Omaha, Neb. — McCormick Endowed Athletic Director Marcus Blossom announced the hiring of Mark Kingston as the Associate Head Coach/Coach-in-Waiting for Creighton Baseball on Monday, June 18. Kingston will become Creighton’s 11th head coach at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
“I am thrilled to welcome Mark, his wife Letitia, and the rest of his family to Creighton and the Omaha community,” said Blossom. “Mark is an excellent baseball coach that has had success at every stop along his coaching journey. He’ll be a great fit coaching alongside coach Servais in the 2025 season.”
“We are not only excited about the upcoming season, but also the future of Creighton Baseball as Mark will assume the head coaching role for the 2026 season and beyond. Creighton Baseball has a long history of outstanding coaches and Mark will continue their legacy of success,” concluded Blossom.
Kingston comes to Creighton with 15 years of head coaching experience, leading each team he has been a head coach of to the NCAA Tournament. He spent the last seven seasons (2018-24) at South Carolina, also holding the reigns at South Florida (2015-17) and Illinois State (2010-14). During his head coaching tenure Kingston has a combined record of 490-335-1, going 217-155 at South Carolina, 100-78-1 at South Florida and 173-102 with Illinois State.
“From the moment Marcus reached out I was intrigued by this opportunity,” said Kingston. “Creighton offers a world class education within a premier city, all while playing in Charles Schwab Field Omaha. For a coach or student athlete, an elite level combination like this is very hard to find.”
“After meeting with many of the people that make up the Creighton Athletic Department, it was clear quality people are attracted here,” continued Kingston. “My last two trips to the CWS were with private institutions Miami and Tulane, so I feel like this is a perfect fit for both sides. Working with Ed during the transition will be a partnership that will benefit all. I appreciate the opportunity, and my staff and I will work tirelessly to provide a top notch experience for our players now and into the future.”
“I’d like to thank Marcus Blossom and the entire committee for all the work put in to bring in all the candidates as they were all very qualified,” said current head coach Ed Servais. “I’m glad to have Mark come on board. He has a ton of experience and it will be fun to work shoulder-to-shoulder with him. We look forward to filling out our staff. I think we are going to have some more experience coaches join us. The players are going to have a great experience in 2025 and beyond.”
Throughout his coaching career, Kingston has helped lead 15 teams to NCAA Tournament berths (seven as a head coach and eight more an as assistant). Six of those teams reached the NCAA Super Regionals, with two participating in the College World Series and one winning a national championship. As an assistant coach, Kingston helped the Miami Hurricanes capture the 2001 College World Series. His 21-year collegiate coaching career also includes stops at Tulane, where he helped guide the Green Wave to the 2005 College World Series, Purdue and Illinois State.
A 1995 graduate of North Carolina with a degree in communications, Kingston was part of the 1989 Tar Heels squad that won an Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title and advanced to the College World Series.
He also helped the team win the ACC Tournament and advance to NCAA Regionals in 1990 as a sophomore. Kingston received the Trippe Bourne “Most Dedicated Player” Award for his outstanding work ethic and leadership during his junior campaign, and was named a team captain his senior season. Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers out of North Carolina in 1992, the Northern Virginia native played professionally for five seasons with Milwaukee and the Chicago Cubs organizations.
In 2019, Kingston was named as an assistant coach to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, which played in tournaments in Taiwan and Japan.
Kingston and his wife, the former Letitia Kelly, have three children, Kailyn Grace, Cameron James and Kathryn Patricia.
Mark Kingston — Coaching History
As a Head Coach: Overall Record 490-335-1
Year, School (Record)/Postseason
2010, Illinois State (32-24)/MVC Tournament Champions/NCAA Regionals
2011, Illinois State (36-18)/ MVC Tournament
2012, Illinois State (33-19)/MVC Tournament
2013, Illinois State (39-19)/ MVC Regular Season Title/MVC Tournament Runner-up
2014, Illinois State (33-22)/MVC Tournament Runner-Up
2015, South Florida (34-26-1)/NCAA Regionals
2016, South Florida (24-33)/–
2017, South Florida (42-19)/NCAA Regionals
2018, South Carolina (37-26)/NCAA Super Regionals
2019, South Carolina (28-28)/–
2020, South Carolina (12-4)/–
2021, South Carolina (34-23)/NCAA Regionals
2022, South Carolina (27-28)/–
2023, South Carolina (42-21)/NCAA Super Regionals
2024, South Carolina (37-25)/NCAA Regionals
Overall Record as an Assistant Coach: 500-280-2
As an Assistant Coach:
1997, Purdue (30-25)/–
1998, Purdue (23-29)/–
1999, Illinois State (35-24)/–
2000, Miami (Fla.) (41-19-1)/NCAA Super Regionals
2001, Miami (Fla.) (53-12)/NCAA College World Series Champions
2002, Tulane (36-27)/NCAA Regionals
2003, Tulane (44-19)/NCAA Regionals
2004, Tulane (41-21)/NCAA Super Regionals
2005, Tulane (56-12)/NCAA College World Series
2006, Tulane (43-21)/NCAA Regionals
2007, Tulane (34-26)/–
2008, Tulane (39-22-1)/NCAA Regionals
2009, Illinois State (25-23)/–
NCAA Tournament Appearances:
Regionals: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024
Super Regionals: 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2023
College World Series: 2001, 2005
What Others are Saying about Hiring of Mark Kingston:
Skip Schumaker – Miami Marlins Manager
“King is one of the better college coaches in the game right now who truly cares about relationships with his players and coaches. He knows what winning looks like and I believe Creighton got a good one!”
Jim Hendry – Former Creighton Head Coach (1984-91), Former Chicago Cubs GM,
New York Yankees Special Assistant to the GM (2012-present)
“This is an outstanding hire for Creighton. Mark Kingston has done outstanding job as a college coach for a long time. The Bluejays have brought in the right guy moving forward into the future. The city of Omaha and Bluejay Nation will get behind him 100 percent.”
Scott Forbes – North Carolina Head Coach
“I have been fortunate to know Mark for a long time. Mark is a tremendous leader of men, coach and most importantly a great father and husband! He will do great things at Creighton.”
Jim Morris – Former Miami Head Coach
“Great hire. Congratulations to Coach Kingston and Creighton University. When he was my assistant, I know Coach Kingston is a competitor. He understands and respects the game. Overall a class act as a player, a coach and a family man. He will get it done at Creighton.”
Jim Schlossnagle – Texas A&M Head Coach
“Creighton just hit a grand slam with their hire of Coach Kingston! Mark is an elite coach and an even better human being. He understands how to win at the highest level, especially at a private school. I have no doubt that Creighton will look back on this hire as a landmark day in its program.”
Jay Johnson – LSU Head Coach
“Creighton made an outstanding hire naming Mark Kingston as their coach. Mark’s teams always play a solid fundamental brand of baseball and do it with the highest level of competitiveness. Coach Kingston is a great recruiter, developer, and game coach and will have Creighton competing for BIG EAST Championships on a year in and year out basis.”
Tim Corbin – Vanderbilt Head Coach
“I am personally glad this worked out for Mark, Creighton and its baseball program. Mark is a teacher, developer, a builder and a caretaker of young men. He has excelled in many environments at the collegiate level … and he has left every opportunity in better shape than how he found them. He is a winner. Although difficult, I really enjoyed competing against his teams. He will greatly impact [Creighton] and be a fine extension of it, with his attitude and care for other people.”
Dan McDonnell – Louisville Head Coach
“Mark has had success coaching at all levels from winning a National Championship at Miami, to Regional and Super Regional runs while coaching at Tulane, Illinois State, South Florida and South Carolina. I personally got to coach beside him with the USA National Team as we competed against Cuba, Taiwan and Japan. Because of his ability to relate and connect with his players, he has a proven track record with championship accomplishments at every school he has coached at.”
Chris Lemonis – Mississippi State Head Coach
“I have had the opportunity to coach against Mark in the SEC and with him for Team USA. His teams are very fundamental and they always play hard. He has had success at every school he has coached at in his career and has had a strong relationship with his players. I have no doubt he will continue that at Creighton.”
Rick Jones – Tulane Hall of Fame Head Coach
“You just got a great coach, who is a great recruiter and on the field coach. More importantly a coach that the players really trust, respect, appreciate and will play hard for. This is a great hire!”
Jeff Stewart – Tampa Bay Rays scout
“Mark joined our staff at Illinois State University in the fall of ’98 and very quickly we realized he was a tremendously talented coach. King showed great passion for the game, as well as the young men he recruited and taught. We knew Mark would be a winner and he proved that not only at Illinois State, but every school he’s ever coached at in his long career. Creighton has a deep, rich, winning history in baseball and Mark is the perfect coach to lead the Bluejays to even greater heights.”
Kevin Burrell – Chicago White Sox Area Scouting Supervisor
“As a Major League Baseball scout for 33 years it has been a privilege getting work around Coach Mark Kingston. Mark is one of the hardest working coaches that I’ve worked around in Division 1 college baseball. He is committed to excellence, both professionally and personally. Mark is a winner. He is a man of high character and integrity that will impact both players and coaches as he leads Creighton University Baseball into the future.”
