University of Dubuque

Blaze Barista is coaching the Spartans outside linebackers in 2021. 

A University of Dubuque graduate, Barista was a two-sport athlete participating in football and track and field. He was a four-year starter on the football team at defensive back from 2016-2019. In 2019, he was named First Team All-American River Conference and Second Team AFCA & AP All-American. Barista was named male athlete of the year for UD in 2019-2020 as well as a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award in 2019. Barista was a part of the track and field team in 2016-2018 as long and triple jumper. Barista placed second at the indoor conference championship in 2017 to help the team to win it's first indoor championship in program history.

A standout on the field and in the classroom, Barista earned Academic All-Iowa / American Rivers Conference five times (3-football, 2-track and field) while also being inducted to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. Barista was also named a finalist in 2019 for the AFCA good works team.

Barista earned his bachelor’s degree from UD in spring 2020 where he majored in sports marketing and management, and with a minor in business. He is currently working on his master's degree here at UD in Sports Management. 

A native of Wheaton, Ill., Barista was a 5-time letter winner (two in football and three in track and field) at Wheaton Warrenville South High School.