Ray Blake Position: Assistant Coach Experience: Sixth Season Alma Mater: Stanford '06

Ray Blake, a former Cardinal standout, returns to the Stanford coaching staff for his sixth year as an assistant at the collegiate level in 2012-13.

Last season, Blake helped guide Stanford to an 8-8 dual record and a third-place finish at the Pac-12 Championships in Boise, Idaho, which marked the highest team placing since the 2007-08 campaign. Despite just sending two wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., the Cardinal turned in the third-highest finish (16th) in school history. Under the guidance of Blake, senior Nick Amuchastegui became the first Stanford wrestler to reach the NCAA Finals on multiple occasions, while junior Ryan Mango earned his second career All-America honors.

In 2011-12, Blake assisted in leading the Cardinal to a 9-9-1 dual meet record, a fourth-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships and a program-best 11th-place showing at the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, Pa. Stanford sent four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, producing three All-Americans in the same season for the first time in school history.

In 2009-10, Blake helped direct the Cardinal to 10 wins and send four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in Omaha, Neb. Under Blake's guidance, 165-pounder Nick Amuchastegui captured Stanford's first All-America accolades since 2008 and his fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships was the highest by a Cardinal wrestler since 2004.

In 2008-09, Blake assisted on the staff that posted eight duals wins, had four top-three conference placers for the first time in more than two decades and sent two wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis.

In 2006-07, Blake was part of the staff that led Stanford to an 8-8 mark, helped a school-record five wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships and coached two wrestlers to All-America honors in the same season for the first time in four decades. Blake will focus his efforts on the continued development of the Cardinal middle and upper weights.

Blake captained the Cardinal squad in 2005-06 and led the team to its second winning season in three years with an 8-7 record. The 165-pounder capped off his 41-win senior campaign with his first NCAA Championship appearance and a No. 12 national ranking. Blake earned Pac-10 All-Academic Honorable Mention accolades in his final season and placed third at the 2006 Pac-10 Championships. He also won the 2006 Jake Gimbel Award, presented to the male senior for excellence of attitude in athletic endeavor.

Blake finished his career at Stanford with a 51-18 record and graduated with a degree in psychology in 2006. He and his wife Shoney, a former Stanford softball player, were married in May and reside in Palo Alto.