ORONO, Maine — Maine native Chris Markwood has served as a player, captain, and assistant coach for the University of Maine men's basketball team.
Now he can add head coach to that list.
The university announced in a release Monday that Markwood has been named the 23rd head coach in the program's history.
Markwood graduated from the UMaine in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and sociology.
While at Orono, he played two seasons on the basketball team and served as captain during his senior season (2004-05). He played for two seasons at the University of Notre Dame before transferring to UMaine.
Before college, Markwood was a standout for South Portland High School. He was named the 2000 Maine Gatorade Player of the Year and won Mr. Maine Basketball.
UMaine Athletic Director Ken Ralph said the university is thrilled to welcome Markwood and his family back to Orono.
"Coach Markwood is everything we could hope for in a men's basketball coach," Ralph said in Monday's release.
Markwood has served as an assistant coach for the past 16 seasons at schools throughout the northeast, including a five-year stint at UMaine from 2006-11. He most recently served as an assistant coach at Boston College during the 2021-22 season.
"The state of Maine, and the University of Maine, are home to me and have always held a special place in my heart," Markwood said in Monday's release. "I am extremely excited for the opportunity to partner with our student-athletes and lead this program to new heights. Go Black Bears!"
Markwood's wife is Ashley Underwood, now Markwood, an all-conference player for the UMaine women's basketball team from 2003-07. She finished her career with 1,195 points scored for the Black Bears.
Richard Barron, UMaine's previous men's head basketball coach, parted ways with the team with four games left in the 2021-22 season. He finished with a 21-75 record across four seasons leading the men's team.
Assistant coach Jai Steadman served as interim head coach until UMaine hired Markwood.
