Nicholas Marks joined the Bellarmine University men’s lacrosse program as defensive coordinator in October of 2020 and was promoted to associate head coach in the summer of 2022. Marks coordinates recruiting on head coach Andy Whitley’s staff while specializing with the Knights’ attack and defense position groups. In his NCAA coaching career, Marks has coached 24 All-Conference players in addition to 5 All-Americans. He has mentored 17 players on to the professional ranks of lacrosse in the PLL, MLL and NLL. His players have performed exceptionally in the classroom as well, with 14 players having been named USILA Scholar All-Americans and 21 named as Academic All-Conference. In over a decade of coaching, Marks has achieved over 100 victories in NCAA men’s lacrosse while advancing to post-season play in eight seasons. He has coached two teams that have finished in the top 20 of the national rankings and assisted in the recruitment of a top-20 recruiting class.
The impact of Coach Marks has been felt in various areas of the Bellarmine men’s lacrosse program. The Knights have expanded their footprint nationally and internationally through recruiting, with a roster that currently includes players from over 20 states and three Canadian provinces. In the past four seasons, 15 players have been awarded conference honors including four freshmen honorees. On the national stage, three Knights have garnered All-American honors along with eight being awarded USILA Scholar All-American. The Class of 2024 would graduate as the winningest class in program history while advancing to the postseason conference tournament for the third straight year. Since his promotion to associate head coach, the Knights have broken over 35 program records, including the program’s all-time leading scorer, while achieving the winningest season in program history.
In his four-year tenure with the Knights, the program has seen vast improvements on both sides of the ball. Since assuming the role of defensive coordinator, the Knights have improved to become one of the strongest defenses in the ASUN Conference producing 10 All-ASUN Selections and two All-Americans. At the same time, the Knights defense would finish twice in the top 10 nationally for caused turnovers and man-down defense while narrowly missing the top 10 again for MDD in 2024, finishing 11th (.730). Marks has helped the Knights clearing effort improve from .840 in 2021 to the top of the nation in 2024 at .926. With All-American JC Higginbotham’s program record .590 save percentage, ranked second in Division I, the Knights would also finish in the top 25 nationally for saves per game (12.88).
Since assuming offensive responsibilities with the attack in 2023, the Knights offense has experienced great improvement. From 2016 to 2022, the Knights averaged 13.34 points per game while shooting .273. In the past two seasons the offense has improved to averaging 20.35 points per game while shooting .313. In 2023, Marks worked closely with an attack unit that would finish as the fourth-highest scoring attack nationally with 199 points. The Knights offense finished in the top 20 nationally in goals, assists, points and shooting percentage. Since 2023, five players on offense have been named All-ASUN, including Kyle Playsted who was named an All-American and ASUN Player of the Year.
Marks came to Bellarmine after serving for three seasons as the head coach of Division III Whittier College in Whittier, Calif. During his time at the helm of the Poets, he compiled an overall mark of 21-11 including a 13-3 record in 2019, which broke the school record for single-season NCAA wins. The 2019 season was one of Whittier’s most successful statistical seasons, finishing in the top 25 nationally in seven categories. In 2020, the Marks-led Poets bolted out to a 3-0 start before the season was halted due to COVID-19.
Before arriving at Whittier College, Marks served as the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for Division III North Central College in Naperville, Ill. The Cardinals finished 10-4 and wrapped up the year ranked second in scoring defense, third in caused turnovers per game and 14th in clearing percentage. Marks led a defense that gave up double-digit goals in just one contest and saw freshman Sean Tomonari receive All-CCIW honors.
Before North Central, Marks was an assistant coach at Division I Bucknell University from 2012 to 2016, where he served as defensive coordinator while also coaching faceoffs and goalies. During his tenure, Marks would help the Bison to 47 victories, 22 over Patriot League foes. While Marks was in Lewisburg, Pa., the team made five Patriot League Tournament appearances and earned two top-20 national rankings. Under Marks’ tutelage, 11 players earned All-Patriot League honors. In five seasons at Bucknell, Marks coached two USILA All-Americans, five USILA Scholar All-Americans, three USILA North South All-Stars and three MLL draft selections.
Marks enjoyed a terrific playing career at Bucknell where he played in 57 career games while accumulating 37 goals and nine assists for 46 points. Bucknell would finish with a 36-21 record over his four-year career, making him part of the program’s winningest class at the time. Marks was a member of two Bison teams that finished in the top 20 of the national rankings. He was a recipient of the program’s Iron Bison and Most Improved Player awards while also serving as a team captain. After Bucknell, he moved on to Major League Lacrosse and the National Lacrosse League and, in 2018, competed in the FIL World Games as a member of the Greek National Team. Marks received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bucknell with a double major in classics and history. He also has a Master of Arts in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University Irvine. Marks resides in Louisville with his wife, Laurel, and daughters, Memphis and Rhea.
Alma Mater: Bucknell ’08, Concordia University Irvine ‘21
