ETSU tabs veteran college administrator David Blackburn for first-of-its-kind General Manage role

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David Blackburn, a former top athletics director for football at the University of Tennessee, as well as the head A.D. at Chattanooga and former No. 2 at MTSU, has been tabbed into a first-of-its-kind role at ETSU and among the more unique anywhere on the NCAA landscape: Blackburn is now ETSU’s general manager for all of the school’s revenue sports: football, as well as men’s and women’s basketball.

In this newly created role, ETSU touts that the veteran Blackburn “will oversee Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements and revenue-sharing operations. He will serve as the chief liaison to agents, student-athletes, and their families during compensation and partnership negotiations. Blackburn will also work closely with head coaches Will Healy (football), Brooks Savage (men’s basketball), and Brenda Mock Brown (women’s basketball) to manage rosters, build schedules, and offer strategic administrative guidance. The structure change will free coaches to focus efforts on team performance and development.”

ETSU A.D. Dr. Richard Sander heralds the move as “allowing (coaches) to focus on what they love: coaching our athletes and helping them succeed, on and off the field.”

Blackburn’s most notable work in college football stems from his days at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee. In addition to working closely with Phillip Fulmer, rising from the ranks of student manager, Blackburn also has crucial experience from aiding in the school’s transitions from Fulmer to Lane Kiffin, guiding UT’s NCAA response to its probe into Kiffin’s Vols program, and also in Tennessee’s transition to Derek Dooley.

He made strong hires at Chattanooga, particularly in football, and also was a long-serving chief lieutenant to veteran A.D. Chris Massaro. Blackburn’s arrival at ETSU came when he was hired by former Bucs head football coach and lifelong friend, George Quarles — a former record-setting high school head coach in Tennessee. 

News of Blackburn’s appointment Wednesday even drew reactions from Jon Gruden and Bruce Pearl, both of whom have previous experience with Blackburn from their times together on Rocky Top.

“I’m excited to hear that ETSU has made David the General Manager of multiple revenue-generating sports,” Gruden said in his statement. “This first-of-a-kind position is needed in the modern era of college athletics. I’ve known David for years, and his vast experience in college athletics will allow him to make a huge impact at ETSU.”

Added Pearl, who’s guided Auburn to unprecedented basketball success, ““D.B. has been a colleague and friend in the industry for years. He understands coaches and has worked hand in hand with legends like Pat Summitt, Phillip Fulmer, and others. He understands what it takes across all aspects of athletics to be competitive at the highest level.”

Blackburn was instrumental in ETSU football’s hiring of rising-star coach Tre Lamb before the 2024 season, seeing Lamb parlay that Year 1 success into his first-ever FBS head coaching post at Tulsa. ETSU says he is believed to be the first multi-sport G.M. among collegiate programs in the Volunteer State; Tennessee Tech has the very well-regarded Justin McMullen serving as general manager of Bobby Wilder’s football program. 

Blackburn is set for a potentially revolutionary new role in college athletics in his new post at ETSU.

The Bucs begin a new era of football this fall when they open play under coach Will Healy, the former Austin Peay and Charlotte head coach.