MONTICELLO, Ark. - Long-time Associate Head Weevils Baseball Coach Mark Jelks has stepped down from his position with the team and joined the Athletics Department staff as the Assistant Athletic Director for External Affairs and Game Day Operations and Facilities.

"Mark is going to be a great addition to the athletics administration", said UAM Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Hud Jackson. "His connection to the local Monticello community runs deep. He's a hard worker and will help continue to grow UAM Athletics to new highs."

Mark Jelks first came to UAM as the assistant baseball coach in August of 2014. After seven years of contribution he was promoted to associate head coach in the spring of 2021. Coach Jelks came to UAM after a two-year stint as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Great American Conference member Arkansas Tech University.

In his time with the UAM baseball program, the Weevils compiled a record of 238-166 with four consecutive GAC championship titles in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, as well as three NCAA regional selections in 2016, 2017, and 2019. Coach Jelks has won five GAC championships in the past nine seasons.

Through his 14 seasons as a coach, Jelks has tutored seven MLB draft selections, 11 All-America award recipients, 21 All-Region honorees, 70 all-conference picks, four Rawlings Gold Glove winners, one Josh Willingham D2 MVP winner, three GAC Player of the Year recipients, two GAC Freshman of the Year winners, two GAC Pitcher of the Year winners, two Josh Willingham D2 MVP Award semi-finalists and two Brett Tomko D2 Pitcher of the Year semi-finalists.

The El Dorado, Arkansas native began his coaching career in 2008, joining Kirk Bock's staff at Bryant High School, where he helped lead the Hornets to three consecutive 7A-Central conference championships (2009-11). The 2010 Hornets won the 7A state title. In his final year at Bryant, the Hornets climbed in the national high school rankings to as high as No. 8 and ended the season with another trip to the state finals. During his three years at Bryant, Jelks mentored 23 all-conference performers and six all-state players.

Prior to joining the staff at Tech, Jelks served a short stint at the University of Central Arkansas as the director of baseball operations, in which he coordinated many of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the Bears baseball program.

Jelks earned a bachelor's degree in general studies from the University of the Ozarks in 2006, he and his wife Kelli had their first child, Georgia Mae in August of 2017 and their second child, Everett Alan this past November.

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