bowl.

Coach Bland holds a master's degree in Kinesiology from Auburn University and a bachelor's degree, also in Kinesiology, from the University of Arkansas. Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, Bland is a graduate of Farragut High School where he was an All-State recipient playing at the quarterback and defensive back positions.

"I am thankful to God to have been given the opportunity to coach and have such a supportive family. I believe University of the Cumberlands is a quality university in a nice, small town and a great place to raise a family. My passion and calling, I feel, is to help mold young men into leaders of our community. At Cumberlands, the environment allows me the opportunity to be involved in every aspect of the student-athletes lives. The chance to see young men develop spiritually, academically, and athletically is one of the most appealing aspects," said Bland.

UC Athletic Director Randy Vernon stated, "We are very happy and fortunate to have Coach Bland on our athletic staff. His qualifications and experience are second to none and Cumberlands football program will benefit under his leadership. He is a quality individual and his morals and standards are a perfect fit for what University of the Cumberlands is trying to pass along to our student-athletes."

Coach Bland and his wife, Candis, reside in Williamsburg with their three children, Shreve, Jade, and Bo.

Email me: John.Bland@ucumberlands.edu
Call me: 606-539-4451
My recruiting areas are: Tennessee counties: Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Blount, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Davidson, Decatur, Dekalb, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Fentress, Gibson, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hardemana, Hardin, Hawkins, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Loudon, Macon, Madison, Marshall, Maury, McNairy, Montgomery, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Putnam, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sevier, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Vanburen, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Weakley, White, Williamson, and Wilson.

Last Updated 8/5/11