Don Marsh begins his 26th year as a member of the University of South Florida Track and Field staff specializing in the pole vault and high jump. Prior to his position with the Bulls, Marsh spent three years (1995-97) as an assistant coach at Saginaw Valley State University and as an extremely successful high school coach in Michigan.
During his time at SVSU, Marsh helped Cardinal athletes to several top finishes in the NCAA Division II Championships in the high jump, long jump, decathlon and the 100 meters. In addition, he coached four All-Americans in the high jump, the hurdles, the pole vault, and the 400 meters.
After graduation from Michigan State University Coach Marsh first taught and coached at Chesaning where in his second year, they won their first Conference Track Title in 25 years. He then went on to Flint Kearsley High School.
During his 32 years at Flint Kearsley High School, he molded one of the premier track and field programs in the state, regularly winning conference, regional, and state titles. He was named Michigan's Track Coach of the Year in 1974, 1978, and 1992. He was also named Midwest Track Coach of the Year in 1992 and was a finalist for National Coach of the Year that same year. In 1996, he was inducted into the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame, and in 2006 he was inducted into the Michigan Track Coaches Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was inducted into the Michigan Sport Sages. In 2014, he was inducted into the Flint Kearsley High School Inaugural Hall of Fame in Michigan.
Marsh continues to make his mark in track and field here at South Florida. Under his guidance, USF high jumper Jimmy Baxter earned All-American honors for the third time in four years in 2005 and placed third in the NCAA Championships with a height of 7' 5". In addition, pole vaulter Jonathon Miller won the Conference USA Championship for a second straight year in 2004 with a conference and school record height of 17' 4.5". Marsh would help Miller achieve a three-peat in the pole vault a year later. He also coached freshman Megan Malone to a Conference USA Indoor Championship with a height of 12' 5 1/2" in 2005. In 2008, Coach Marsh coached Denise vonEynatten to a Big East Indoor Championship and a place in the NCAA Indoor National Championship achieving All-American Honors in the pole vault with a jump of 13' 11 3/4". Also in 2008, Sean Young won the Big East Title and advanced to the finals in the Outdoor NCAA Championships with a jump of 17' 2 3/4". In addition, Dana Webb and Stephanie Duffy have qualified 2 straight years to the regional championship in the pole vault. Both athletes also have been Academic All-Americans. Denise vonEynatten returned to USF in 2011 winning Indoor and Outdoor Big East Titles setting records in both. She also broke the school record by jumping 14' 1 3/4". She also placed 5th in the NCAA Indoor Championship to garner another All-American honors. Stephanie Duffy jumped 13' 6 1/4" outdoors to also achieve All-American status.
In 2013, he coached Drew Volz to an Indoor Big East Championship in the pole vault. In 2015, David Shephard vaulted to All-American status. Junior David Bell vaulted 17’ 7” to break a 14-year-old school record in 2018. Bell in his senior season won the ACC Conference Championship and qualified for his third appearance in the NCAA first round. He coached Stephanie Lambeth to an Indoor Conference Title in 2020. In 2021, he coached Stone Baker to a spot in the Outdoor NCAA Championship meet in the pole vault with a jump of 17' 6 1/2".
In 2023, Coach Marsh coached Kobe Babin to school records in both the Indoor and Outdoor Pole Vault with a jump of 17' 7 3/4". In 2023, Romaine Beckford excelled in the High Jump, winning both Indoor and Outdoor National Championships with a school record of 7' 5 1/4". In 2024, Coach Marsh coached Kobe Babin to an indoor and outdoor AAC championship with his Outdoor performance clearing 18’ ½ inch, first USF vaulter to jump 18 feet.
Coach Marsh has continued to coach outstanding performers in high jump, with Errol Blackmon jumping 7' 1" and advancing to the NCAA Championships three times in four years. Also in this group, Coach Marsh has coached Michael Kursteiner to three straight regional performances and Loutisha Hall to a school record of 5' 10". In 2013, he coached Chase Meyers to a 7’ 1” high jump to win the Big East Indoor Title. Coach Marsh has coached nine All-Americans, 17 National Qualifiers, 19 Conference Champions, and 58 Regional Qualifiers.
Coach Marsh was a member of the Coaching Staff of the Year in Conference USA in 2003. Marsh remains an active community advocate for track and field and has served as a top official in four Special Olympics International Games.
Marsh was a high school state champion himself at Charlotte High School and a four-year letter winner at Michigan State University, where he ran the 400 meters. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University in biology and a Master's in administration from Central Michigan University.
Marsh and his wife, Betty, have four children, Jeff, David, Tim and Leigh Anne and five grandchildren.
