Mark Badowsky joined Southern Oregon University prior to the 2017-18 school year as an assistant for the Raider track and field team under head coach Grier Gatlin.
Badowsky, a former all-conference athlete at Saginaw Valley State University (Mich.), arrived in Ashland following a two-year stint as an assistant at Boise State University. During his first season at SOU, he helped lead the women's sprints group to one of their best seasons in school history. In 2018, they achieved nine top-five SOU all-time performances, highlighted by school records in the 200 meters, the 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay.
At the national meets under Badowsky's watch, the Raiders took second in the indoor 4x400 and had All-America performances in the outdoor 400 and 4x100. At the conference championship, the women's team also swept first-through-third place in the 100 and 200 races while winning the 400 and both sprint relays. The 2018 men's team also saw success with two individual national qualifiers in the 100 and 200, the 4x100, and an All-American showing in the decathlon from Joseph Dotson.
At Boise State University, he designed training programs for vertical jumpers, hurdlers and throwers. During his time with the Broncos he oversaw four All-Mountain West Conference performances, five BSU top-three all-time marks, two BSU school record-breaking performances and a pair of NCAA Championship qualifiers.
After starting his career as an intern for the USA Track and Field national teams, Badowsky served as a volunteer assistant at Central Michigan University in 2013-14, primarily as a jumps coach and recruiting organizer. He joined the Heat Track Club in Cobb County, Ga., as an assistant in 2014-15, coaching technical aspects of jumping events and assisting in the strength and conditioning of over 40 athletes between the ages of 7 and 18. He presided over three Georgia USATF Youth State Champions, two USTAF Youth Regional Champions, six USATF Youth National Qualifiers and fourth USATF Youth National top-three performers.
Badowsky earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Saginaw Valley State in 2010, and a master’s degree in sports administration from Central Michigan in 2014. While at SVSU, he twice earned All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference accolades in the multi-events and was All-GLIAC once in the long jump. He competed for three seasons but was forced to sit out his senior year due to injury.
A product of Lincoln Park, Mich., Badowsky has attained Level I USA Track and Field coaching certification.