Kangas previously served on staff for the Big 12 Champion Oklahoma State Cowboys.
TAMPA (July 2, 2024) – University of South Florida head baseball coach Mitch Hannahs has announced the hire of Blake Kangas to join his inaugural staff as an assistant coach. Kangas brings an extensive resume to the Bulls with an abundance of postseason success.
Kangas arrives in Tampa after spending the previous two seasons as the Director of Player Development at Oklahoma State University. The Cowboys posted a combined for of 83-39 record with Kangas on staff, won the 2024 Big 12 Tournament championship and hosted back-to-back NCAA Regionals in Stillwater.
At Oklahoma State, Kangas worked with the trio of Carson Benge, Brian Holiday and Nolan Schubart, who were each named All-Americans by Baseball America, Perfect Game/Rawlings and the NCBWA. Benge was also one of five finalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award and a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy.
Kangas has a wealth of experience across the Division I, JUCO and NAIA levels. Prior to Oklahoma State, he had his first stint in Florida as an assistant coach for five seasons at Keiser University in West Palm Beach. He previously spent four years as a volunteer assistant coach at Kansas State, has worked as a Major League Baseball associate scout, served as an assistant at his alma mater, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Feather Rive College, and in 2009, was an assistant coach for the Cape Cod League champion Bourne Braves.
While at Keiser, Kangas coached six All-Americans on teams that set numerous school records and advanced to the 2021 NAIA World Series. At Kansas State, he was part of the coaching staff for the Wildcats’ 2013 Big 12 championship and NCAA Super Regional team, and he helped mentor three All-Americans and eight position players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.
Kangas played collegiately at Madison College and Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he graduated in 2007 before beginning his coaching career there.
Following his tenure at UWM, Kangas spent five years at Feather River College in Quincy, California. While there, he directed some of the top offenses in the California JUCO ranks and helped lead the Golden Eagles to four conference championships. Eight of his players earned All-America honors and six were MLB Draft picks.
About USF Baseball
The South Florida Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and will enter its 60th campaign in 2025. Mitch Hannahs was named South Florida’s eighth head coach in program history on June 8, 2024 after compiling 355 wins over 11 seasons at Indiana State. The 2023 ABCA NCAA DI Midwest Region Coach of the Year guided the Sycamores to six conference titles and five NCAA Regionals.
The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. The Bulls have won five conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt, 1 Metro and 1 American) and six regular season championships (3 Sun Belt, 2 Metro and 1 C-USA). USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018, and 19 have earned Freshman All-America accolades, most recently Eric Snow in 2023. USF has had 131 MLB Draft Picks. Former 2018 first-round draft pick, Shane McClanahan, is a two-time MLB All-Star.
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