Central College Athletics

Four-time Summit League coach of the year Mel Blasi joined the Central College staff as head coach of its championship-rich men’s golf program prior to the 2018-19 season.’

His Central squad's have posted top-three American Rivers team finishes each season of his tenure. He's had eight players place in the top 10 at the American Rivers Conference Championships to earn all-conference honors.
               
Blasi spent 21 seasons at NCAA Division I Western Illinois University in Macomb, piloting the Leathernecks to conference crowns in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008. His teams secured 26 tournament titles, including Indiana University’s Hoosier Invitational in 2016. He coached the first two Division I all-America performers in program history and his players won 32 all-conference awards
               
A highly regarded swing instructor, Blasi was the director of golf operation at the university’s Harry Mussatto Golf Course from 1998-2018, Blasi spearheaded fund raising for a $1.2-million course expansion in 2001 and a $625,000 clubhouse addition in 2017.
               
Prior to coaching at Western Illinois, Blasi piloted Monmouth (Ill.) High School to an Illinois state title and served as a graduate assistant women’s golf coach for two seasons at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, where he earned a master’s degree.
               
Blasi graduated from Western Illinois and led his team to a league title. He was the Mid-Continent Universities Conference player of the year. A Burlington, Iowa native, Blasi was an all-state golfer and basketball standout at Monmouth High School.

Achievements

Central College

• (8) American Rivers All-Conference performers
• (4) team tournament titles

Western Illinois University

• (4) Summit League championships - 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
• (4) Summit League coach of the year - 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
• 26 Division I tournament titles

Monmouth (Ill.) High School

• Illinois State High School championship (1995)
• Illinois State High School, fourth place (1996)

Athletics career

• Association of Mid-Continent Universities men’s golf player of the year, 1985
• All-state basketball player and golfer at Monmouth (Ill.) High School
• McDonald’s All-American basketball team nominee

Men's golf year-by-year results