Oberlin College Athletics

Blake New enters his 26th season as the head coach of the Oberlin College men’s soccer team in the 2025-26 season.

The longest tenured coach at Oberlin, New has led the Crimson and Gold to five North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) tournament appearances (2006, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019) and an NCAA Second Round appearance in 2013. New is a three-time NCAC Coach of the Year (2005, 2013, 2016) as well as the 2013 Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association (OCSA) and the 2013 United Soccer Coaches (USC) Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year. 

New has coached 96 All-NCAC athletes, 30 OCSA All-Ohio recipients, 14 USC All-Region honorees, three NCAC All-Decade athletes, a USC Third-Team All-American, a D3Soccer Third-Team All-American, an NCAC Offensive Player of the Year, and an NCAC Defensive Player of the Year. In the classroom, the Crimson and Gold have registered 94 student-athletes to the NCAC Academic Honor Roll, 15 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honorees, 13 OCSA Academic All-Ohio recipients, 15 USC Team Academic awards, a CSC Academic First-Team All-American, a CSC Academic Second-Team All-American, and a USC Scholar All-Region selection under New’s direction.

New’s coaching tenure began in 1996 as the head coach of the women’s soccer team before shifting to the men’s program in 1999. Before his time at Oberlin, New was drafted by the Cleveland Crunch of the Major Indoor Soccer League and the Canton Invaders of the National Professional Soccer League. He also spent two years as a player-coach for the Cleveland Caps of the USISL.

New was a standout goalkeeper at Cleveland State University, earning Mid-Continent Conference (MCC) honors and producing MCC titles in 1986 and 1988. He still holds the CSU record for career shutouts (29) and ranks in the top ten for career saves (267). New earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from CSU in 1991 and later earned a master’s degree in education with a concentration in sports management while serving as an assistant coach for the Vikings. Following his legendary career, New was inducted into the Cleveland State Hall of Fame in 2013. Previously, New was inducted into the North Olmsted High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009 after leading his team to a state championship and a perfect 25-0 in 1985.