Blackwell signed a two-year contract with the massive task of turning around the fortunes of a Leeds team that has been in decline for two years.
"Anybody who gets a job connected with Leeds United Football Club would be very proud and I'm thoroughly delighted today to be named the manager," Blackwell told Sky Sports News. "But I'm under no illusions. Everybody in football knows how big this job is. I'm just proud to be given the opportunity to redevelop the club from top to bottom.
"The club needs revamping. We need to get back to a prudent way of running the club. There have been some great days here, some great players, some great football, but we have to cut everything back now and make sure the club survives. That's the key, that the club and Elland Road are here for a long time to come."
It was suggested that Blackwell was ready to quit after being so badly treated by the club earlier in the week but yesterday afternoon he was summoned to meet with David Richmond after it emerged that Steve Parkin had failed in his £25m bid to take control at Elland Road.
Blackwell has the chance to enforce his own ideas and has a clean slate with Leeds for there is currently no backroom staff, while it is anticipated the majority of the current first-team squad will be sold to further ease debts.