MATT KRIESKY – HEAD COACH
Coach Kriesky enters his 3rd year as the head coach at Blackman High School. Originally, from Paris, TN, Coach Kriesky earned his bachelor’s degree from MTSU. He coached at Oakland, Forrest and Centennial prior to returning to Blackman to become the head coach. This is Coach Kriesky’s 18th year of coaching. He is married to Brittany, and they have two children, a daughter Lynnlee, and a son, Griffin.
KEVIN MEADOWS – ASSISTANT COACH
(RUNNING BACKS)
Coach Meadows enters his 20th season on the Blaze coaching staff as the varsity running backs coach. He began his career as an assistant on varsity in 2004, moving up to Freshman Offensive Coordinator in 2005. From 2006-2008 he served as the varsity wide receiver coach and varsity running backs coach from 2000 to 2019. In 2020, he was the offensive coordinator and coached quarterbacks. He and his wife, Cortney, live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with their two daughters Anna and Izzy.
KEVIN GREGORY – ASSISTANT COACH
(DEFENSIVE LINE)
Coach Gregory enters his 18th season on the Blaze coaching staff as an assistant coach. A 1999 graduate of the University of Tennessee, Coach Gregory was a long snapper for the Vols under Phillip Fulmer. He was a member of the 1998 BCS National Championship team for the Volunteers and the 1997 and 1998 Southeastern Conference Championship teams. Coach Gregory has worked under six of the seven head coaches of Blackman Football since 2007. He is married to Courtney Gregory, Blackman’s varsity cheerleading coach. The couple has one son, Carter (Sophomore at UT-Knoxville), and a daughter, Caroline (10th grade at BHS).
MALEK HOLMAN – ASSISTANT COACH
(DEFENSIVE BACKS)
Coach Holman enters his 7th season coaching with this being his 3rd season at Blackman High School. Prior to coaching, Coach Holman attended Oakland High School and earned his B.S. degree from Bethel University and a Master’s Degree from Middle Tennessee State University. Coach Holman played football at Bethel and earned two Academic All-Conference Awards.
JOHN CROSBY – ASSISTANT COACH
(DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR / INSIDE LINEBACKERS)
Coach Crosby enters his 3rd season at Blackman High School after previous stops at Centennial, Stewarts Creek and Nashville Christian as a defensive coordinator and Clarksville Academy as a head coach. Crosby has spent the last 20 seasons coaching football, and this will be his 18th as a defensive coordinator. Coach Crosby has been married to his wife Shelly for 17 years and has a son Henry who is 11 years old.
JOSH CUNNINGHAM – ASSISTANT COACH
(WIDE RECEIVERS)
Coach Cunningham enters his 6th year of coaching and his 3rd at Blackman. Originally, from the Murfreesboro area, Cunningham graduated from Oakland High School in 2015 before playing the next four years at Tennessee Tech. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Tech and is currently in the process of obtaining his teaching license from UT Martin. Prior to coaching at Blackman, Coach Cunningham coached defensive backs and wide receivers at Adamsville High School for 3 seasons.
KYLE ANDERTON – ASSISTANT COACH
(OFFENSIVE LINE)
Coach Anderton enters his 6th year coaching high school football in Tennessee. He coaches the Offensive Line for the 3rd year at Blackman High School.
He played college ball at Vanderbilt from 2015-2017 before transferring to Austin Peay for the 2017-2019. Coach Anderton recently married his wife Jenna December 2023 and recently had a baby girl, Ellis Jane Anderton.
BARRY EDDINGS – ASSISTANT COACH
(TIGHT ENDS)
Coach Eddings was born in Arkansas but spent most of my young life in McEwen, TN where he graduated high school. He continued his education at Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN and played baseball for 4 years. After playing, he coached baseball at Cumberland University for 2 years. Coach Eddings has been coaching football for 23 years and baseball for 19 years. Coaching has given him plenty of blessings. The young men he has coached has changed his life. Coach Eddings is going into his third year at Blackman high school.
April 2024, Coach Eddings married his beautiful wife, Jennifer Eddings. Not only does he have a terrific wife, but he also has an awesome stepson, Jason Bennett and a wonderful dog, Jersey. With coaching and new family, he has truly been blessed.
JAKERRIUS WYATT – ASSISTANT COACH
(DEFENSIVE LINE)
Coach Wyatt is in his 3rd year coaching and second season as a high school coach. He has coached as an Assistant Defensive line coach at University of North Alabama and Middle Tennessee State University. As a player at MTSU played defensive line. Coach Wyatt received his Bachelor’s Degree in Leisure and Sport’s Tourism.
KALEB OLIVER – ASSISTANT COACH
(DEFENSIVE BACKS)
Coach Oliver is entering his first year as the defensive backs coach with Blackman High School. Oliver has a strong background as a player and leader on and off the field. A 2017 graduate of Oakland High School, he went on to play Division I football at Georgia Tech before transferring to Western Kentucky University. After college, he was invited to rookie mini camps with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and later spent time in the CFL with the Ottawa RedBlacks. Recently engaged and a proud father to two kids—daughter Karter (5) and son Kasey (5 months).
NICK CAROZZA – FRESHMAN HEAD COACH
(FRESHMAN)
Coach Carozza is entering his second-year coaching freshman football and his first year as the Freshman Head Coach at Blackman High School. In addition to football, he has coached Track and Field for three years. Off the field, Coach Carozza teaches Computer Science and Algebra I at Blackman, where he is committed to helping students succeed both academically and athletically.
JACKIE BARNES – ASSISTANT COACH
(FRESHMAN – DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR)
Coach Barnes is entering his 5th year at Blackman 3rd with Kriesky and the guys. Prior to Blackman Coach Barnes has stops at Ezell Harding and Lancaster Christian. Barnes is in his 9th year of Coaching. He is married to Mrs. Brittany Barnes and they have four children together.
TEE MAYBERRY – ASSISTANT COACH
(FRESHMAN)
Coach Tee Mayberry entering his first-year coaching freshman football at Blackman. He will also be working as an educational assistant at Blackman during the school day. Tee graduated from Oakland High School and was a part of the 2008 state champion team. He is here to help student athletes become better in all aspects of their lives. Finally, he gives all glory to the man above.
JAY MCGEE – ASSISTANT COACH
(FRESHMAN)
Coach McGee is from Tishomingo, MS. He is entering his 26th year of coaching football. He has coached in various positions including head coach where he won Back-to-Back State Championships and was named MIAA Coach of the Year in 2005 and in 2006. He played football at Northeast Mississippi Community College after which he served in the U.S. Army. Coach McGee also has coached in the Arena Football League where he coached the Memphis Xplorers. He teaches U.S. History at Blackman Middle.
