Blake Seiler is in his fifth season overall at Old Dominion as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach.
The 2023 season saw the defense under Seiler allow 50 less yards per game than it did in the 2022 season and force 21 turnovers. ODU was stout against the run finishing fourth in the Sun Belt in rush defense and fifth in the league in scoring defense. The defense scored three touchdown with a pair of interception return touchdowns, one from Kris Caine and one from LaMareon James, and a fumble return from James. The group also had several long returns, including Wayne Matthews' 55 yard fumble return and Tahj Ra El's 40-yard interception return.
Linebacker Jason Henderson led the country for the second-straight year with 14.2 tackles per game and became the first player since Luke Kuechly of Boston College to lead the country in tackles in consecutive years. Henderson also finished fourth in the country in tackles for loss. He earned multiple All-America honors, including first-team accolades by Walter Camp and The Sporting News.
ODU was the only team in the country to have three players record 100 tackles on the year, as Henderson, who had 170, was joined by Matthews with 135 and Terry Jones with 107.
Seiler led linebacker Jason Henderson to ODU's best individual performance by a defensive player in program history. Henderson led the country with 186 tackles, finishing seven tackles shy of the FBS record, while breaking ODU and Sun Belt Conference records. Henderson was named an All-American by five publications, becoming ODU's first FBS All-American.
Linebacker Ryan Henry tied for the team lead with four sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss despite missing three games.
ODU's defense led the Sun Belt and placed 12th in the country in Red Zone defense, and 32nd in the country in sacks per game.
In his first season on the field as the leader of the ODU defense, Seiler implemented an aggressive defense that saw ODU tied the program record in holding teams to 20 points or less five teams and place third in Conference USA in rush defense and 35th in the country in rush defense, the highest finish in program history.
The ODU defense had five players earn all-conference honors, including both inside linebackers, the position Seiler coaches, and cornerbacks Roger Cray and Tre Hawkins III and safety R'Tarriun Johnson.
Young led ODU with 104 tackles and broke the school career record with 350 stops, while Cray finished tied for 11th in the country in pass breakups.
Seiler was ODU's nominee for the Broyles Award, given to the top FBS assistant coach in the country.
Seiler spent the 2019 season at West Virginia and will be the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Old Dominion.
Prior to the 2019 season, Seiler coached at Kansas State for 10 years. While at K-State, Seiler coached a pair of All-American’s and two Big 12 Defensive Linemen of the Year. Seiler was the defensive coordinator for the Wildcats in 2018 and his defensive unit ranked No. 3 in the Big 12 in scoring defense and No. 4 in total defense.
He was the assistant defensive coordinator and linebackers coach the year prior, and coached a pair of All-Big 12 linebackers. Seiler coached the defensive ends the previous four seasons and helped Jordan Willis (2015) and Ryan Mueller (2013) to Big 12 Defensive Linemen of the Year honors, while Willis was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
He began his coaching career in 2009 as a quality control coach with the defensive line.
Seiler played at Kansas State and was a two-year starter on the defensive line and was team captain as a senior.
Seiler and his wife, Inge, have three children, Elle, Brynn and Riggs.