Southern Miss men’s basketball head coach Doc Sadler announced Marques Townsend as a new assistant coach. Townsend spent one season as the director of basketball operations at UALR.

“In looking for an assistant coach, I was looking for someone with experience in a lot of different areas, including player development,” Sadler said. “I had the opportunity to work with Marques two years ago while at Kansas. After watching his relationship with the players and seeing the respect they had for him, I knew that he would be a candidate to be one of my assistants. Stability, knowledge, solid player relationships and youth were the four things I was looking for in an assistant and Marques has them all.”

During the 2014-15 season, the Trojans posted an upset victory over SBC regular season and tournament champion Georgia State, marking the last team to defeat the Panthers before falling in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. In addition, UALR swept in-state rival Arkansas State in a pair of games.

Prior to his stint at UALR, Townsend spent two years as a manager and administrative volunteer at Kansas from 2012-14.

While at Kansas, Townsend collaborated with coaches and managers in producing scouting reports, helping the Jayhawks to 56 wins in his two seasons. He handled the bulk of the staff’s video responsibilities, filming each game and producing digital and DVD copies for coaches, opponents and officials.

Townsend also spent the 2007 calendar year as a student equipment manager at Kansas. In addition to administrative duties, he managed the sports equipment for over 250 student-athletes, including KU track & field, softball, rowing, soccer and women’s basketball.

Between his stints in the Kansas athletic department, Townsend was a security forces patrolman with the United States Navy from 2008-12. He spent three summers (2002-04) as a teaching assistant at Pinnacle Academy in Santa Clara, Calif., and served as a coach at Bill Self Basketball Camp for four summers (2006-07, 2012-13).

Townsend was a member of the Lassen College men’s basketball team from 2003-05. Playing for head coach Fred Chmiel, he helped the team to a Golden Valley Conference title and the California Community College Playoffs in 2004.

He earned his bachelor’s in communication studies from Kansas in July 2014.

http://www.southernmiss.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/071715aaa.html

Photo Courtesy Southern Mississippi Athletics