Marty Gordon
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Shelley Blumenthal is one of the longest tenured soccer coaches in the state of Virginia, but after 33 years, he announced this past week he would be hanging up his whistle.
In those 33 years, he has had 637 wins, 56 losses and 25 ties, and included an undefeated 2026 season with a Class 4 title. Blumenthal’s tenure has included 13 state championships, 10 state runner-up finishes, 24 region championships, seven region runner-up finishes and 32 district (or conference championships when the VHSL had conferences rather than districts) championships.
The ball coach said he had been thinking about it for the past couple of years and the time seems right.
“Our program culture is strong and our standards are high. The 2025 and 2026 seasons were especially rewarding,” he said.
He was recently named one of the News Messenger’s all-county, all-city coaches of the decade.
This will also be his fifth year as a seasonal assistant coach at Roanoke College with the men’s soccer program.
“I am committed to this fall (college soccer is played in the fall). I hope to have the opportunity to visit family and friends more frequently. And, of course, to root for the Blacksburg Bruins from a bit farther away. We will see,” Blumenthal said.
He had served as a counselor at Blacksburg High School before his retirement and has his PhD, thus he has earned the right to be known as Dr. Blumenthal, both on and off the soccer field.
A search for his replacement will begin immediately.
