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Bob Marlin: 5 things to know about the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns basketball head coach

Erik Hall
Lafayette Daily Advertiser

Bob Marlin arrived in Lafayette as the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball head coach ahead of the 2010-11 season. He captured a Sun Belt Conference regular season title in his first campaign as the Ragin' Cajuns went 14-15 overall but 11-5 in the Sun Belt. 

Prior to coming to Louisiana, Marlin was the head coach at Sam Houston State (1998-2010) and Pensacola Junior College (1990-95).

Marlin also had stints as an assistant coach at Louisiana-Monroe, Houston Baptist, Marshall, and Alabama.

Here's some basic information about UL basketball coach Bob Marlin:

  • Hometown: Tupelo, Mississippi
  • Age: 63 years old
  • Birthday: March 5, 1959
  • College bachelor's degree:  Mississippi State physical education degree in 1981
  • College master's degree:  Northeast Louisiana (now ULM) health and physical education degree in 1983
  • Wife: Jennifer Marlin

Find out five more things to know about UL Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball head coach Bob Marlin. 

Bob Marlin holds Sun Belt record for wins

Ragin Cajuns head coach Bob Marlin yells instructions to his players during the University of Texas at Arlington vs. Louisiana men's basketball game in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference championship tournament at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola on Thursday, March 3, 2022.

Bob Marlin set the record for all-time Sun Belt Conference men's basketball wins on Feb. 22, 2021, with a 76-74 win against Texas-Arlington. It gave him 118 Sun Belt Conference wins since taking over the Louisiana job ahead of the 2010-11 season. 

He broke the record previously held by former MTSU head coach Kermit Davis. 

Through the end of the 2021-22 regular season, Marlin increased his Sun Belt win total to 127 victories. 

Marlin's record in the Sun Belt is 127-91 through the end of the 2021-22 regular season. 

Bob Marlin led Louisiana to 2014 NCAA Tournament

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team qualified for the 2014 NCAA Tournament by winning the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Tournament. Louisiana beat Georgia State 82-81 in overtime in the title game. 

Louisiana earned a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament and faced No. 3 seed Creighton during the first round. Louisiana and Creighton played in San Antonio's AT&T Center on Friday, March 21, 2014. 

Creighton defeated Louisiana 76-66. Elfrid Payton led Louisiana with 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocked shots. Shawn Long added 15 points and seven rebounds for UL. 

Louisiana finished the 2013-14 season at 23-12 overall. 

Bob Marlin coached at Sam Houston State for 12 seasons

Mar 18, 2010; New Orleans, LA, USA; Sam Houston State Bearkats head coach Bob Marlin yells from the bench during the second half of the first round of the 2010 NCAA mens basketball tournament at New Orleans Arena. Baylor defeated Sam Houston State 68-59.

Bob Marlin's first Division I head coaching job was at Sam Houston State. He coached at Sam Houston from 1998-2010. Sam Houston State University is located in Huntsville, Texas. 

Marlin took Sam Houston to the NCAA Tournament in 2002-03 and 2009-10. In both those seasons, Sam Houston State won the Southland Conference Tournament. 

Florida beat No. 15 seed Sam Houston State 85-55 in the 2003 NCAA Tournament first round. Baylor defeated No. 14-seeded Sam Houston State 68-59 in the 2010 NCAA Tournament first round. 

Marlin also led Sam Houston State to Southland Conference regular season titles in 1999-2000 and 2008-09. 

Bob Marlin won 1993 NJCAA National Championship

Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Bob Marlin gestures during practice for the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, March 20, 2014, in San Antonio. Louisiana-Lafayette faces Creighton in a second-round game on Friday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Bob Marlin was the Pensacola Junior College (now named Pensacola State College) men's basketball head coach from 1990-95. His teams went a combined 123-35 in those five seasons. 

Marin's 1993 team went 31-5 overall and captured the NJCAA National Championship, and he was named the 1993 National Junior College Coach of the Year. Pensacola beat Butler Community College 79-74 in the national title game. 

Pensacola's Paul O'Liney was the 1993 NJCAA Player of the Year. O'Liney finished his college career playing at Missouri from 1993-95, and he helped Missouri reach the 1994 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight under head coach Norm Stewart. 

Bob Marlin coached for Dana Altman 

Oregon head coach Dana Altman directs his team against Colorado in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in Boulder, Colo.

During Dana Altman's first year as a head coach and his only year as the Marshall University men's basketball head coach, Bob Marlin was an assistant coach along with Dwight Freeman and Greg White for the 1989-90 season. 

Marshall went 15-13 overall and 9-5 in the Southern Conference. Altman earned 1990 Southern Conference Coach of the Year. 

Altman left Marshall to become the Kansas State head coach from 1990-94. Marlin went from Marshall assistant coach to Pensacola Junior College men's basketball head coach, a role he held from 1990-95. 

The 2021-22 season is Altman's 12th season as Oregon men's basketball head coach. He preceded that as Creighton men's basketball head coach from 1994-2010. 

Here's more Bob Marlin news: 

Check out the Bob Marlin bio on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball website. 

Erik Hall is the lead digital producer for sports with the USA Today Network. You can find him on Twitter @HallErik.