Campbell names Chris Marx as new baseball head coach

Campbell names Chris Marx as new baseball head coach

28.06.2024 8:56:00

Jason Williams

BUIES CREEK, NC – Campbell Athletic Director Hannah Bazemore has officially announced Chris Marx as the next head coach of the Fighting Camels baseball team.

“I am excited to welcome Chris Marx to Campbell as our head baseball coach,” said Bazemore. “As a member of the fraternity that helped make Campbell one of the most successful programs in the country, Coach Marx has a proven track record of identifying, recruiting and developing talent both on the mound and at batting edge and, most importantly, investing in student-athletes to help them succeed on the field, in the classroom and in the community. I look forward to watching Coach Marx lead our great program and continue its success.”

“Me, Niki and the boys are thrilled to be returning to Buies Creek,” Marx said. “I want to thank Hannah Bazemore and Dr. Creed for believing in me to carry on the legacy of this program. I also want to thank Bob Roller and Justin Haire for allowing our family to begin this Campbell journey 10 years ago. I am very aware of the magnitude of the task ahead. There will be several challenges and there will be even more doubters, but this has fueled the fire of the Campbell players and coaches for years and we welcome the challenge with open arms. I will work tirelessly to uphold the standard set and make the believers proud. May the BROTHERHOOD live on. Roll Humps!”

An introductory press conference is planned for July 10. Further details to follow.

The former Campbell assistant brings 17 seasons of college coaching experience and is the Camels’ ninth head coach in the NCAA Division I era. He succeeds Justin Haire, who moved to Ohio State after 10 seasons as Campbell’s coach.

“Coach Chris Marx is no stranger to Campbell University, having played an integral role in building our successful baseball program as an assistant coach,” said Dr. J. Bradley Creed, President of Campbell University. “His coaching experience in a Power Five program at Purdue University has provided him with additional opportunities for leadership and development as a coach. He is highly respected in our community and is the right person to continue our tradition of success. I look forward to welcoming Coach Marx and his wonderful family back to Campbell University.”

Marx comes to Campbell from Purdue, where he was a lead assistant and pitching coach for another former Campbell head coach, Greg Goff (2008-14), since 2020. Prior to the 2023 season, Marx transitioned to coaching outfielders while continuing to assist the pitchers and recruiting.

In 2023, Marx helped the Purdue offense to a 6-2 Friday record during Big 10 play. Four different batters had 20-game on-base streaks, and the Boilermakers led the Big 10 in stolen bases (99) by the end of the conference tournament.

In the 2022 season, the Boilermakers set team records for strikeouts (479) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.57), and also recorded a program record for strikeouts in a four-game series against Nebraska (46) in 2021.

Prior to Purdue, Marx served as Haire’s senior assistant at Campbell for five seasons (2014-2019), where he led the Camels’ recruiting efforts and managed CU’s offense before moving into the role of pitching coach.

The Camels posted a record of 72-47 (40-13 Big South) from 2018 to 2019, winning at least 35 games each year and taking home Big South Pitcher of the Year (Allan Winans, Michael Horrell) and Freshman of the Year (Logan Bender, Ryan Chasse) awards in both seasons.

Marx was Campbell’s hitting coach from 2015 to 2017. The Camels won 32 games in 2015 and had the program’s highest home run total since 2010. Cole Hallum (12 home runs) was named Big South Player of the Year and future MLB All-Star and Silver Slugger Cedric Mullins had 80 hits. Right-hander Heath Bowers and catcher Steven Leonard were drafted along with Mullins in the 2015 MLB Draft.

In 2017, Drew Butler led the nation with 39 stolen bases while Marx directed Campbell’s aggressiveness on the base path.

Marx recruited and/or trained numerous MLB draft picks during his time at Buies Creek, three of whom – Mullins, Winans and Angels shortstop Zach Neto – have made their MLB debut.

A record-breaking four Camels were selected at the 2019 MLB Draft, led by 40^th Overall, Seth Johnson was selected, Campbell’s highest draft pick of all time at the time, followed by Matthew Barefoot (OF, Houston Astros), Michael Horrell (RHP, Houston Astros) and Tyson Messer (RHP, Chicago White Sox).

Marx joined the Arkansas-Little Rock team prior to the 2012 season. That year, the Trojans hit a program-record 66 home runs, led the nation in home runs per game and led the Sun Belt in nine statistical categories.

Marx’s coaching career began in 2007 when he served as a graduate assistant at Southern Indiana University and helped lead USI to the 2010 NCAA Division II national title.

A native of Evansville, Indiana, Marx played under his eventual coaching partner Haire at Olney Central College (2004-05) and Ouachita Baptist University (2006-07). OBU climbed to the No. 1 spot in the NCAA DII rankings in 2007, winning 50 games.

Marx earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Southern Indiana. His wife, Niki, and their three children, Clayton, Maddox and Everett, live in Buies Creek.

MARX’S TRAINING CAREER BY SEASON
Campbell (Head Coach) – Hiring June 2024
Purdue (assistant coach) – 2020-24
Campbell (assistant coach) – 2015-19
Little Rock (assistant coach) – 2012–14
Southern Indiana (assistant coach) – 2008-11