Chris Bland enters his fourth season as the cornerbacks coach in 2018 after originally joining Brian Bohannon’s staff on February 3, 2014.
Bland’s corners once again played air traffic controllers to reach the tops of the Big South and national rankings. In 2017, Kennesaw State led the conference and finished second nationally in interceptions, forcing 24 – 11 more than the next-highest conference team. Creating one of the toughest red zones in the Big South, the corners also forced a league-high four red-zone interceptions, while also ranking third in the league in return yards on interceptions (191 overall).
Moving the ball through the air would prove difficult all year for opponents, as the defense also finished third in the league in pass defense 199.4 (yards/game).
Under Bland’s tutelage also blossomed the first-team all-Big South corner Dante Blackmon. After leading the conference and ranking second nationally with six interceptions to lead the team, Blackmon became the first Owl to participate with an NFL team, when the Indianapolis Colts invited him to a mini-camp tryout and signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2017.
Bland arrived at Kennesaw State after spending three seasons working with the defensive backs for Brevard College. He assumed the role of co-Defensive Coordinator prior to the 2013 season, where he coached junior linebacker Michael Gruber to Division II All-America honorable mention honors.
Before his stint with the Tornados, Bland spent three season on staff at East Carolina University -- two years as the defensive graduate assistant and one as the defensive assistant.
Bland helped coach ECU to a Conference USA championship in 2009, along with appearances in the 2009 Liberty Bowl and 2010 Military Bowl.
Bland began his coaching career as defensive backs coach at West Brunswick High School in Shallotte, N.C., where the Trojans posted a 7-5 record and advanced to the North Carolina state playoffs in 2008.
A two-sport athlete at Elon University, Bland played football and baseball for the Phoenix. He led the team in interceptions as a junior, and was named team captain as a senior. Bland graduated from Elon with a bachelor’s degree in leisure and sport management in 2008.
