Long-time NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball assistant coach Mark Morefield has been named the new head coach of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women’s basketball program, UMHB Vice-President for Athletics Randy Mann announced. Morefield will officially assume head coaching duties on April 27th as he takes over a program that finished 13-13 overall and fell in the first round of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament last season. He becomes just the ninth coach in the history of UMHB women’s basketball.
“We are excited to have someone of Mark’s experience joining our women’s basketball program,” Mann said. “Mark is highly energetic and has a proven track record as a recruiter. We look forward to a bright future under his guidance. He comes highly recommended professionally and personally by a number of people both in the college basketball world and in the central Texas community.”
Morefield spent eight seasons as an assistant coach on Scott Drew’s staff at Baylor University. The Bears advanced to two NCAA Tournaments during his tenure, including an appearance in the Elite Eight in 2010. Morefield also coached three future NBA players at Baylor, with two of those going in the first round of the NBA draft. He was twice named one of Rivals.com’s Top 25 recruiters and helped recruit six Top 20 national recruiting classes over a ten-year span. With the Bears, Morefield served as the team’s recruiting coordinator, oversaw the offense, supervised individual workouts and scouting. Morefield moved to Baylor after spending five years as an assistant coach at Valparaiso University under Homer and Scott Drew. The Crusaders posted four 20-win seasons in that time and made three NCAA Tournaments appearances. He spent four years as a student assistant at Valparaiso and the Crusaders recorded at least 20 wins in each of those seasons, made three NCAA Tournament appearances and advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2008. Morefield has one year of professional experience as an assistant coach with the Texas Legends of the NBDL and was also a draft consultant for the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets in 2012. He has coached a pair of professional teams in international competition in the off-season and has also coached two Athletes in Action teams on international tours.
“I am extremely excited to become a part of the UMHB family,” Morefield said. “I am looking forward to the challenge ahead and to getting started working on building a nationally competitive program.”
Morefield spent last season as the boys’ basketball coach at Vanguard College Preparatory School in Waco. He led the Vikings to a 26-5 record and the TAPPS Sweet 16. He also served as girls’ basketball coach at Texas Christian Academy in Waco for one year and also works with a developmental basketball program in Waco. Morefield is a 1998 graduate of Valparaiso University. He is married to Danika, the daughter of Baylor Women’s Basketball Associate Head Coach Bill Brock. The couple has two sons, Harrison and Ryan.
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