Coach Marlow Rockwell is in his fifteenth year at Arkansas Baptist College. He is currently serving as the Athletic Director and Head Women’s Basketball Coach. He most recently served as Dean of Students from 2018 through 2022 before coming back for his second stint with the athletic program. While serving as Dean of Students Coach Rockwell wrote a proposal to move athletics at ABC from the NJCAA to the NAIA. With the approval of the President and current Athletic Director, ABC has successfully transitioned to a four year athletic program.
Coach Rockwell has served many years as a basketball coach in organized play, performance training and conditioning, and youth sports programs. In 2016 Coach Rockwell Started Rockwall Programs LLC a program designed to work with our youth pertaining to academics, athletics, and character. In 2017 Coach Rockwell partnered with Nike and USA Basketball to bring a 12 week open court program to little Rock Arkansas. The program serviced over 250 kids who received free basketball training, games, and gifts from Nike for attending. Coach Rockwell has been instrumental to youth sports in Central Arkansas through teaching, coaching, and mentoring. Coach Rockwell believes in building our youth on a Rock solid foundation in the Walls of our community.
During his tenure at Arkansas Baptist College, he has been an intricate part of the direction of the basketball program in team management, training, competition, and scheduling. He has successfully recruited a talented roster strictly on local and regional talent. This philosophy, along with academics has allowed the Lady Buffaloes Basketball program to continually develop players in mentorship and development into well-rounded ladies. Coach Rockwell prides himself on treating each player and their families with the utmost dignity and respect in order for the program to maintain a positive atmosphere conducive to success. He played a major role in getting the Lady Buffaloes to numerous NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Region 2 Tournaments. In six seasons as an assistant Coach Rockwell helped the Lady Buffaloes to win close to 70% of their games, an average of about 25-30 games per season. The Lady Buffaloes at the time was an independent program and competed against the top junior and community colleges across the nation.
Coach Rockwell has developed numerous student athletes who has moved on and had success at four year institutions. Coach Rockwell has worked hard to develop his coaching dynamics and methodology as it relates to Biomechanics, Physiology, Sport Psychology, Performance Nutrition, Strength and Conditioning, Athletic Recruitment, Intramural Athletics, Athletic Training and Development, NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA compliance, educational outreach, fundraising, mentoring, and strategic planning. He has spent numerous seasons working simultaneously as an Educational Outreach Coordinator for the TRIO Upward Bound Programs (2014-2018) and Director of Student Activities (2010-2014) Before serving as Dean of Students on the Arkansas Baptist College campus. Coach Rockwell executes a highly productive recruiting agenda recruiting some of the most elite Arkansas home-grown talent as well as recruits from across the nation and even Canada to join the ranks of the Lady Buffaloes Basketball Team. On average, 8-15 women’s basketball players sign with Arkansas Baptist on any given year.
A former college basketball and football player at Angelo State University, Coach Rockwell exemplified extraordinary leadership ability as evidenced in his appointment by his peers as the Team Captain for men’s basketball program during the 2005 – 2006 seasons. He also played professional sports including one season (2007) with the San Angelo Stampede Express professional indoor football team and a professional basketball from 2007-2010 for various organizations. He capped his athletic career in 2010 to fulfill his dream of coaching on both a collegiate and professional level. A native of Sacramento, California, Coach Rockwell graduated from Angelo State University earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He continued his education by earning a Master of Science in Sports Management from American Public University. Coach Rockwell is married to Christina Rockwell. The couple has two sons – Koa and Kai and a daughter – Kelley
