Coach Blount literally grew up playing volleyball. He had no choice because his older brother Mike and father, Earl, were avid players. Hitting and peppering balls at the beach, in the backyard or the living room were common. A few lamps were broken along the way, too. He graduated from Mira Costa in 1971 and played on their Mustangs club team. He attended El Camino from 1971-73. Dick transferred to San Diego State University in 1974, majored in business management and graduated with a BS degree. He earned his Masters Degree from Azusa Pacific University in Physical Education in 2002.

Blount recalls, “my first Manhattan Open was in 1965 or ‘66. I played with my brother Mike who had silk-screened t-shirts that read Gerber’s Exhibition team. On the back was a diaper rapped around an 18 - patch leather volleyball. We went a few rounds before getting knocked out. In those days there was no limit to the number of players allowed to play. All winners’ matches were 2 out of 3 to 11, side-out scoring. Losers played one game to 15 and there was a double final at the end.”

Blount spent a number of years coaching in the Manhattan Beach Recreation Department. He taught hundreds of beach players to play and appreciate volleyball. He took over the head-coaching job at Palos Verdes High School in 1989 turning a dormant team into a contender. After the PV schools merged, Blount accepted a position with Mike Cook at Mira Costa and coached the JV & varsity teams for six seasons. His overall match total in high school was 87-17.

In 2001, Blount took over a sputtering El Camino men's team that was 5-11 in his first year and 12-5 his second. Along the way, the team placed second in the South Coast Conference and third place in the state. His peers voted Blount Co-Coach of the Year that season. Coach Blount also worked as an assistant coach with the El Camino women’s team from 2002 through 2005. Those teams earned several South Coast Conference titles, five State tournament seedings, a 4th place in the state in 2002 and a 3rd place in the state in 2005.

For the last 15 years, Dick has been the backrow specialist on a beach 6-man team composed of past and present Stanford All-Stars and former National Team players. They are regulars in the Charlie Saikley 6-man open volleyball tournament held in Manhattan Beach playing under names like: Super Friends, Mexicans, Mullets, Tennis Legends, Cops, Globo Gym, Sausage Fest, Snow White and the 27 Dwarfs and Pirates.

In the off-season, Blount coaches indoor club teams and beach players. He is a founding member of the Professional Coaches of Beach/Sand Volleyball Inc. certified by USA Volleyball. From those contacts and others, he has coached dozens and dozens of collegiate and professional beach players from the USA and abroad. The competitions his players have participated in include AVP, FIVB and Pan Am games events.

Some of the beach greats, I’ve hit balls at include Canyon Ceman, Josh Cannon, Kurt Peters, Cam Green, Jeremy Simkins, John Thompson, Chad Mallory, Dave Goss, Andy & Larry Witt, Adam Jewell, Ali Wood, Christen Bloomquist, Ben Saxton, Mark Ellington, Wes Montgomery, Anna Aquino, Frida Larios, Carlos Leiva and Greg Weaver,” he recalls.

Blount has raced sailboats since 1974 including 25 national and 5 world championship events. He has also been a part of the management teams for another 26 national and 18 world championships including the 1996 Olympics. Hobbies include writing, surfing, sailing, skiing and model aircraft.