Blaize Cabell is in his seventh season as an assistant coach at Navy after spending the 2019-20 season as the volunteer assistant coach at Campbell.
Cabell works primarily with the wrestlers at 184, 197 and 285 pounds.
During the 2025-26 season, Cabell played a vital role in developing the upper weights as Navy posted a 6-5 dual record and won three of five duals against Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) opponents.
His work was highlighted by the immediate success of freshman Spencer Lanosga, who became the 10th freshman in program history to win an individual title at the Navy Classic after capturing the 285-pound crown. Lanosga carried that momentum into the postseason, punching his ticket to the NCAA National Championship.
Additionally, under Cabell's guidance, freshman Payton Thomas earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship with a fourth-place finish at the EIWA tournament. The upper-weight group also delivered at the Navy Classic, placing three additional wrestlers on the podium.
In 2023-24, Cabell's upper-weight wrestlers anchored the Mids. He guided David Key (184) to an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championship, marking the first time a Midshipman earned All-America honors during head coach Cary Kolat’s tenure and the program's first overall since 2016.
Cabell also played a key role in the success of heavyweight Grady Griess, who won 26 matches, took first place at the Navy Classic and clinched his second trip to the NCAA Championship.
During the 2022-23 season, three of Navy’s five NCAA qualifiers worked directly with Cabell. He helped Griess to a team-leading 32 victories and the 109th individual EIWA title in program history. Jacob Koser (197) and Key also qualified for the NCAA Championship after securing top-four finishes at the conference tournament.
In 2021-22, Cabell worked alongside Koser, who recorded 26 wins and placed third at the EIWA Championship. He also mentored a trio of heavyweights — Ryan Catka, Griess and Riley Smith — who combined for 57 wins. Catka’s 23 victories were the most by a Navy heavyweight since 2008.
Cabell and the Navy staff arrived in Annapolis at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, navigating a shortened 2020-21 season. The Mids won their final five duals and placed second at the EIWA Championship, the program’s best finish since 2013. Seven Mids wrestled in the conference semifinals, and nine represented Navy at the NCAA Championship — the most for the program since 1969.
Before his time at Navy, Cabell helped Campbell wrap up the 2019-20 season with an 11-2 record and a sweeping 7-0 mark in conference action. The Camels secured their second straight Southern Conference regular-season title and captured the SoCon Tournament Championship. Cabell’s responsibilities included developing the 197-pound and heavyweight athletes, guiding heavyweight Jere Heino to his third NCAA Tournament berth.
A three-time NCAA qualifier at heavyweight during his collegiate career at Northern Iowa, Cabell was the 2016 Mid-American Conference Champion. Following graduation, he competed for the Panther Wrestling Club and the Valley Regional Training Center, placing fourth at the Senior Men’s Freestyle World Team Trials (97 kilograms) in 2018.
He and his wife, Kate, reside in Annapolis with their son.
