Iconic TJC Men's Basketball Coach Mike Marquis Retiring After 38 Years

By: Phil Hicks, Tyler Morning Telegraph

From the cornfields of Iowa to the rose gardens of Texas, Mike Marquis' teams have excelled on and off the basketball court.

From coaching future professional stars to helping guide almost 100 percent of his players to graduation from Tyler Junior College and on to the next level, the TJC Coach cares about his players and not about wins

"I've always said that Mike is a coach you would want your son to play for," good friend and longtime Apache soccer coach Steve Clements said. " He cares about his players' long term success on and off the court. He will reap the rewards from a great career watching his guys succeed for years to come."

Marquis is completing his 25th year as Apache coach having led TJC to a record of 459-280 entering the last week of the regular season. His total record is 754-396.

Marquis, a graduate of Newton High School in Iowa, played college basketball at Marshalltown (Iowa) and at Grand View College (Iowa) where he obtained a degree in English. 

Prior to joining Tyler in the fall of 2001, Marquis was head coach at NJCAA school Indian Hills (Iowa) where he compiled a 60-10 overall record from 1999-2001. Marquis served one year as an associate head coach for the Warriors before becoming head coach. Before his stint at Indian Hills, Marquis was the head basketball coach at Marshalltown (Iowa) where he had an overall record of 235-106. He coached both the men and women's teams. Marquis has sent more than 75 players to the next level, including NBA superstar Jimmy Butler

In 2021, Marquis was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame class

There have been a number of milestone wins for Marquis and as always he deflects the praise to his players and assistants

"I am very thankful to all my former players, assistants and to all three schools for allowing me to chase my dream of being a coach," Marquis said at the time.

Marquis is also a member of the Indian Hills Hall of Fame.

"Over the past 25 years, Coach has built a program here at TJC defined by integrity, competitiveness, and genuine care for student athletes," TJC athletic director Doug Wren said. "His impact extends far beyond wins and championships — he has shaped lives, mentored countless young men, and has been a great ambassador for TJC throughout this community. On behalf of our department and the entire institution, we are incredibly grateful for his service and the legacy he leaves behind."

Former athletic director Dr. Tim Drain added, "I will be so grateful for the time that Mike and his family have devoted to Tyler Junior College and our men's basketball program. From the minute Mike stepped foot on this campus, he not only bought into the culture of TJC Athletics, but enhanced it throughout his years. The black and gold was important to him, and his decisions reflected that. I will miss him on the sideline, but I know he won't be far away." 

Marquis is married to wife Kris and they have two sons, Mitch and McKade, and one daughter, Michelle. Both Mitch and McKade have followed their father into the coaching profession. 

During his time in Tyler it has not always been rosy. Marquis saw the passing of his beloved parents, and this season he has battled throat cancer. 

Marquis' son Mitch, who played for his dad at TJC and has been an assistant coach for the Apaches, stepped up to coach the team during Mike's cancer treatment. 

Mitch says that while this has been a trying time for the Marquis family, the love and support they've gotten from within the TJC community and around the basketball world has been amazing.

"The support's been amazing. We've heard from everyone there is to think of, from bigtime coaches to NBA coaches to NBA players to coaches across the country, so it's been humbling because I've got to see how many lives he has affected. The support system's been fantastic."

That support helped him return to the sideline after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, beating the disease.

Before his 700th win, Marquis said, "It's amazing. For a kid that grew up in Newton, Iowa, which no one has ever heard of except for the Maytag Corporation … because you don't want to coach for a number for your own self. That's not what this is about. This is about kids and getting them to be successful. … I'm proud of all of the teams and the kids I've coached. I couldn't tell them all thank you enough."

TJC and the Tyler community returns a big "thank you" to Coach Marquis.