Sam Houston Athletice Site

  Bob Marlin is one of only two coaches in the history of the Southland Conference to post more than 200 coaching victories.

 In 12 seasons as Bearkat head men's basketball coach, Marlin has produced an overall record of 225 victories and 130 losses -- more victories than any other Southland Conference member during that time span.

  Mike Vining, head coach at Louisiana-Monroe from 1983-2005 and the man who gave Marlin his first coaching job, compiled a 383-291 record from 1983 to 2005.

  Since 2000, Sam Houston State has become the dominate team not only in the Southland Conference but in Texas. Only one of the 20 NCAA Division I men's basketball teams in Texas (the UT Longhorns) has won more games than Sam Houston. 

 Inheriting a program that had not finished higher than sixth in the league and posted only two double digit victory seasons in more than a decade, Marlin has directed the Kats to six 20-plus victory seasons (22-7 in 2000, 23-7 in 2003, 22-9 in 2006, 21-10 in 2007, 23-8 in 2008 and 25-8 in 2010).   Sam Houston is one of only 52 teams in NCAA Division I men's basketball to post 20-victory seasons four of the last five years.

 Marlin has been named as 2010 Southland Conference "Coach of the Year" - his third such award at the helm of the Bearkats. Marlin also was league "Coach of the Year" in 2000 after directing the Kats to their first Southland Conference championship and in 2003 after Sam Houston's second title in four years.

 Since Marlin took over the Sam Houston program, the Bearkats have produced more non-conference intersectional victories than any other Southland Conference team.

Sam Houston State's 12-1 non-conference record in 2007-08 was the university's best NCAA Division I non-conference record and equals the most regular season non-conference wins for a Southland Conference team since 1991. During the team's 10-0 start in 2007-08, Sam Houston received votes in the Associated Press national top 25 for the first time since the Kats moved up to the NCAA Division I level.

 The Bearkat basketball team has achieved in the classroom as well as on the floor. Seven SHSU men's basketball players has earned Academic All-Southland honors a total of 17 times since the 2006 season. The last three SLC men's basketball Student-Athletes of the Year have been Bearkats (Ryan Bright in 2007 and 2008 and Barkley Falkner in 2009).

  In 17 seasons as a head coach, Marlin has produced a record of 346 victories and 165 losses. He rolled up a 123-35 record as head coach at Pensacola Junior College. In 1993, he was National Junior College "Coach of the Year" after directing Pensacola to the NJCAA National Championship. Marlin served as an assistant coach at Alabama, Marshall, Houston Baptist, and Louisiana-Monroe.

  Marlin received National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) "Coach of the Year" honors in 1993 following Pensacola's national title (the first ever for a Florida junior college). He won 100 games at Pensacola faster than any coach in school history. Twenty-seven of his players at Pensacola received scholarships to play at four-year schools.

Marlin was inducted into the Florida Junior College Hall of Fame in March, 2007.

 As a head coach, Marlin has coached an NBA draft pick, one NJCAA National Player of the Year, one NJCAA Student-Athlete of the Year, two Southland Conference "Players of the Year," three Southland "Newcomers of the Year," one Southland "Freshman of the Year," three Southland "Student Athletes of the Year", four All-Americans, 38 All-Conference selections, four Academic All-Americans, and 36 Academic All-Conference student-athletes.

As an assistant coach, Marlin helped guide the Alabama Crimson Tide to the 1996 National Invitational Final Four. Working under Dana Altman (now Creighton University head coach) at Marshall in 1989-90, he helped direct the Thundering Herd to a runner-up finish in the Southern Conference. From 1984 to 1989, Marlin served as assistant to Gene Iba and Tommy Jones at Houston Baptist. The Huskies earned an NCAA Division I tournament berth in 1984 and finished among the top three teams in the TransAmerica Conference four times. While serving as a graduate assistant at Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana-Monroe) under former Indian head coach Mike Vining, Marlin coached the junior varsity and was scouting director for an NLU squad that won the TransAmerica Conference championship and earned an NCAA post-season tournament berth in 1982.

 Born in Tupelo, MS, Marlin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from Mississippi State in 1981. He earned his Masters in Health and Physical Education (with a minor in guidance and counseling) from Northeast Louisiana in 1983. He has a son, Matt (17).