Steve Blocker Steps Down as Emporia State Track & Field Coach

Men's Track and Field | 7/7/2023 6:00:00 PM

July 7, 2023-After 14 years with the Emporia State track and field program, 12 as the head coach, Steve Blocker is stepping away from coaching to take a faculty/teaching position in health and human performance at Emporia State.
 
"This has not been an easy choice, but it is the best decision for me, Erin, and our young family," said Blocker. "For the past 14 years, this program has been my whole life and I have loved every minute of it. However, my priorities have changed in recent years, and I find myself desiring to spend more time with my family, which is very important to me. Time flies, and I do not want to miss my boys growing up and miss out on some important memories."
 
Blocker just completed his 12th year as the head coach for the Emporia State men's and women's track and field programs. He has produced 68 All-Americans and 42 MIAA Champions as a head coach after coaching 14 All-Americans, six MIAA Champions and an NCAA Division II National Champion as an assistant with the Hornets. He served as an assistant at Emporia State beginning in 2009 working primarily with the sprinters, jumpers and multi-event athletes.
 
"We want to thank coach Blocker for his service and commitment to Emporia State and Hornet track and field," said Emporia State Vice President, Director of Athletics David Spafford. "It is sad that we are losing him as a head coach, but I am happy that he will still be in the building and will continue to be a part of the Emporia State family."
 
The Hornets have broken 30 school records under Blocker's leadership. In addition to the 42 MIAA individual championships, Emporia State holds three conference meet records. As a team the Emporia State men finished second in the MIAA Indoor Championships in 2018 while the women's top finish was third in 2012.
 
The Hornets have had either the men or women score in every NCAA Outdoor Championship and 11 of 12 NCAA Indoor Championship meets under Blocker. This past May was the first time since 2014 that both the men and women scored at the Outdoor National Championships in the same year.
 
Blocker was instrumental in bringing the 2024 and 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships to Emporia's Welch Stadium and Witten Track.  It will be the fourth and fifth time Emporia State has played host to the D-II National Championships.  The Hornets have also hosted the MIAA Outdoor Championships twice under Blocker's leadership.  Welch Stadium annually plays host to multiple home meets at the collegiate and high school level as well.
 
Blocker came to Emporia State after two seasons at Culver-Stockton College in Missouri. He was the first head coach at Culver-Stockton after the program was reinstituted after a 30 year absence. In two seasons, he produced eight Heart of America Athletic Conference champions. In addition, 17 individuals and three relays claimed all-conference honors. At the national level, Blocker produced five NAIA All-America performers for the Wildcats. Fourteen individuals, including the first female in 2009, and one relay qualified for the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor championships during his reign.
 
Blocker spent the 2006-07 season as an assistant coach at Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, Calif.  He was in charge of designing and implementing the sprint, hurdle and jump training programs as well as the strength training programs for all events at SBCC.
 
Blocker's first coaching stop was at his alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa, where he served as a volunteer assistant while earning his master's degree. While at Northern Iowa, Blocker helped develop the 60m hurdle school record-holder and two All-Missouri Valley Conference 60m hurdlers. The Panthers also won the men's indoor conference championship three times and the outdoor championship once.
 
As a student-athlete at UNI, Blocker was a member of three Missouri Valley Conference championship teams. He was a regional qualifier in the 110m hurdles in 2003 and named all-MVC in the 60m hurdles in 2002. He left UNI ranked fourth on the all-time performance list in the 110m hurdles and third in the 60m hurdles. Blocker spent his first two years at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, where he was an NAIA outdoor regional qualifier and placed 12th in the 55m hurdles at the NAIA Indoor Nationals in 2000.
 
"I love Emporia State and it has been a true dream of mine to work here, this truly is a special place.," said Blocker. "I look forward to seeing the program accomplish great things this upcoming year including the hosting of the national championship meet in May."
 
A national search will begin immediately for the next head coach.