Scott Marksberry Named Men’s Soccer Coach
SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. (January 21, 2013) - Scott Marksberry has been tabbed as the next men’s soccer coach, effective immediately, Director of Athletics Robyn Daugherty announced today. Marksberry, transitioning over to the men’s squad after two seasons at the helm of the women’s soccer program at John Brown, replaces the recently-departed John Miglarese, who accepted a job at King (Tenn.) earlier this month.
"Scott is a great fit for the men’s program and we are excited to see the continued progress that will occur under his leadership," Daugherty said. "Scott is a strong leader and a great visionary. I believe the student-athletes will really grow on and off the field under his leadership."
"I am honored that Robyn, Dr. Beers and Dr. Pollard all felt that this would be a good long-term move for John Brown," admitted Marksberry. "My family and I are really enjoying our time in Siloam Springs and we are excited about the growth of the campus and the community.
"It has been a lot of fun to watch my three young children settle into life in Siloam Springs. In just two years here, they have already played instruments with Siloam Springs High School band at a football game, hiked trails in Northwest Arkansas and swam the 'rapids' of the Illinois River. It already feels like home for them."
During the 2011 and 2012 seasons, Marksberry guided the ladies to an overall mark of 17-14-4 while earning a 10-8-1 in Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) play. This past season, the Golden Eagles vastly improved its defense behind the sterling play of freshman standout goalkeeper Kristen Morency as the John Brown defense limited teams to an average of 1.1 goals per game while doubling the 2011 shutout completions, improving from four clean slates to eight. Under Marksberry's tutelage, three Golden Eagles were nominated to the 2012 SAC All-Conference squads, headlined by Morency and senior midfielder Cheyenne Padgett's first-team nods.
John Brown, after completing a first-round conference tournament shootout upset over Rogers State (Okla.), fell in a hard-fought semifinal match at then-No. 6 Oklahoma City, 1-0. The Stars would eventually fall in the round of 16 at the NAIA National Tournament. The Golden Eagles finished in fifth place during SAC regular season action, one spot better than its 2011 finish.
"The idea of moving to the men’s team was initially presented to me by John (Miglarese), as he was processing his move to King College. It was a move I would consider only if everyone involved thought that it would be a good, long-term fit. As we had the chance to progress through the change, it became evident that the administration and I were all on the same page about the future of both the men’s and women’s teams. I look forward to continuing to shape the men’s program into a team that is a great representation of JBU and our community."
While excited with the opportunities the men's squad provides, Marksberry will certainly cherish his time with the ladies.
"My time with the women’s team was a really important time for shaping my vision for athletic competition at John Brown. We asked the girls to take on some difficult challenges and they handled those challenges with grace, poise and determination. The girls have worked extremely hard over the past 18 months to redefine their team identity. They did this, at times, in the face of incredible adversity. I am excited about the future of the women’s soccer program; the girls are primed to do some really great things next fall, and for the seasons to come."
Prior to his arrival at John Brown, Marksberry spent the 2008-10 seasons as the head varsity girls' soccer coach at Wheaton Academy in Wheaton, Ill. There Marksberry accumulated three extremely successful seasons which included a 2009 2A Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state championship. For his efforts in 2009, he was named the National Christian School Athletic Association (NCSAA) Coach of the Year. While the head coach at Wheaton, Marksberry produced one Parade All-American and four NCSAA All-Americans while landing a player on the All-State squad, six on the All-Sectional team and an impressive 12 players were given All-Conference accolades. Marksberry amassed a 50-12-3 record over three seasons.
From 2006-07, Marksberry returned to his alma mater at Union (Tenn.) where he held the position of assistant men's soccer coach. While in Jackson, the Bulldogs went 18-13-3, earning a spot in the NAIA Regional Tournament. Union boasted an impressive No. 9 in the nation ranking during the 2006 campaign.
Marksberry began his time in the coaching profession after graduation, spending three and a half years as the Assistant Director of Operations at Memphis Athletic Ministries, an organization dedicated to providing hope and a future to the at-risk youth of inner-city Memphis, Tenn. through the vehicle of sport. While under his administration, the programs saw a 250 percent increase in participation as Marksberry undertook the responsibilities of marketing, scheduling and managing leagues in over 20 locations around Memphis.
The Union University men's soccer record book is riddled with Marksberry's name as, during his time as a collegiate athlete, he found himself landing in numerous top-10 categories in program history. The three-year captain holds the top spot in career games started (87) and games played (89), while finishing with the seventh-best career goals tallied (23) and fourth-best career assists mark (25). Marksberry was also an impressive student, gaining National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Scholar-Athlete nods in 2000 and 2001. On the pitch awards accumulated by Marksberry included an NCCAA first-team All-American nomination in 2001 after earning Honorable Mention accolades the year prior. He graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts degree in Recreation and Sports, notching the highest grade point average among students in his major.
In order to stay at the top of his game at Union, Marksberry trained during the summers with the Botafogo FC in Riberao Preto, Brazil. Botafogo competes in the Campeonato Paulista which is the top professional soccer league in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo.
Marksberry is taking over the men's program in the midst of shifting in the Sooner Athletic Conference as Lubbock Christian (Texas) and Rogers State (Okla.) leave the conference for the NCAA while the SAC welcomes three new programs from Texas in Northwood, Southwestern Assemblies of God and Texas Wesleyan. Besides preparing for these new challenges, Marksberry will look to maintain the positive momentum gained by the men after an appearance in the SAC conference tournament championship game last fall.
"My initial priorities all involve 'familiarity'," Marksberry noted. "I want to familiarize myself with the team and get the guys familiar with the way that I approach the game. I think that John (Miglarese) and I are doing very similar things in terms of building team culture and playing a fast-paced, possession-oriented brand of the game. While each coach takes slightly different paths to achieve those goals, in order to keep everyone on the same page during the transition, we have to put a priority on developing a common language within the team. Ultimately, we want to continue growing into a program that is glorifying Christ through high-level soccer."
The Golden Eagles will open its 2013 slate of games on August 17 with a tentative match against Oklahoma Wesleyan at Alumni Field.
