Remember the coach who put Dayton basketball on the map. The boy from Peebles who worked the family farm by day and dreamed big at night. Remember the quarterback, the teacher, the serviceman. The strategist. The husband. The father.
Leonard Thomas “Tom” Blackburn was born on January 23, 1906, near Rarden, Ohio, and raised in Peebles, Adams County. After excelling in multiple sports at Peebles High School, he worked for the railroad to save enough to attend college. At Wilmington College, he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball—laying the foundation for a life in athletics and leadership.
After coaching successful high school programs in West Carrollton and Xenia, Blackburn served his country in the U.S. Navy during World War II before taking the helm of a struggling University of Dayton basketball team in 1947. Over 17 seasons, he transformed the Flyers into a national powerhouse—earning 352 wins, 10 postseason berths, and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Championship in 1962.
Blackburn’s Flyers reached the NIT finals six times and brought national attention to Dayton basketball, building not only a winning record but a winning culture. More than a coach, he was a mentor and leader who taught the value of discipline, teamwork, and heart.
When Tom Blackburn passed away on March 6, 1964, at the age of 58, he left behind a legacy far greater than wins and banners. He showed what was possible when grit meets vision—when a young man from a small town dedicates his life to excellence.
When we remember Tom Blackburn, we remember how greatness can grow from humble beginnings—and how legacy lives on in the lives we shape.
