Mark Campbell - Women's Basketball Coach

Mark Campbell

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
MARK.CAMPBELL@tcu.edu

MEDIA

Inside TCU women's basketball best start in program history (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Authenticity, vision the driving force behind Mark Campbell's rebuild of TCU Women's Basketball (Horned Frog Blitz)
Why Mark Campbell has what it takes to turn around TCU's women's basketball program (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

From the moment he was hired, Mark Campbell has restored TCU women's basketball to national relevance.

Campbell was named the eighth head women’s basketball coach in TCU athletics history on March 21, 2023, and success has followed at every turn. Two years after inheriting a TCU program that went 8-23 (.258) the season prior to his arrival, Campbell led the Horned Frogs to a clean sweep of the Big 12 regular season and tournament championships and on a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in 2024-25. Under Campbell's direction, TCU finished 34-4 overall, earned a No. 2 seed in the Big Dance and checked in at No. 6 in the final AP Top 25. Campbell guided the Horned Frogs to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 15 seasons and the university's first Big 12 basketball championships since joining the league in 2012. A 20-year veteran of the coaching industry, Campbell was duly honored by his peers as Big 12 Coach of the Year and as one of four finalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award.

With Campbell at the helm, TCU has enjoyed the greatest turnaround in college basketball ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. Campbell has facilitated a combined 26-game year-over win improvement - the largest of any program nationwide - over the last two seasons. TCU and Campbell's run to an undisputed Big 12 regular season championship in 2024-25 saw the program become one of only two in conference history to capture a league title within two seasons of finishing in last place. Campbell augmented TCU's year-over conference win tally by 12 games in 2024-25, good for the largest single-season increase in college basketball and largest year-over-year conference regular season win percentage improvement (.556) at the Power Conference level.

Before touching down in the Lone Star State, Campbell served two seasons as head coach at Sacramento State from 2021-23, guiding the Hornets to their first-ever Big Sky regular season and tournament championships and first NCAA Tournament berth in his final year at the helm. Campbell came to northern California following a seven-year assistant coaching tenure at Oregon, where he became widely regarded as the nation’s best recruiter. While in Eugene, Campbell was responsible for the recruitment of three top-10 picks in the 2020 WNBA Draft in Sabrina Ionescu (No. 1), Satou Sabally (No. 2) and Ruthy Hebard (No. 8). He also assembled the No. 1 overall recruiting class in 2020, a group that included five players who were both consensus top-25 talents and McDonald's All-Americans.

Across his two decades in the industry, Campbell has recruited and coached 15 WNBA or NBA Draft selections, most recently mentoring Hailey Van Lith into the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Of equal note, nine of Campbell's former players competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics, including Ionescu and Van Lith, who respectively earned gold and bronze medals for Team USA in 5-on-5 and 3x3. In four years as a head coach, three of Campbell's point guards have claimed conference player of the year honors; Van Lith (TCU, 2025), Kahlaijah Dean (Sac State, 2023) and Lianna Tillman (Sac State, 2022). Campbell has coached nine All-American players in his career, among them Van Lith and Sedona Prince during the 2024-25 season.

Over the past two seasons, Campbell and the Horned Frogs have shattered nearly every major school record, including single-season marks for total wins (34), home wins (21, Big 12 wins (19) and ranked wins (nine) in 2024-25. A hallmark of Campbell's spread pick-n-roll offense, TCU drained an NCAA-leading 354 threes last season and has knocked down 666 deep balls over the last two seasons, which are are the most ever by a Big 12 team in a two-year period and the third-most of any D1 program since 2023.

Campbell's leadership has reinvigorated a passion for women's basketball across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. His 2024-25 Horned Frogs squad inspired a 65.5 percent increase in total fan attendance from the 2023-24 season. TCU and Campbell increased their cumulative attendance figure by 29,332 fans and drew the largest home crowd to ever attend a TCU women’s sporting event (7,494 fans) in its second round NCAA Tournament victory over Louisville.

Career Coaching Highlights

2025 Big 12 Coach of the Year
2025 Naismith Coach of the Year finalist
2023 Big Sky Coach of the Year
10-time conference champion coach
Has facilitated a combined 48-game year-over-year win improvement in four seasons as a head coach
94-40 career head coaching record
Has recruited and coached 13 WNBA Draft picks, including six first round selections; Sabrina Ionescu (No. 1, 2020), Satou Sabally (No. 2, 2020), Nyara Sabally (No. 5, 2021), Ruthy Hebard (No. 8, 2020), Hailey Van Lith (No. 11, 2025) and Sydney Wiese (No. 11, 2017)
Has coached five players to seven combined conference player of the year accolades
- Hailey Van Lith (Big 12, 2025)
- Kahlaijah Dean (Big Sky, 2023)
- Lianna Tillman (Big Sky, 2022)
- Sabrina Ionescu (Pac-12, 2018-20)
- Jillian Alleyne (Pac-12, 2016)
First TCU basketball coach to win a Big 12 Championship and reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament
Won a TCU basketball record 34 games in 2024-25
Four-time Elite Eight participant (2017-19, 2025)
2019 NCAA Final Four
Pioneered Sacramento State to a school record 25 wins and the institution's first NCAA Tournament appearance in men's or women's basketball in 2022-23
Developed Sabrina Ionescu into a two-time Wooden Award and Wade Trophy winner in 2019 and 2020
Assembled the No. 1 and No. 3 overall recruiting classes in 2020 and 2016, respectively, at Oregon
Guided Oregon to six consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including a trio of Elite Eight appearances from 2017-2019 and the program’s first-ever Final Four in 2019

2024-25
The 2024-25 season was the greatest in TCU men's and women's basketball history by every measure. Two seasons after finishing dead last in the Big 12, Campbell guided TCU to a clean sweep of the conference regular season and tournament titles, a No. 2 seed and Elite Eight run in the NCAA Tournament and a school record 34 victories. Campbell delivered TCU its first Big 12 basketball championships, its first NCAA Tournament berth in 15 years and became the first head coach to lead a Horned Frog basketball team to the second weekend of the Big Dance. TCU attained its highest AP Top 25 ranking ever at No. 6 following its Big 12 tournament title and maintained the mark in the season's final poll. Campbell and the Horned Frogs defeated a school record nine ranked teams, highlighted by the program's highest-ranked win in a nonconference defeat of No. 3 Notre Dame and first victories over national power Baylor in 35 years. TCU finished unbeaten at home (21-0) for the first time ever and capped its showcase along Stadium Dr by hosting NCAA Tournament games for the first time ever.

TCU again led the Power Conference ranks in year-over win improvement differential (+13) and topped the charts in conference percentage increase (+556). Campbell's squad led the nation in 3-pointers (354) and finished as the only team nationwide ranked in the top-10 in 3-pointers, 3-point percentage (6th,.380) and 3-pointers per game (9th, 9.5). The Horned Frogs' 34 victories were tied for the fourth-most of any D1 program. TCU also earned the distinction of being the sole team at the Power Conference level to win both an undisputed regular season league title and conference tournament championship.

Campbell vaulted TCU into the mainstream well before the season even began with the recruitment of eventual Big 12 Player of the Year Hailey Van Lith. The transfer guard was named to the 2024 USA Basketball 3x3 Women's National Team just weeks after pledging to Campbell and went on to lead the Americans to a bronze medal at the Paris Games, becoming TCU's first Olympics medalist in 24 years. Van Lith became Campbell's eighth of nine All-Americans at season's end, as she earned accolades from every major publication, including third team honors by the Associated Press and U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Together, Campbell and Van Lith were the architects of college basketball's most captivating story and their contributions were reflected in the year-end awards roundup. Campbell was crowned Big 12 Coach of the Year and was honored as one of four finalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year award. He became the first coach in the history of the Big 12 to garner Conference Coach of the Year honors withintwo seasons of joining the league and was the only Naismith Coach of the Year finalist who has spent less than five seasons in a head coaching capacity. Campbell coached Van Lith to a sweep of Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Year honors. Van Lith was one of three All-Big 12 first team players Campbell mentored alongside Sedona Prince and Madison Conner. All three players were Naismith Starting Five Awards finalists at their respective positions. Van Lith broke TCU's single-season records for points scored (683) and assists (204) and was one of only three players in the country in 2024-25 to record 600 points and 200 assists. Conner drilled an NCAA-leading 128 threes en route to becoming a Drysdale Award finalist for the first time in her career. Prince closed out her college career with a trio of honorable mention All-American citations from the Associated Press, USBWA and WBCA was tabbed as a Lisa Leslie Award top-five finalist.

2023-24
Campbell facilitated a 13-game year-over-year win improvement – the largest of any Power Six conference program – in his first year in Fort Worth. TCU finished with a 21-12 overall record and earned its first postseason berth in five years, advancing to the second round of the WBIT. Behind Campbell, TCU enjoyed the largest year-over-year win improvement and win percentage increase (.399) of all Power Six conference programs, leading the country in both metrics among teams with a first-year head coach. The Horned Frogs ranked third and fourth, respectively, across the national ranks in winning percentage differential and year-over win total. Campbell was one of only four head coaches to more than double his team’s overall win tally from 2022-23. TCU finished as one of only two teams in the country ranked in the top-10 nationally in 3-pointers, 3-point percentage and 3-point percentage differential. Campbell also led TCU to its earliest AP top-25 ranking in 13 years and ascended the Horned Frogs as high as 22^nd in the NCAA NET Rankings.

Known for facilitating rapid rebuilds, Campbell more than lived up to his reputation. Campbell led TCU to its first postseason berth in five years, as the Horned Frogs received a No. 3 seed in the WBIT and advanced to the second round of the inaugural event. Campbell sparked the program renaissance by leading TCU to its best start to a season in school history. TCU won 14 straight games to begin the year, running the table in nonconference play for the second time ever and setting a program record for consecutive victories. Along the way, Campbell became the first TCU head men’s or women’s basketball coach to break into The Associated Press poll in year one on the job. TCU cracked the AP top-25 on Dec. 18, 2023 – its earliest appearance in 13 years – and attained a season-high ranking of 23^rd the following week. Campbell also guided TCU to its best-ever NCAA Net Ranking, as the Horned Frogs ascended as high as 22^nd in the tables after ending the 2022-23 season tabbed No. 131.

TCU broke six school records in 2023-24, setting new all-time marks for 3-pointers (312), season assist average (16.7), season rebounding defense (34.2), 3-point attempts (862) and consecutive wins (14). The Horned Frogs also notched the second-most assists (551) in a season in program history. Individually, Madison Conner knocked down a school record 100 threes in Campbell’s spread pick-and-roll offense. Conner became the fifth Big 12 player to reach triple figures in threes in a season while TCU produced the third-highest 3-pointer per game average (9.5) in conference history.

Under Campbell, Conner and Sedona Prince became the top-two scorers in the Big 12 and the nation’s highest-scoring tandem as the only duo in the country to average 20 points per game apiece. Both players garnered postseason all-conference accolades despite missing significant time due to injury, with Conner tabbed to the All-Big 12 second team. Prince was one of 10 centers named a Lisa Leslie Award finalist – the first TCU player to achieve the milestone – and was selected to the Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 Watch List.

Ticket demands and community interest in TCU women’s basketball bloomed amidst the Frogs’ record-setting first year under Campbell. A total of 44,806 fans packed the purple bleachers over 20 home games, constituting a 55 percent increase in total fan attendance from the previous season. Campbell’s squad also helped inspire a 102 percent increase in student attendance.

Campbell couped the nation’s No. 11 overall and the Big 12’s top-rated transfer class in the 2023 recruiting cycle according to the On3’s Team Transfer Portal Index. TCU signed three players featured in World Exposure Report’s expanded top-100 player rankings in Prince (No. 25), Conner (No. 66) and No. 92 Agnes Emma-Nnopu. Campbell’s six-player transfer class included a pair of consensus five-star talents in Prince, who was graded the No. 8 overall prospect in the class of 2018 by ESPN.com, and Jaden Owens, the nation’s 13th-best talent and No. 3 point guard prospect in 2019, along with four-star guards Conner and Emma-Nnopu.

Sacramento State (2021-23)
After inheriting a 3-22 team, it took Campbell just two seasons to take the Hornets to the NCAA Tournament. Campbell led Sacramento State to a school record 25 wins and its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history in 2022-23. The Hornets won a share of their first Big Sky regular season championship and first Big Sky Tournament title. The 25 victories marked the first 20-win season in program history and were also the most ever by a Sacramento State men's or women's basketball team.

Campbell facilitated an 11-game year-over-year win improvement in each of his two seasons at the helm. Sacramento State's 14 wins in its first season under Campbell were tied for the nation's seventh-best turnaround.

During his two years with Sacramento State, in which he produced a 39-24 record, Campbell coached four players to All-Big Sky honors. Included in that total were Conference Most Valuable Players Lianna Tillman in 2021-22, the first Hornet to win the honor in the program's history, and Kahlaijah Dean in 2022-23. The Hornets also had the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year recipient in each of the last two seasons in Isnelle Natabou in 2021-22 and Dean in 2022-23.

Oregon (2014-21)
Campbell spent seven seasons at Oregon with the last six as associate head coach. Campbell helped lead Oregon to three straight Pac-12 regular-season titles, two Pac-12 Tournament championships and six NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Final Four in 2019. He worked with Oregon's guards, created the Ducks' defensive game plan and was the team's lead recruiter.

Campbell was responsible for recruiting Ionescu, one of the most decorated players in the sport's history. Ionescu was joined in the top 10 of the 2020 WNBA Draft by teammates Satou Sabally (No. 2) and Ruthy Hebard (No. 8), both of whom Campbell also played a huge role in bringing to the Ducks.

Regarded as the one of the nation's elite recruiters, Campbell brought high level talent each year to Oregon. Campbell was the lead recruiter in the hunt for Ionescu, who was the top-ranked guard in the country and No. 4 overall recruit. It helped Oregon net the nation's No. 3 ranked class in 2016. Campbell was then instrumental in Oregon landing its first-ever No. 1 ranked recruiting class in 2020, bringing in five players who were consensus top-25 recruits and McDonalds All-Americans. Campbell was also key in signing top international players, including Berlin, Germany, native Satou Sabally, considered the top international forward in the 2017 recruiting class, and her younger sister, star power forward Nyara Sabally, in the 2018 class.

Campbell and the Ducks advanced to the program's first-ever NCAA Final Four in 2019 while repeating as Pac-12 regular-season champions and totaling a school-record 33 wins for the second year in a row. For the first time in his career, Campbell tutored a player to national player of the year honors as Ionescu was named both the Wooden Award and Wade Trophy winner.

In 2018, Campbell helped guide the Ducks to a second straight Elite Eight appearance and the program's first Pac-12 regular-season championship since 2000. The Ducks also captured their first Pac-12 Tournament title in program history behind a championship game record 36 points from Ionescu in a 20-point win over Stanford. Ionescu earned her first of three straight Pac-12 Player of the Year awards and became the Oregon's first first-team All-American since 1982.

Oregon's rise to prominence began with the 2016-17 season, when Ionescu and Hebard burst onto the scene as true freshmen and helped Oregon secure its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2005. A No. 11 seed, Oregon beat No. 2 seed Duke on its home floor in the second round. The Ducks kept their magical run going with another upset over No. 3 seed Maryland to reach the first Elite Eight in program history. Ionescu went on to earn ESPNW and USBWA national Freshman of the Year honors.

Prior to Oregon (2005-10)
Prior to joining Oregon, Campbell served on the staff at Oregon State. Beginning as an assistant coach, he was promoted to associate head coach for the 2013-14 season. Campbell proved instrumental in the recruiting efforts of the Beavers. He was an integral part of turning around a program that went from 9-21 in 2010-11 to an NCAA Second Round appearance in 2014.

Before heading to Corvallis, Campbell spent two seasons with the men's program at Saint Mary's. He was the team's director of operations before becoming an assistant coach under Randy Bennett. Preceding his stint at Saint Mary's, Campbell spent the 2007-08 season as an assistant coach for the Pepperdine men's program under Vance Walberg.

From 2005-07, Campbell coached at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, Ore., helping the Cougars to the 2007 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) Championship.

Playing Career (2000-04)
Campbell played at Cal Poly and Clackamas CC before transferring to Hawai`i for his final two seasons. He guided the Warriors to an NCAA Tournament bid in 2002 and NIT appearance in 2003. Starting all but one game, he is the winningest two-year player in Hawai`i's history and led the team to a school-record 27 victories in 2001-02. He was a WAC all-defensive team pick as a senior and was a two-time WAC all-academic selection. In June 2016, Campbell was inducted into the Clackamas Hall of Fame. In 2012 and 2013, Campbell was selected to attend Nike's renowned Villa 7 Consortium, which brings together university athletics directors and the country's elite assistant coaches in an effort to prepare the next generation of college basketball head coaches.

Personal
Campbell earned a degree in liberal studies from Hawai`i in 2004 and obtained a master's degree in education from George Fox in 2006. He is a native of Mt. Vernon, Wash. Campbell and his wife, Ashley, who played basketball at Vanderbilt, have two daughters, Maley and Makay.