Director of Athletics Hannah Bazemore announced Chris Marx as Campbell's head baseball coach in June 2024. The former Campbell assistant returned to Buies Creek with 17 seasons of collegiate coaching experience and became the ninth NCAA Division I era head coach in program history.
In his second season at the helm, Marx led the Camels to their first CAA South Division title after posting a conference-record 26 league victories. Campbell finished 41-17 overall, tying for the third-most wins in a single season in program history, as Marx was named the CAA Coach of the Year.
Under Marx's direction, David Rossow earned NCBWA Third Team All-America honors, was named the CAA Pitcher of the Year and ABCA Atlantic All-Region, while eight Camels received All-CAA recognition. Jett Music also garnered ABCA Atlantic All-Region honors and was named a finalist for the College Baseball Foundation's John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.
In his first two seasons, the Camels have compiled a 66-48 overall record as Marx has more wins in their first two seasons than any other coach in program history.
Year one of the Marx era saw Campbell finish 25-31 overall and 15-12 in CAA play. The Camels placed third in the conference standings and made their first appearance in the CAA Baseball Championship. Five Camels were named All-CAA.
Marx joined Campbell from Purdue, where he was the lead assistant and pitching coach for another former Campbell head coach, Greg Goff (2008-14), since 2020. Before the 2023 season, Marx transitioned to coaching position players while continuing to assist with the pitchers and recruiting.
While the hitting coach in 2024, Marx helped lead Purdue to a historic offensive season. The team set team records in home runs (75), runs scored (457), runs per game (8.02), RBI (427), on-base percentage (.406) and hit by pitch (113). The Boilermakers had an 11-game win streak in Big Ten play, the longest league win streak since 2018.
As their pitching coach, Marx led the Boilermakers In the 2022 season to set team records for strikeouts (479) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.57), also recording a program record for strikeouts in a four-game series in 2021 against Nebraska (46).
Prior to Purdue, Marx served as Haire’s lead assistant at Campbell for five seasons (2014-2019), directing the Camels’ recruiting efforts and guiding the CU offense before transitioning to pitching coach duties in 2018.
The Camels compiled a 72-47 record (40-13 Big South) from 2018 to 2019, winning at least 35 games each year while sweeping Big South Pitcher of the Year (Allan Winans, Michael Horrell) and Freshman of the Year (Logan Bender, Ryan Chasse) awards in both seasons.
Marx served as Campbell’s hitting coach from 2015-17. The Camels won 32 games in 2015 and posted the program’s top home run total since 2010, with Cole Hallum (12 homers) collecting Big South Player of the Year honors, and future MLB All-Star and Silver Slugger Cedric Mullins recording 80 hits. Right-hander Heath Bowers and catcher Steven Leonard joined Mullins as draftees in the 2015 MLB Draft.
In 2017, Drew Butler led the nation with 39 stolen bases, as Marx guided Campbell’s aggressiveness on the base path.
Marx recruited and/or coached numerous MLB Draft picks during his time in Buies Creek, with four to date: Mullins, Winans, Angels’ shortstop Zach Neto and Seth Johnson, who made his debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in September 2024, have made their MLB debuts.
The 2019 MLB Draft saw a record four Camels selected, led by 40th overall selection Seth Johnson, Campbell’s highest ever draft pick 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 staff at Arkansas-Little Rock prior to the 2012 season. That year, the Trojans hit a program-record 66 home runs and set a new school record in triples. The team ranked top-10 in the nation in four statistical categories, including first in home runs per game (1.22) and sixth in the nation in runs scored (7.4 per game). Setting another school record in total bases, the Trojans led the Sun Belt in nine statistical categories.
Marx made the switch to Little Rock's pitching coach after the 2013 season. In that first season, the Trojans set their best ERA mark since 1978 (3.90).
Marx’s coaching career began in 2007, when he was a graduate assistant at Southern Indiana, helping guide USI to the 2010 NCAA Division II national title. The Eagles won a school-record 52 games, including 42 of their last 49. The Eagles also set records for hits, doubles, RBI and runs scored. In two of his last three seasons at USI, Marx led the team to new team records in home runs.
A native of Evansville, Ind., Marx played collegiately at Olney Central College (2004-05) and Ouachita Baptist University (2006-07) under future coaching partner Haire. OBU climbed to No. 1 in the NCAA DII rankings in 2007 while winning 50 games.
Marx earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Indiana. He is joined in Buies Creek by his wife, Niki, and their three children, Clayton, Maddox and Everett.
MARX’S COACHING CAREER BY SEASON
Campbell (head coach) – Hired June 2024
Purdue (assistant coach) – 2020-24
Campbell (assistant coach) – 2015-19
Little Rock (assistant coach) – 2012-14
Southern Indiana (assistant coach) – 2008-11
