Mark Rutledge enters his third season as an assistant coach for the Rams Basketball program in the 2024-25 season.
Rutledge helped the Rams to a 19-11 overall record as they qualified for the NCAA South Central regional for the second time in as many season. The Rams also received five awards from the LSC, including All-LSC First Team selections for Keyshawn Embery-Simpson and Kevon Godwin, as well as LSC Newcomer of the Year plaudits for Embery-Simpson. Embery-Simpson would also earn NABC All-Region honors.
In 2023, the Rams had three all-conference players, as well as Steve Webb being named the LSC Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, Webb and KK Godwin received all-region honors.
In his first season in San Angelo, Rutledge helped guide the Rams to a 26-7 overall record, as well as making it to the LSC Tournament Finals and to the NCAA South Central Regional, where the Rams won their first postseason game since 2016.
Rutledge, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, came to San Angelo after four years on the coaching staff at Henderson State. He also served as Associate Head Coach for the final two seasons under Reddies head coach Jimmy Elgas.
Rutledge helped guide the Reddies to the 2019-20 Great American Conference (GAC) Tournament Championship, the program’s first conference title since 2003, clinching a berth to the NCAA Central Regional. In his time in Arkadelphia, Rutledge helped recruit and develop ten All-GAC selections. The Reddies had a 100 percent graduation rate in the classroom in Rutledge’s tenure.
Before his time at Henderson State, Rutledge’s first foray into coaching was at Southern Arkansas, where he served as a graduate assistant for a season.
As a player, Rutledge played two seasons for the University of Central Arkansas from 2010-12, starting 56 out of a possible 57 games. He averaged 8.7 points per game and shot 43 percent from the floor. Before that, he played at Connors State College, being named Second Team All-Region.
After his collegiate playing career, Rutledge had a brief professional career with the Battle Creek Knights of the Independent Basketball Association (IBA) and the Shoqata Tirana of the Albania Superliga.
Rutledge graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Health Education from Central Arkansas; he earned his master's degree in Sports Administration from Henderson State in December 2023. He and his wife, Monica, have one son, Elijah, and one daughter, Saniyah.
