Arkansas State women's tennis head coach Sujay Lama announced ahead of the 2023-24 season that Marshall Mordecai had joined his coaching staff as an assistant coach. Since arriving in Jonesboro, Mordecai has helped guide the Red Wolves to the program's most successful stretch in more than a decade, highlighted by a postseason championship, a winning season, record attendance, and numerous individual and academic honors.Â
In 2025-26, Mordecai helped Arkansas State reach new heights as the Red Wolves earned their first Division I postseason appearance and captured the UTR Sports NIT championship. A-State finished with a 16-9 record, the program's best finish since 2002, and only the seventh 16-win season in program history. The Red Wolves also achieved the highest national ranking in program history, finishing No. 86 in the final ITA rankings, while earning the first top-10 regional ranking in program history at No. 9 in the ITA Central Region.
The momentum followed a breakthrough 2024-25 campaign in which Arkansas State recorded 13 victories, its most in 17 years, while producing its best Sun Belt season in 25 years. The year was highlighted by Loles Carbo Chova earning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors after recording 23 singles victories, the most in a single season in program history when combining fall and spring, while going undefeated in conference play. Off the court, the Red Wolves were recognized as an ITA All-Academic Team with a 3.94 GPA, and five student-athletes achieved perfect 4.0 marks.
In his first season with the Red Wolves, Mordecai helped guide the program to its most overall victories since 2012 and most shutout victories since 2011. The team also set new program records for home match attendance.
Mordecai joined Arkansas State after a five-year stint as junior program coordinator at the Goldfield Tennis Center in Denton, Texas, where he directed the 10-and-under, middle school and high-performance programs. He was responsible for lesson plans, scheduling coaches and creating an enthusiastic atmosphere for all players. While working with Bad Dawg Tennis, he coached a top-10 ranked player in UIL 4A high school tennis as well as other state-ranked athletes.
He also gained valuable coaching experience as head coach at Denton Calvary Academy, leading both boys' and girls' middle and high school teams to a top-10 finish in the state in TAPPS 3A for the 2022-23 season. In 2020-21, Mordecai served as team manager for North Texas women's tennis, aiding in recruitment, assisting with practice sessions, stringing racquets and performing other key support tasks.
A 2021 graduate of North Texas, Mordecai holds a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation, events and sport management with a minor in social science.
