IOLA, Texas — On Thursday, Iola ISD announced their new boys Athletic Director and Head Coach in a special board meeting.
Eric Blenden, the current defensive coordinator at Blooming Grove, was confirmed for the new position. He will be taking over for Rex Sharp, who announced in January that he would be leaving the district at the end of the school year after just one season to move back to East Texas, where he will be closer to his family.
In his short time with the Bulldogs, Sharp finished with a 6-5 record in 2023, giving Iola their first winning record since 2016 as well as their first playoff appearance since 2020.
Despite his current role being a coordinator position in Blooming Grove's football staff, Blenden has previously been the head coach at multiple schools, including Frost, Valley Mills, and Axtell. Over the stretch he was at the aforementioned schools, he has gone 42-35 from 2012 to 2018.
Click here to read the full announcement on the Iola ISD website.
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