Blaine Barthel is entering his first season as head coach of Blue Knights Baseball. Barthel most recently served as a pitching coach at IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL). He helped implement year long pitching plans for over sixty athletes. Two of those athletes were drafted in the 2021 MLB Draft. 

Before IMG Academy, Barthel served as the director of player development at Luther College, his third stint there working for head coach Bryan Nikkel. He helped design player development plans for the pitchers and hitters. Also assisted with team practice planning.

Prior to Luther College, Barthel served as volunteer assistant and camp director at Morehead State University (Kentucky). Helped lead the Eagles to their first 40-win season (2019) in school history working with catchers and pitchers. The Eagles also lead the Ohio Valley Conference in pitching and hitting. Barthel coached two pitchers takes in the 2019 MLB Draft.

Before Morehead State University, Barthel served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Luther College (Iowa), his second stint there. He helped a starting pitcher become an All-American and the 2018 Iowa Conference Pitcher of the Year as well as having two National Pitcher of the Week honors bestowed upon the staff. He also coordinated all camps and clinics and led the social media effort for the program.

Prior to Luther, Barthel served two seasons as a graduate assistant at Southwest Minnesota University. There he coached multiple all-conference players and helped recruit and sign more than 25 student-athletes in two seasons.

He was an assistant coach and the pitching coach at Luther during the 2015 season. One of his pitchers was named First-Team All-Central Region and two were named all-conference.

Barthel also served as a head coach for St. Michael (Minn.) Legion Baseball from June 2012 to July 2015 and assisted at St. Michael-Albertville High School.

Barthel played two seasons at Itasca (Minn.) Community College before transferring to Minnesota-Duluth, where he lettered one season.

He graduated from UMD in 2013 with a Bachelor's Degree in psychology and earned his Master's Degree in physical education/coaching of sport from Southwest Minnesota in 2017.