Mark Trakh

Last updated
Mark Trakh
Biographical details
Born (1955-05-31) May 31, 1955 (age 68)
Amman, Jordan
Alma mater Long Beach State (1981)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1979–1980 Western HS (boys' sophomore)
1980–1993 Brea Olinda HS
1993–2004 Pepperdine
2004–2009 USC
2011–2017 New Mexico State
2017–2021USC
Head coaching record
Overall354–45 (.887) (high school)
450–317 (.587) (college)
Tournaments2–7 (NCAA)
0–3 (WNIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships

Mark Ozeir Trakh (born May 31, 1955) [1] [2] is a Jordanian college basketball coach who had been the women's basketball head coach at the University of Southern California (USC) from 2004 to 2009 and 2017 to 2021. Before his first stint at USC, he was head coach at Pepperdine University, and was head coach at New Mexico State University before returning to USC. [3]

Contents

Early life and education

Trakh was born in Amman, Jordan and moved to the United States with his family at age 4. Trakh's grandparents are from the Caucasus Mountains and moved to Amman in 1918 to escape Communist rule in Russia. [4] Trakh can speak Circassian and Arabic in addition to English. [4]

In the U.S., the Trakhs first lived in Connecticut and Paterson, New Jersey before settling in Wanaque, New Jersey. [1] [4] A baseball and basketball student-athlete, Trakh graduated from Lakeland Regional High School. [1] After high school, Trakh attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, before joining his family in Southern California and transferring to Fullerton College in 1977. A journalism major, Trakh was sports editor at the Fullerton College student newspaper and freelancer for the Fullerton News-Tribune. [4] In 1979, Trakh transferred to California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach State) to pursue a teaching credential. [4] Trakh graduated from Long Beach State in 1981. [5]

Coaching career

While in high school, Trakh coached junior high and youth basketball. [4] Trakh was boys' sophomore head coach for Western High School in Anaheim in the 1979–80 season before becoming girls' varsity head coach at Brea Olinda High School, a position he would hold from 1980 to 1993. Inheriting a program that won only four games in the previous two seasons, [6] Trakh had a 354–45 overall record with four state titles (1989, 1991–93). [5] At Brea Olinda, Trakh also was an English teacher. [1]

From 1993 to 2004, Trakh was head coach at Pepperdine University. He led Pepperdine to four West Coast Conference regular season titles (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003) and had consecutive NCAA or WNIT appearances in his final six seasons. [5]

Trakh was head coach at USC from 2004 to 2009, during which he had a 90–64 overall record with NCAA Tournament appearances in 2005 and 2006. [5] Although Trakh recruited four top-12 recruiting classes, including the USA Today number-one class in 2006, USC never finished above fourth place in the Pac-10 in Trakh's five years and did not make any postseason tournaments after 2006. [7] On April 8, 2009, Trakh resigned from USC. [8]

On April 8, 2011, New Mexico State hired Trakh as head coach. [7] Trakh's time at New Mexico State began with three consecutive losing seasons before the first of three consecutive first-place finishes in the Western Athletic Conference in 2015. [9]

After six seasons at New Mexico State, he returned to USC during the 2017 offseason, replacing Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, who had resigned for unspecified reasons after the 2016–17 season. [3]

Trakh announced his retirement from coaching on April 21, 2021. [10]

Personal life

Mark Trakh's younger brother Maz is also a basketball coach; [11] at the time of Mark's return to USC, Maz was an assistant with the NBA's Washington Wizards. [3]

Head coaching record

This section covers Trakh's head coaching record in NCAA Division I.

Source for Pepperdine records: [12]

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Pepperdine Waves (West Coast Conference)(1993–2004)
1993–94Pepperdine 14–126–8T–5th
1994–95Pepperdine 10–164–10T–6th
1995–96Pepperdine 15–137–7T–4th
1996–97Pepperdine 15–136–85th
1997–98Pepperdine 21–1010–42nd
1998–99Pepperdine 21–911–3T–1stWNIT First Round
1999–2000Pepperdine 21–1012–21st NCAA first round
2000–01Pepperdine 20–1110–4T–3rdWNIT First Round
2001–02Pepperdine 23–811–31st NCAA first round
2002–03Pepperdine 22–812–21st NCAA first round
2003–04Pepperdine 17–1310–4T–2ndWNIT First Round
Pepperdine:199–123 (.618)99–55 (.643)
USC Trojans (Pacific-10 Conference)(2004–2009)
2004–05USC 20–1112–6T–4th NCAA second round
2005–06USC 19–1211–75th NCAA second round
2006–07USC 17–1310–85th
2007–08USC 17–1310–8T–4th
2008–09USC 17–159–9T–4th
USC (first stint):90–64 (.584)52–38 (.578)
New Mexico State Aggies (Western Athletic Conference)(2011–2017)
2011–12New Mexico State 6–243–11T–7th
2012–13 New Mexico State 15–167–118th
2013–14 New Mexico State 11–207–9T–6th
2014–15 New Mexico State 22–813–11st NCAA first round
2015–16 New Mexico State 26–513–11st NCAA first round
2016–17 New Mexico State 24–714–01st NCAA first round
New Mexico State:104–80 (.565)57–33 (.633)
USC Trojans (Pac-12 Conference)(2017–2021)
2017–18 USC 20–119–97th
2018–19 USC 17–137–11T–8th
2019–20 USC 17–148–10
2020–21 USC 11–128–10
USC:65–50 (.565)36–40 (.474)
Total:450–317 (.587)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast Conference</span> College athletics conference

The West Coast Conference (WCC) — known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956 and then as the West Coast Athletic Conference until 1989 — is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, and Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Sharp</span> American basketball coach (born 1950)

Linda Kay Sharp is an American former collegiate women's basketball coach. Her coaching career spans 31 seasons with stints on all levels from elementary, junior high and high school to the collegiate and professional ranks, and she was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Floyd</span> American basketball player and coach

Tim Floyd is a former American college basketball coach, most recently the head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He was formerly the head coach of several teams in the NCAA and the NBA. Floyd is also known as the coach of the Chicago Bulls for four seasons. He announced his retirement from coaching after the UTEP game on November 27, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USC Trojans</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Southern California

The USC Trojans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy. The program participates in the Pac-12 Conference and has won 136 team national championships, 112 of which are National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships. USC's official colors are cardinal and gold. The Trojans have a cross-town rivalry in several sports with UCLA. However, USC's football rivalry with Notre Dame predates the UCLA rivalry by three years. The Notre Dame rivalry stems mainly from the annual football game played between these two universities and is considered the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football. The Trojans also enjoy a rivalry with the Stanford Cardinal. The USC Trojans are considered one of the most successful college athletic programs of all time.

Dain Blanton is an American former beach volleyball player who won the gold medal in beach volleyball in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney with partner Eric Fonoimoana. He returned to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens with partner Jeff Nygaard, becoming the first two-time U.S. male beach volleyball Olympian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Bone (basketball)</span> American basketball player-coach

Kenneth Walter Bone is an American basketball coach, currently the associate head coach at Pepperdine University.

The 2009–10 USC Trojans women's basketball team represent the University of Southern California in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Trojans are coached by Michael Cooper. The Trojans are a member of the Pacific-10 Conference and will attempt to win the NCAA championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepperdine Waves men's basketball</span> American college basketball team

The Pepperdine Waves men's basketball team is an American college basketball team that represents Pepperdine University in NCAA Division I, the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Waves compete in the West Coast Conference and are coached by Lorenzo Romar who will not be retained at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. The Waves have competed in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 13 times and are 3rd all-time in WCC Tournament wins and championships. The Waves most recently appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2002. Thirty-eight former Waves have been drafted or played in the NBA including Doug Christie and Dennis Johnson, an inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The most recent Waves drafted into the NBA are Kessler Edwards (2021) and Maxwell Lewis (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cal State Fullerton Titans men's basketball</span> Basketball team, California State University

The Cal State Fullerton Titans men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents California State University, Fullerton in Fullerton, California, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference.

The USC Trojans women's basketball team, or the Women of Troy, is the collegiate women's basketball team that represents the University of Southern California, in the Pac-12 Conference. The team rose to prominence in 1976, at which time scholarships became available to female basketball players. They were the first Division I team to give these scholarships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cal State Fullerton Titans tennis</span>

The Cal State Fullerton Titans women's tennis team competes at the NCAA Division I Collegiate level and is a member of the Big West Conference. All home collegiate tennis matches are played at the California State University, Fullerton, Titan Courts, located in Fullerton, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maz Trakh</span> Jordanian-American basketball coach (born 1967)

Mazen "Maz" Trakh is a Jordanian-American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for APR BBC of the Rwanda Basketball League. Trakh previously coached in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Continental Basketball Association (CBA), American Basketball Association (ABA) and overseas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 New Mexico State Aggies women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2016–17 New Mexico State Aggies women's basketball team represented New Mexico State University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Aggies, led by seventh year head coach Mark Trakh, played their home games at the Pan American Center and were members of the Western Athletic Conference. They finished the season 24–7, 14–0 in WAC play to win the regular season WAC championship. They defeated UMKC and Seattle to be champions of the WAC women's tournament. They received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the first round to Stanford. In that game, the Aggies nearly pulled off the monumental upset, leading 38-31 at halftime. The Cardinal cut the lead to one at the end of the third quarter before taking the lead for good halfway through the fourth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Olivier</span> American college basketball coach (born 1959)

Katherine Ann Olivier is an American college basketball coach who most recently was the women's basketball head coach at UNLV. She resigned from that position on March 6, 2020.

The 2017–18 USC Trojans women's basketball team represents the University of Southern California during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Trojans, led by first year head coach, 6th overall Mark Trakh, play their home games at the Galen Center and were members of the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 20–11, 9–9 in Pac-12 play to finish in seventh place. They defeated Washington State in the first round before losing to Stanford in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 women's basketball tournament to Stanford. They would have clinched the automatic berth to the 2018 Women's National Invitation Tournament, but declined to participate, despite being the highest-ranked non-NCAA team in the Pac-12.

The 2018–19 USC Trojans women's basketball team represents the University of Southern California during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Trojans, led by second year head coach, 7th overall Mark Trakh, play their home games at the Galen Center and were members of the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 17–13, 7–11 in Pac-12 play to finish in a tie for eighth place. They lost in the first round of the Pac-12 women's basketball tournament to Arizona.

The 2019–20 USC Trojans Women's Basketball team represents the University of Southern California during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Trojans play their home games at the Galen Center and are members of the Pac-12 Conference. The squad is led by head coach Mark Trakh, who is in his 3rd year of his 2nd stint with the Women of Troy. The season ended abruptly after the Pac-12 Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team was expected to participate in the WNIT, but it was canceled.

Jody Wynn is an American women's basketball coach. She was head coach at the University of Washington from 2017 to 2021 and at Long Beach State from 2009 to 2017.

Aarika Hughes is an American basketball coach who is currently the head women's basketball coach at Loyola Marymount University.

The 2021–22 USC Trojans women's basketball team represents the University of Southern California during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Trojans play their home games at the Galen Center and are members of the Pac-12 Conference. The squad is led by first-year head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who was hired on May 10, 2021. Prior to arriving at USC, Gottlieb served as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Her previous head coaching experience includes stops at California, whom she led to the Final Four in 2013, and UC Santa Barbara.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Mark Trakh". USC. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  2. California Commission on Teacher Credentialing search for Mark Trakh
  3. 1 2 3 "USC brings back Mark Trakh as women's basketball coach". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 21, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Carter, Donna (January 11, 1989). "MELLOWING : Trakh Works to Soften His Rough Edges While Adding to His Lofty Record at Brea". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Mark Trakh". New Mexico State. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  6. Hamilton, Tom (January 23, 1985). "GIRLS: From Brea-Olinda's polished program to the frustrations at Magnolia, girls basketball is going through growing pains". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Mark Trakh Named NM State Women's Basketball Head Coach". New Mexico State. April 8, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  8. "Mark Trakh Resigns As Women's Basketball Head Coach". USC. Archived from the original on August 26, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  9. "Women's Basketball Coaches Career". NCAA. Retrieved 30 Sep 2015.
  10. "Mark Trakh Retires As USC Women's Basketball Head Coach". USC Athletics. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  11. Groves, Jason. "Trakh adds offense to Aggies in second year". Las Cruces Sun-News.[ dead link ] Alt URL
  12. WCC women's basketball record book [ permanent dead link ], pp. 40–44