Brian Blank - Head Coach- Alpine - Men's Skiing Coaches - University of New Hampshire Athletics

Brian Blank

Title:
Head Coach- Alpine
Email:
brian.blank@unh.edu
Phone:
603-862-3893

Brian Blank ‘95 is in his 18th season as UNH alpine head coach in 2024-25. Brian has over 20 years of alpine ski coaching experience. He lettered on the UNH ski team from 1991-95 and served as team captain in 1994-95. During his career, 29 times a Wildcat has earned All-America accolades.

In 2025, Blank guided a talented alpine unit that sent the full six student-athletes to the NCAA Championships, part of a program total of 11 competitors. He was named USCSCA National Coach of the Year following the team's performance.

Under his leadership, freshman Jayden Buckrell became just the third individual national champion in program history by winning the NCAA men's slalom national championship with a time of 1:27.17. The victory earned him First Team All-America honors and led the Wildcats to a third-place team finish in the event.

Freshman Dasha Romanov earned Second Team All-America recognition with a seventh-place finish in the giant slalom.

The 2022 season saw two more All-Americans for the Wildcats as Bastian Meisen was a First Team All-American in the giant slalom with a fifth-place finish in the NCAAs and Zoe Michael was a Second Team All-American with a 10th-place finish in the slalom.

UNH hosted the NCAAs in 2021 for the sixth time in program history. Will Bruneau-Bouchard of the alpine team earned All-American Second Team in slalom (8^th place), and the Wildcats finished ninth overall.

In 2020, the ’Cats finished ninth in NCAAs at Montana State. The Championships were cut off following two days -midway through the scheduled four-day event-- at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center when the NCAA cancelled all remaining winter and spring championships due to the evolving COVID-19 public health threat.

In 2020, Emma Woodhouse won the Jim Urquhart Award as UNH’s top female student-athlete of the year, and Patrick Kenney finished fourth in GS to earn All-America First Team accolades.

In 2019, Woodhouse, a junior co-captain, placed ninth in giant slalom and 10^th in slalom at the 2019 NCAA Championships, hosted by the University of Vermont, for her two All-American Second-Team accolades.

In 2018, Blank coached junior Geneviève Frigon to All-American Second Team (6th place, SL) for the second straight season, as the Wildcats sent four alpine racers (Frigon, Lisa Wedsjö, Sohvi Virkkula, Patrick Kenney) to the NCAA Championships, hosted by the University of Colorado. The Wildcats placed 11th at NCAAs.

In 2017, the Wildcats hosted the NCAAs for the fifth time in their history with alpine racing at Cannon Mountain. Sophomore Geneviève Frigon earned All-American Second Team distinction in slalom.

The 2016 Wildcats placed 10^th nationally with senior alpine skier Jay Ogle claiming All-American Second Team in giant slalom in Steamboat Springs, Colo.

In 2015, freshman women’s alpine skier Lisa Wedsjö and sophomore men’s alpine skier Phil Rivet each secured All-America Second Team honors at NCAAs. The men’s alpine team was victorious in the giant slalom at the EISA Championships and the women placed second in the same race at Lake Placid.

The 2014 Wildcats alpine team sent six skiers to the NCAA Championships. On the women’s side, Randa Teschner made it back-to-back team MVP awards after repeating as an All-America and an All-East Second Teamer during her sophomore campaign. Teschner claimed All-America Second Team in giant slalom (10^th place) and slalom (sixth place) at the NCAAs. Junior Coley Oliver took home All-America Second Team in slalom (eighth place).

UNH finished eighth at the 2013 NCAA Skiing Championships, which matched their top result since 1994. Men’s alpine racers Sam Coffey (SL), Taylor Vest-Burton (SL) and Coley Oliver (GS) earned All-America First Team honors. Vest-Burton added a Second Team (GS) merit, and the Wildcats placed runner-up in both men’s disciplines. On the women’s side, Catherine Blanchard competed at NCAAs for a third straight season; the senior was joined by Jenna Kantor, a repeat NCAA competitor, and Randa Teschner, the lone Wildcat freshman to earn a trip to nationals. Two other Wildcats –Kris Hopkins (men) and Marie-Elaine Lepine (women)- qualified for NCAAs but did not compete due to a three-skier limit per team. Coffey, the men’s alpine team MVP, was named to the EISA All-East First Team.

The 2012 season featured a third-place finish at the EISA Championships and a full allotment of six alpine racers competing at NCAAs: Paul Atkinson; Vest-Burton and Zach Clayton for the men's team; Lepine, Kantor and Laura Rozinowicz on the women's side. Four other skiers qualified for NCAAs but did not compete due to the three-skier limit per discipline. Atkinson and Lepine were named to the EISA All-East Team.

In 2011, Blank mentored a pair of All-Americans in Zach Clayton (SL, GS) and Sam Coffey (SL), helping the Wildcats post an eighth-place finish at the NCAAs, the school’s best showing in 11 years. Atkinson was named to the All-East First Team.

The 2010 team boasted of a pair of All-America selections in seniors Veronique Archambault-Leger and Dylan McGuffin.

In 2009, Blank was named EISA Alpine Coach of the Year. During that season, the alpine team earned eight All-America honors. The alpine team was the top scoring team in the east and the second-highest scoring team at the NCAA Championships. Through the regular season, the men’s alpine team won 11 of 12 events.

In the 2007-08 season -- Blank’s first year -- there were three alpine Wildcats who earned All-America status.

From 2001-2006, Blank coached at Stratton Mountain School. While at SMS, Blank served as the men’s FIS coach. Prior to that position, coach Blank worked at Rowmark Ski Academy (1998-2000) in Salt Lake City, Utah and with the Brighton Ski Team (1995-98).