JACKSON, Tenn. – Union University women’s basketball head coach Mark Campbell has announced that the upcoming 2025-26 season will be his final at the helm. Campbell, set to begin his 27th season this year, is ending one of the greatest coaching careers in basketball history.

Union associate head coach Sean Blackburn will take over as head coach following this season. Blackburn has been Campbell’s associate head coach for five years, following three years as the assistant coach for the men’s basketball program.

“After much prayer and many conversations with my family, I believe now is the time,” Campbell said. “This will be my final season as head coach of Union’s women’s basketball team. Going forward, I will give my full attention and effort to serving as Union’s director of athletics.”

Campbell’s full statement can be found at the end of this release.

“There is truly no way to express the level of appreciation we have for all that Mark has done and has accomplished as the head women’s basketball coach at Union,” Union University President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver said. Reading his career accomplishments and knowing he did all of that in one place is overwhelming. His commitment to the Lord, his family, and excellence is an example for us all. We will enjoy this final season being grateful for all that has been and all that lies ahead.”

Over his career, Campbell has earned 12 conference coach of the year awards, four region coach of the year awards, seven Tennessee Sports Writers Association coach of the year awards, and six national coach of the year awards. Campbell was also named the Gulf South Conference Coach of the Decade in 2020.

He has led his team to five national titles, four in the NAIA (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010) and one in the National Christian College Athletic Association (2014). Campbell has won 21 regular-season conference titles and 16 conference tournament titles in his 26 seasons. His teams advanced to 25 national tournaments in 26 seasons, including advancing to at least the national semifinals 15 times.

During the 11 years in NCAA Division II, Campbell has advanced to the national tournament 10 times, including a national semifinal appearance in 2018 and 2025. From 2007-2011, he led his team to 48 straight No. 1 NAIA national rankings.

Campbell added a USA gold medal to his trophy case in 2019, leading the USA U16 team to the title, while earning the USA Development Coach of the Year Award.

Campbell is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the NAIA Hall of Fame, and the Jackson Madison County Sports Hall of Fame.

Entering his 27th season, Campbell’s overall record is 775-120 (.866 winning percentage). Eight hundred wins is in sight for the coaching legend to end with one more milestone. He needs 25 wins before he gets eight losses to be the fastest collegiate coach ever, at any level, to 800 wins, surpassing UCONN’s Geno Auremma.

Campbell was the fastest college coach in all of college basketball to reach 500, 600, and 700 career wins at the time of the milestone, records that have since been clipped.

Full message from Mark Campbell on the Union Coaching Transition Announcement –

“Our family sings the doxology often before we go to bed. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Today, I want to say thank you to the Lord for the last 26+ years I have spent at Union University being the head women’s basketball coach here.

The blessings are too many to count, and the impact of this place and the people who work here cannot be calculated properly. I love working at a place where you get to live out your life purpose. When I began coaching, I loved the game, and I loved competing!

I really had no idea what the process was and how running a basketball program was so much more. I had no idea that relationships would be the main thing, and that they would become the only thing that matters. I had no idea that working could be this much fun and fulfilling. I had no idea that someone else succeeding felt better than me doing something well. I had no idea how much joy could be experienced within a team. I also had no idea that some of the best days of my life would be spent in my office having real conversations with young ladies on my team.

The Lord has confronted me and sanctified me throughout the process of learning how to coach. God has allowed us all to experience success here at Union, and winning is fun. He has also been gracious in the winning, teaching me and many of us that winning championships does not fulfill. My favorite moments in coaching never occurred on the court. All my favorite things about this beautiful game and being a coach have happened when God has opened doorways I never even saw. I can remember every one of those moments, and I am thankful I got to experience them all here, at Union University.

Over the last few years, the Lord has been moving my heart. He has allowed me to see that it is time to allow someone else to lead this basketball program. After assuming the director of athletics position here almost three years ago, I began to see more clearly that my coaching career was coming to an end. I just couldn’t discern when that would be. After much prayer and conversations with my family, the 2025-26 season will be my last year coaching the women’s basketball team at Union University. I believe that I am to put all my efforts into being the director of athletics here. I do not make this decision lightly, and I understand how important this program is to this community.

One of the main reasons I feel so certain this is the timing for such a change is the fact that I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Sean Blackburn. Sean has been my associate head coach here for five years and has worked at Union for eight years. I love this program, and I care deeply about what the future holds. I would not put the program in someone’s hands I don’t trust. I trust Sean. He loves Jesus, he loves the game, he loves Union, he understands the tradition here, he is a talented basketball coach, and he understands how to build quality relationships. I believe he is ready for this opportunity, and my desire is that the program pursues excellence and loves the young ladies that come through this place just as Jesus does. Union is a special place, and we both agree that we can be excellent in every way here.

I want to personally thank all of you. Union University is an amazing place, and I have had the honor of serving as the head women’s basketball coach. Along the way, I got to experience things I never thought possible. So many people who have worked at Union and who currently work here have made my time as a coach special. Relationships with you have enriched my life. Thank you. It has been a privilege to serve along with you.

To the fans who faithfully come to our games and care for us so well, your commitment and encouragement have been a big part of why playing basketball here is unique.

To my players and coaches, I have spent my life purposefully with you on this journey. You have helped me become more like Jesus. I have learned more about myself in the gym and in the locker room than I can possibly tell. Your lives became my purpose while working each day. It has been a privilege to be called “coach.” Thank you for all the effort and sacrifices you made that made me look better than I actually am.

Thank you to my family – Molly, Gray, Ella, Kalyan, and Mia – for allowing me the opportunity to be all in as a coach. Marriage and family have been more than I could have ever expected.

God has been so good, and I believe He will continue to be gracious towards this place. We will move forward together and with high expectations.”