Avery Blake

Avery Felton Blake Sr. (1907 to 1975) was an American college lacrosse player and coach. Raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in 1925 and played lacrosse at Swarthmore College, captaining the team and acting as student coach in his senior year before taking his degree in 1928. He later served as Swarthmore's 18th lacrosse coach from 1931 to 1959, winning or sharing eight Pennsylvania league titles in 29 seasons and taking the 1953 USILA Class B national title. He also coached at Penn, served as president of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, and was credited by Bob Scott with first popularizing the zone defense. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1961, as was his son Avery Blake Jr.