As a Nixa boys basketball assistant for 19 years and the Lady Eagles’ head tennis coach for 14 years, Brock Blansit obviously doesn’t like change.
Upon being promoted to lead the boys hoops program beginning this school year, Blansit saw no reason to change his late summer and early fall routine and remained as the Lady Eagles’ coach.
“I got asked that question quite a bit,” Blansit said about the possibility of leaving the tennis program once he became the head boys basketball coach. “But I didn’t think twice about it. I’m glad I stuck with it. We have a great group of girls. They’re competitive and play hard. There’s no reason not to (coach tennis).”
Blansit has led the Lady Eagles to a COC championship in two of the past three years and earlier this week Nixa netted historic wins against Catholic and Kickapoo to capture the Class 3 District 5 championship.
The Lady Eagles had never before beaten Catholic and Kickapoo.
Blansit played tennis himself as a prep at Hillcrest and earned a State berth in doubles.
Blansit is one of three Nixa head coaches who have multiple titles as head coaches. Evan Palmer coaches both boys soccer and girls soccer and Lance Brumley coaches both boys and girls cross country and boys and girls track.
Blansit feels he has been able to relate well over the years to coaching both boys and girls, as well as basketball and tennis players.
“There are some things that are totally different and some things that are a lot alike,” he said about coaching the two sports. “The competitiveness in me wants to win no matter what we’re playing.”
