The Arkansas men’s basketball team has hired Marcus Edwards as new head strength and conditioning coach, a source confirmed to HawgBeat. Dave Richardson, who had been at the helm for nine years, left this off-season to return to Ohio State.
Richardson served on three staffs in Fayetteville, starting in 2018 under head coach Mike Anderson. He stayed on through the Eric Musselman era and the first two years of the John Calipari tenure.
Edwards comes to Fayetteville from Oklahoma State, where he held the same position. He served on Steve Lutz’ staff for two seasons in Stillwater after serving two years on Jerry Stackhouse’s staff at Vanderbilt. Edwards was also on the Vanderbilt staff at the same time as Arkansas assistant coach Brad Calipari in the 2023-2024 season.
Oklahoma State profile:
Marcus Edwards begins his second season as Oklahoma State’s men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach.
In his first season in Stillwater, Edwards helped the Cowboys improve by five wins and over 30 spots in the NCAA NET rankings with a run to the NIT quarterfinals.
Lutz announced Edwards’ hiring on June 6, 2024:
“Our brand of basketball requires physically and mentally resilient athletes, and Marcus has an extensive track record of developing them. He’s a hard worker who is passionate about his craft and about helping student-athletes reach their full potential. He’s an outstanding mentor and relationship builder, and I know he will have a positive impact on our program.”
Prior to OSU, Edwards spent two seasons with the men’s hoops program at Vanderbilt after serving in a similar capacity at Missouri, Wyoming and Southern Illinois.
During his time in Nashville, Edwards worked under former NBA all-star and 2023 SEC Coach of the Year Jerry Stackhouse. In his first season, the Commodores posted 22 wins and reached the NIT quarterfinals.
Edwards did two separate tours at his alma mater, Missouri, under former head coach Cuonzo Martin. He was assistant strength and conditioning coach during the 2017-18 season when Mizzou reached the NCAA tournament as a No. 8 seed. He returned to Columbia for the 2021-22 campaign as the program’s director of athletic performance.
In between, Edwards left his mark on men’s basketball programs at Wyoming (2018-19) and Southern Illinois (2019-21).
Edwards has also achieved basketball success as a player, winning back-to-back Kansas Class 4A State titles as Kansas City Sumner High School.
The 2015 Missouri graduate added a master’s degree from the University of Texas in 2017 following a two-year turn as a graduate strength and conditioning intern. He’s also Strength & Conditioning Certified (SCCC) by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association.
Edwards and his wife, Anika, have a daughter, Ahna, and a son, MeeJay.
Subscribe to HawgBeat now for just $1 and then get 50% off your first year for new members, visit our homepage to sign up today! This includes complete access to all On3 and Rivals national content, plus The Trough premium message board.
Arkansas legend Bri Ellis looked like the superstar softball fans know in her AUSL 2026 season debut on Tuesday.…
Notre Dame infielder Ava Zachary signed with Arkansas on Wednesday.…
The Arkansas baseball team has its hands everywhere in the transfer portal market, but what names should fans pay the most attention to?…
Arkansas softball has hired former Boise State head coach Justin Schults as hitting coach.…
The Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team has landed an outfield transfer commitment from an in-state program.…
Arkansas has another freshman portal defector.…
HawgBeat takes an early look at directions the Arkansas softball coaching staff could go in constructing the 2027 roster.…
Arkansas lost a promising freshman to the transfer portal.…
Arkansas hitting coach DJ Gasso will be the new head coach at Tulsa.…
Tracking all of the latest moves for Arkansas softball's 2027 roster.…
The Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team has made contact with an exciting two-way transfer prospect. A meeting is in the works.…
Star third baseman Ella McDowell said a new standard has been set for Arkansas softball.…
Hear from Arkansas head softball coach Courtney Deifel and players following the season-ending loss to UCLA.…
Arkansas' historic season ended mercifully at the hands of UCLA in the Women's College World Series elimination bracket.…
Arkansas looks to keep its season alive on Friday against UCLA in the elimination bracket of the Women's College World Series.…
Hear from Arkansas head softball coach Courtney Deifel and players following the extra inning loss to Nebraska in the Women's College World Series.…
Trevon Brazile is ready for the next step in the NBA, and he credits Arkansas for his development as he prepares for the pros.…
How to watch Arkansas vs. Nebraska in the Women's College World Series, plus BetSaracen odds.…
Rising Farmington pitcher Hadley Hays has the number '15' stitched on her glove in honor of late uncle, Arkansas legend Ryan Mallett.…
An in-depth breakdown of what it means for Arkansas to earn the program's first trip to the Women's College World Series.…
Hear from Arkansas softball coach Courtney Deifel and players ahead of the Razorbacks' first appearance in the Women's College World Series.…
Carie Dever Boaz started the Arkansas softball program three decades ago and also has a long-standing relationship with head coach Courtney Deifel.…
Hitting the road for the NCAA Tournament isn't what the Hogs expected, but they're excited about the opportunity to continue playing baseball.…
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn met with the media to talk about the Razorbacks' NCAA Tournament draw on Monday afternoon.…
Live inning-by-inning updates from the SEC Championship between Arkansas and Georgia.…
© 2026 On3 Media, Inc. All rights reserved. On3 is a registered trademark of On3 Media, Inc.
