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John Blake’s World Could Come Crashing Down

On July 6, 2010, SportsAgentBlog.com became the first media entity to discuss the tie between agent Gary Wichard and former UNC associate head coach John Blake, after it was known that the NCAA was investigating the University of North Carolina football program regarding possible rules violations surrounding gifts/benefits received by players from sports agents.  SportsBusiness Journal later found that Blake is still considered a best friend of Wichard, and Yahoo! Sports discovered that John Blake used to be featured in Wichard’s company brochure that he sent to prospective clients.

When I first brought up the Blake/Wichard tie, my source wanted me to write more.  At that point-in-time, it would have been too risky to do so.  All that could be proved was that the two had been friends and “business partners” in the past and might still have had a relationship.  Now that Marvin Austin, the defensive tackle that Blake used to coach, has been subpoenaed by investigators from the office of North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, much more could come out about Blake’s connections with Wichard.  If that occurs, it would not be surprising that Blake gets slapped with his own subpoena.  Then it will be a free-for-all.

Let’s not forget that John Blake is one of the best at recruiting student-athletes to play for his program and then getting them prepared for the NFL.  But if he has been taking his players like Kentwan Balmer, to Gary Wichard, and even possibly receiving kickbacks for the referrals based on the NFL contracts they sign, he could be in major trouble.  I am told that Blake might have used throw-away cell phones in addition to his normal methods of communication during his time coaching at North Carolina.  Being outside of the world of investigatory relations, I have no idea of how one would even begin to look into such a claim like that.

Back to Balmer.  How would you construe Gary Wichard’s quote in the News and Observer from July 17, when he said,

“I’ve never talked to him [Marvin Austin] about representing him. I’ve never gone down there, and I never will.”

There = UNC.  If Wichard had never gone down to UNC to recruit Austin or any other UNC player, that would imply that he also never went to the school to recruit Kentwan Balmer.  If that is the case, then how did Wichard sign Balmer?  How did Wichard meet Balmer, considering that Wichard is all the way on the West Coast?  Who took Balmer to meet him?  Was Blake somehow involved there, as well?  Did he make the trip out west with Balmer?

There are many unanswered questions that may be solved depending on the depth of forthcoming investigations.  Various parties are already taking protective measures.  UNC and Blake have cut ties after Blake’s resignation and Blake has hired multiple prominent lawyers.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

6 replies on “John Blake’s World Could Come Crashing Down”

You were indeed the first to report the Wichard/Blake connection.
Kudos to you.
When Marvin appears before the SoS, he best spill the beans. You know darn well that the SoS will ask him questions they already know the answer to.

Another thing I’d like to add…
When you first broke the Blake/Wichard story, various posters on the UNC message boards questioned (even mocked) your credibility and your website.

When I read the quote attributed to Wichard, I took “there” to mean “down that road” of talking to Austin “about representing him.” It is implausible that his “there” referred to Chapel Hill or Carolina…

Possibly, but later in that article, Wichard says “I really don’t know what’s going on down there.” In that instance, do you also think “there” could mean something other than Chapel Hill/Carolina?

By Post Author

Remember all the evil rapist on the Duke Lacrosse team? Where there is smoke… Without facts, you can guess at anything, and you can hear read just about anything on the web. Someone saying something does not make it true.
Our culture seems to want to get the story first, and worry about the facts later.
To me, its sort of like driving aggressively. I can dodge in and out of traffic, and get to my destination, or I can drive safely and get to my destination 30 seconds later. Thirty seconds is not going to hurt me, but driving dagerously and causing a fatal accident will hurt. So slow down, and the facts will come out. Report those, not, “someone said,””.

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