Eastern Illinois University Athletics

Position: Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
Years at EIU: 3rd year
Alma Mater: UMKC, 2002

Marc Stricker joined the Eastern Illinois men's basketball staff in August of 2013.

Stricker helped the Panthers advance to the 2014 OVC Tournament, just the second time EIU made back-to-back tournament appearances since the 2003 season. He helped coach Sherman Blanford and Reggie Smith to All-OVC honors, the first time since 2010 that the Panthers had multiple players named to the All-OVC Teams.

In his second season on Spoonhour's staff, Stricker helped the Panthers post only EIU's second winning season since the 2001 season.  EIU finished with an 18-15 record including winning an NCAA Division I school record nine straight games in December and January.  EIU appeared in the CollegeInsiders.com Postseason Tournament beating Oakland in the opening round for the program's first NCAA Division I postseason victory.  He helped recruit and coach All-OVC selections Trae Anderson and Cornell Johnston with Johnston named the OVC Freshman of the Year. 

Stricker came to EIU following two seasons at Maryville University in St. Louis where he helped the school post 23 wins as they finished second in the Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division.  The program qualified for the GLVC Tournament both seasons.  While on the staff Maryville beat No. 4 ranked Bellarmine for the school’s first win over a nationally ranked opponent.  They also received votes in the NABC Division II poll for the first time in school history.

Prior to his time at Maryville Stricker served one season as the head coach of the St. Louis Pioneers, a member of the ABA professional league.  He coached the team to a 13-3 record with eight straight wins to close out the season.  His team finished the season ranked No. 16 in the ABA Power Rankings poll and qualified for the ABA playoffs.

Stricker played basketball at UMKC earning Academic All-Conference.  Following his playing days he joined the staff at UMKC for his first coaching job helping the program advance to the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament semifinals in three of his four seasons.  He helped mentor four athletes that are currently in the career top ten in scoring at UMKC and three athletes that are currently in the career top ten for rebounding.  In his first season with the Kangaroos the program earned a spot in the Mid-Major Top 25.

In 2005 Stricker became the head coach of the AAU Gateway Basketball Club in St. Louis.  During six years as the head coach he posted a 178-56 record winning the Adidas All-American Tournament four times.  His program also made two final four appearances at the Gym Rats Invitational.  Stricker developed 26 players from the program that played basketball at four-year institutions including 13 at the NCAA Division I level.

Stricker earned both his bachelors (2002) and master’s (2005) degrees from UMKC.  He and his wife Christine have two children, Savannah and Kelley.