BRISTOL, Tenn. – King University vice president for athletics,
David Hicks announced the hire of
Marquis Clark (pronounced MAR-key) as head men's volleyball coach today.
"Marquis brings a championship mindset to a championship program," said Hicks. His advanced understanding of volleyball, experience at various levels, and passion for the sport make him the ideal candidate to continue our success in men's volleyball. His commitment to the student-athlete experience and excellence in every area is evident in every interaction with him. I'm excited to watch him lead our men's volleyball program to more championships and success."
Clark most recently has served as an assistant coach for the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) women's volleyball program from 2020-22. He helped lead the Buccaneers to the Southern Conference (SoCon) regular season title in 2022 with a 15-1 record in league play. ETSU posted a 21-8 overall record that season and advanced to the SoCon semifinals. He also served as an assistant coach for the Buccaneers from 2014-15.
For the last seven years, Clark has been the coaching coordinator for Tri-Cities Extreme Volleyball Club in Bristol, Tenn.
"I'd like to thank vice president for athletics, David Hicks and the entire hiring committee for their time during this process," Clark said. "I couldn't be more excited to be joining the King University community and to have the opportunity to work with an extraordinary group of young men. I'd also like to thank former head coach Ryan Booher for building an incredibly strong men's program. This was the right opportunity at the right time in the right place for me and my family. I'm humbled by the trust placed in me by this team and the administration and I can't wait to get to work."
While serving as an assistant coach at ETSU, Clark has also served as an assistant coach for USAV High Performance Team Florida since 2021. The team won a Girls International Youth gold medal in 2021 and a silver medal in 2023.
Prior to that he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Brevard College from 2014-16 as well as a volunteer assistant coach at Wichita State University from 2013-14. In his first season at Wichita State, he helped the Shockers win the Missouri Valley Conference and earn a spot in the 2013 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship. Clark got his start in coaching in 2010 as the head coach at Cloud Community College, a title he held until 2013.
In 2023, Clark was a recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Diversity Award.
Clark graduated from Kansas State University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Women's Studies before earning a Master of Arts in Political Science and women's studies from Kansas State in 2008. He was named to the Big 12 all-academic team and earned the Sylvester Awrad in 2004 as a member of the track team.
