Coaches

Jamie Bladen

Jamie Bladen began as the women's soccer head coach at Oakland City University prior to the 2023-24 season. A native of Doncaster, England, Coach Bladen most recently was the head coach of both the men's and women's soccer programs at Cardinal Stritch University, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the previous seven seasons.


While at Cardinal Stritch University, a fellow NAIA program and members of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, the Wolves won four consecutive men's soccer CCAC regular season and conference tournaments (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-21). The women's team won the 2016 CCAC regular season title, as well as the 2018, 2020-21, and 2022 conference tournament championships.


Under the direction of coach Bladen, the CSU men's team reached a peak of #7 in the NAIA national rankings, while the women's team were ranked as high as #16. The men advanced to the last eight in 2018, while the women's team reached the last 16 the same season. The men's team also reached the last 16 in 2017.


Coach Bladen led the men's program to an overall record of 99-33-11, including a conference mark of 82-14-7, while the women's team went 95-32-6, including a 79-17-3 CCAC record. He coached over 60 all-conference players, including five Player-of-the-Year award winners, and four Freshman-of-the-Year winners. He was named CCAC Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020-21.


Besides a strong showing on the field of play, Bladen also led his teams in the classroom, as both the men's and women's programs consistently held over a 3.5 grade point average under his watch.


Prior to his time at Cardinal Stritch University, Bladen worked with the ECNL U13 to U18/19 program, coaching the first National Championship team for the state of Wisconsin (boys U18 NPL). He also coached and won the Wisconsin State Championship with the U16 boys team, as well as reaching the USYS Region II Championship final. He helped develop numerous players who went on the play at the NCAA DI, DII, DIII, and NAIA levels.


An outstanding player in his own right, Bladen played at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he stayed on as a student-assistant, helping guide the Panthers to a 15-3-2 record, earning their first Horizon League Tournament Championship, as well as the first NCAA DI Tournament berth in team history.


Bladen played for Scunthorpe United Football Club reserve and youth teams in England before starting his collegiate playing career at NCAA Division II Lees-McRae College in North Carolina, where he played in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. He totaled 11 goals and 10 assists, helping the Bobcats to a 31-8-5 record, including two conference titles. He helped send the team to the NCAA DII Tournament, where he scored the winning goal in the first round, the game winner in the Elite Eight, and the winning penalty kick in the Final Four, sending the Bobcats to their first ever NCAA DII National Championship Final.


After transferring to UW-Milwaukee, Bladen started every game during his junior and senior seasons. During his senior year, he was the leading scorer on the team. He also was named to the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll and received his team's Scholar-Athlete Award.


Coach Bladen earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology from UW-Milwaukee in 2014, followed by a Masters of Science in Sports Management and Leadership in 2016.


Lees-McRae College inducted Bladen into their Hall of Fame in 2022.