Marcus Cobbs Selected as Women's Wrestling Head Coach

CARLINVILLE, IL -- Blackburn College is proud to announce the hiring of Marcus Cobbs the inaugural Head Women's Wrestling Coach, marking an exciting milestone as the College launches its first-ever women's wrestling program. With over a decade of collegiate coaching experience, a strong record of national success, and a deep commitment to student-athlete development, Cobbs is uniquely positioned to build this program from the ground up.

Cobbs joins Blackburn following a tenure as Head Men's and Women's Wrestling Coach at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, where he led the program from 2022 to 2024. Under his leadership, the team developed a strong foundation, producing multiple Academic All-Conference honorees and fostering a culture of technical excellence and discipline.

Previously, Cobbs served as Head Wrestling Coach at Benedictine College (2017–2022), where he coached eight NAIA National Qualifiers, two All-Americans, and maintained a team consistently ranked in the top 15 nationally for GPA. His coaching background also includes leading roles at Truett-McConnell University and Concordia University Nebraska, as well as an assistant position at Cumberland University, where he helped guide 14 national qualifiers and 6 All-Americans 2 national champions.

"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Cobbs to the Blackburn community," said Kim Camara-Harvey, Director of Athletics and Recreation at Blackburn College. "This is a landmark moment for us as we introduce women's wrestling to our campus for the very first time. With his proven success in athletic achievement and academic support, Coach Cobbs is the ideal leader to launch and grow our program."

Throughout his career, Cobbs has developed athletes in Greco-Roman, Freestyle, and Folkstyle wrestling. His coaching philosophy emphasizes technical precision, individualized training, and holistic leadership development—an approach that will shape the foundation of Blackburn's new women's wrestling team.

"I am excited for the opportunity to build a women's wrestling program here at Blackburn and help guide future leaders.  We have hit the ground running and we are excited to begin bringing in student athletes that will make our program competitive and successful in the classroom and on the mat." said Cobbs.  "I also want to thank Athletic Director Kim Camara-Harvey and President Larry Lee for the opportunity to build a program here at Blackburn College.  With their collective commitment and support I know great things are ahead for Blackburn Women's Wrestling.  I am also blessed and excited to be able to coach and grow wrestling here in my home state, Illinois is known for phenomenal wrestling and I look forward to bringing that here."

Cobbs holds a Master of Science in Sports and Exercise Pedagogy with a focus in Sports Management from Cumberland University and a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education from William Penn University, specializing in Strength and Conditioning.