It is with great sadness that the Hillsdale College athletic department bids farewell to a wonderful husband, father, friend, and difference-making coach over more than two decades with the Chargers, Craig Blanchard, who passed away earlier this week.
Born in Jackson, Michigan on June 28, 1959, Blanchard grew up in Hillsdale County in nearby Jonesville, first making his mark in the game as a prep standout at Jonesville High with the Comets. In his senior season, Blanchard led Jonesville to a school-record 8-1 mark in 1976, rushing for 1,706 yards and earning Class C first-team all-state honors, while also excelling in wrestling, baseball and track
He continued his stellar career at Grand Valley St. University from 1977-80, helping the Lakers to GLIAC titles in 1977 and 1978, and leading GVSU and the GLIAC in interceptions in his final season in 1980 after switching to the defensive side of the ball.
His playing career ended, Blanchard returned to Jonesville to begin a coaching career that would span four decades and be filled with distinction. After a year coaching the Comets in high school, Blanchard joined the staff at Hillsdale College in 1982, serving under the legendary Dick Lowry as a defensive backs coach and helping the Chargers to two NAIA playoff appearances in three seasons.
Blanchard moved on to coach defensive backs and linebackers at several more stops over the next several seasons, spending time at Eastern Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, Saginaw Valley St. and a long stint at the University of Indianapolis under former Hillsdale College assistant Joe Polizzi.
But Blanchard's passion for Hillsdale never faded at those multiple stops across the Midwest. When the opportunity came to return to Hillsdale College in 2001 and join then-coach Dave Dye's staff as a linebacker and defensive backs coach, he jumped at the chance.
For the next 21 years, Coach Blanchard would be a rock for the Hillsdale coaching staff. When head coach Keith Otterbein succeeded Dye as coach of the Chargers in 2002, he kept Blanchard on as an assistant, and elevated him to defensive coordinator in 2005. Over the next two decades, Blanchard helped keep Hillsdale competitive against tough schedules, building some of the best defenses and recruiting and developing some of the most talented defensive players the Chargers had ever seen.
Blanchard's defenses played an integral part in Hillsdale's five-year run from 2007- 2012 that included two NCAA Division II playoff appearances and three GLIAC outright or division titles. More recently, following Hillsdale's transition to the G-MAC in 2017, his 2018 unit was the best in the new conference in several categories and helped the Chargers claim another conference title and a return trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs.
During his tenure, Hillsdale produced several defensive All-Americans, including Nate Chambers this past season. Right up until the end, along with defensive assistants John Lindley, Steve Otterbein and Nick Galvan, he helped lay the foundation heading into the 2021 season for a unit that would lead all of NCAA Division II in interceptions in the regular season in Blanchard's absence.
But while success followed Blanchard everywhere he went as a coach, it was never the most important thing about his job. Having graduated at GVSU with a degree in Education, Blanchard's main passion was helping to mold his players into men of character and honor who would do their families and communities proud long after their playing days were over.
That passion is reflected in the number of Blanchard's former players who have gone on to be coaches of distinction themselves at all levels of the game, and in the way he is remembered by multiple generations of athletes at Hillsdale and elsewhere whose lives he impacted throughout his time on Earth.
It's also reflected in the wonderful family Blanchard and his wife, Melanie, built during their time at Hillsdale. Blanchard married Melanie on June 4, 1983 and together, they raised four children, all of whom went on to play intercollegiate athletics: Lauren, who played softball at Adrian College; Kathryn, who played softball at the University of Indianapolis; Michael, who was an All-Conference baseball and football player at Hillsdale; and Aaron, who played football at Adrian College.
Funeral services for Craig Blanchard will be held Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021 at 11 a.m. at the Hillsdale College Christ Chapel with Deacon Aaron Petersen officiating. Internment will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery in Hillsdale. The family will receive friends for visitation on Wednesday, Dec. 29 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Hillsdale College Biermann Center. Arrangements are entrusted to VanHorn-Eagle Funeral Home in Hillsdale.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Craig Blanchard Memorial Scholarship c/o Hillsdale County Community Foundation.
For more information on the ceremony, please visit Craig Blanchard's obituary page at the Eagle Funeral Homes website.