Sonnie Blanco, a 2017 Washington & Jefferson College graduate and the program's all-time wins leader, joined W&J as head coach of the W&J wrestling program in September 2022. Blanco will enter his fourth season as head coach in 2025-26.
W&J won it's eighth Presidents' Athletic Conference Wrestling Championship in Blanco's third season as head coach. W&J won five individual title as well, including major awards presented to Hunter Swedish (PAC Most Valuable Wrestler) and Josh Smith (PAC Newcomer of the Year). The Presidents sent three wrestlers to the NCAA National Championships including Christian McChesney, Casey Smith and Taylor Smith. T. Smith repeated as the 149-pound Regional Champion.
W&J had two wrestlers win PAC titles during the 2023-24 season. Taylor Smith's spectacular season highlighted the year. Smith shattered the single-season school record mark for wins with 50 during his freshman season. Smith won the 149-pound NCAA Reigonal title and advanced on to the 2024 NCAA Championships where he put together a 2-2 record.
During his first season as leader of the Presidents, W&J earned a share of the PAC team championship at the 2022-23 PAC Championships. For his efforts guiding the squad, Blanco was selected as PAC Coach of the Year. Four Presidents claimed individual championships for W&J at the 2022-23 championship meet. Bryce Rodriguez-Uram earned PAC Newcomer of the Year honors.
Blanco put together an illustrious collegiate career while wrestling for the Red and Black. Known as Sonnieboy during that time, he amassed a program-best 124 wins and earned NCAA Division III All-America honors in both his junior and senior seasons.
Blanco brings extensive collegiate coaching experience to his new head position. He served as an assistant coach at Division III Ohio Wesleyan the past two seasons. During his time with the Battling Bishops, the program had five NWCA Scholar All-Americans and two wrestlers place at the NCAA D-III Central Regionals.
Prior to his stop at OWU, he was an assistant coach for two seasons at former Presidents' Athletic Conference member Thomas More University. Blanco helped the Saints finish 36th in the nation and seventh in the Mid-South Conference in 2019-20, their first season competing in the NAIA. In 2018-19, he helped Thomas More record a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Regional meet. He served as assistant coach and then acting head coach at Muhlenberg (Pa.) College during the 2017-18 academic year. Under his leadership, the Mules placed 14th at the NCAA D-III Mideast Regional.
A two-time team captain at W&J, Blanco finished third at 174 pounds at the 2017 D-III National Championships after securing a fifth place finish at 174 pounds in 2016. In addition to being the all-time wins leader, Blanco remains the program leader in career takedowns (600) as he recorded the top four single-season takedown totals in program history. His 42 victories in 2017 also remain the most in a single season by a W&J wrestler. He was the male recipient of the 2017 Walter C. Cooper Senior Athlete Award, which is presented annually to W&J's top male and female senior athletes.
Blanco received his undergraduate degree in Communications from W&J in May 2017. He was a 2-time All-America selection on the mat, finishing third nationally in 2017 and fifth in 2016. He recorded 124 career wins and twice served as team captain. Blanco continued his education at Thomas More and earned a Master of Arts degree in Ethical Leadership in 2020.
