Mark Lumley is in 13th season as a coach with the Baylor softball program and 16th as an assistant to head coach Glenn Moore, serving as the team's hitting instructor, while making a move to coach the team's infield in 2013. Following the 2006 season, Lumley was promoted to associate head coach after serving six years as an assistant coach. Lumley came to Baylor in July 2000, following Moore from LSU.
In Lumley's 12 years at Baylor, the Lady Bears have tallied 10 of the 12 highest single-season home run totals in the program's history as Baylor has continually established new and individual single-season hitting records under his guidance.
In 2005 and 2006, his outstanding work was recognized by USA Softball as he was chosen for coaching consideration for events during the 2005 and 2006 Women's National Team's seasons. As an assistant coach with Team USA in 2006, Lumley helped lead the team to a gold medal at the 2006 World University Games. The team was made up of elite collegiate players from around the country. After the Games, USA took on the Chicago Bandits of the NPF, defeating them three out of four games.
Lumley's influence on the Baylor program was felt immediately. In 2001, several Lady Bears saw drastic improvements in their offensive numbers. First-team All-Big 12 Conference selection Stacey Hundley raised her batting average 80 points, and Holly Fields raised her average by 37 points. Fields also smashed six home runs, matching her total for her first two seasons.
The offensive success continued and increased in 2002 as Baylor established school records for RBI, doubles, triples, slugging percentage, walks, on base percentage, times reached base and stolen bases. Baylor also tied or broke 14 single-game team offensive records in 2002 as several individuals established single-game and single-season school records at the plate.
In 2002, all three Baylor outfielders received postseason accolades: Sarah Caudle was named the Big 12 Conference all-tournament team, Kelly Levesque earned first-team All-Big 12 and second-team NFCA All-Midwest Region honors, and Nan Wilkins was also an all-region selection.
At season's end, Lumley was named a National Assistant Coach of the Year by Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director magazine. Lumley was one of just 14 Division I coaches so honored, and he joined Lori Sippel from Nebraska as the only recipients from the Big 12 Conference.
In 2003, the team records continued to fall under Lumley as Baylor established a school record with 27 home runs. The total was three more than the previous mark set in 2001, Lumley's first season with the program.
Baylor finished third in the Big 12 Conference in team batting average in 2003, tied for the highest the Lady Bears have finished in the league's 10-year history. Kelly Osburn led the conference in on base percentage, Kim Wilmoth tied for the conference lead in triples and Caudle finished third in RBI.
The success continued in 2004 for Lumley and the Baylor hitters as the Lady Bears advanced to the NCAA Softball Championships for the first time in school history.
Once again, Baylor finished the season third in the Big 12 Conference in batting average as two Lady Bears finished in the top five in the conference for average. Carrie Leerberg led the way for Baylor in 2004 with an average of .372 to finish second in the conference as Harmony Schwethelm was not far behind with an average of .355 to finish fifth in the conference in batting.
On the season, Baylor established a new school record with 599 total bases as eight Baylor players established new school records in several hitting categories.
The progress the Baylor hitters made in his first four seasons as an assistant coach was only a sign of things to come for the Lady Bear hitters in 2005. On the way to advancing to its second consecutive NCAA Softball Championships and claiming the first regional title in program history, Baylor shattered nearly every single-season and individual school record.
Among the 15 team hitting records Baylor set in 2005, the Lady Bears established new single-season records in batting average (.318), home runs (57), runs scored (384) and runs batted in (319). The .318 team batting average ranked fifth nationally and third in the Big 12 Conference as Baylor also finished in the top 10 in the nation in runs (5th, 5.91 per game), doubles per game (8th, 1.57), triples per game (5th, 0.4) and slugging percentage (8th, .502).
With a number of school records falling in 2005, several Baylor players established new individual single season records as well. Under Lumley's guidance, Chelsi Lake established new school records with 15 home runs and led the Big 12 Conference with 65 RBI. In addition, Osburn set a new single-season mark with 59 runs scored while Schwethelm established a new school record with 81 hits on the year. In all, Baylor players broke 18 individual single-season hitting records.
The success continued for the Baylor program under Lumley in 2006. The squad shattered the home run mark set by the 2005 team, blasting 68 on the season to lead the Big 12 Conference and rank sixth in the country with 1.13 home runs per game and ninth with a .486 slugging percentage. Once again, Lake led the offensive output, belting a school record 18 home runs to break her school record set the previous season as she ranked second in the conference with a .741 slugging percentage.
For the season, Baylor ranked second in the conference with a .296 batting average and ranked among the top three in every offensive category.
In 2007, Lumley helped guide Ashley Monceaux to one of the greatest offensive seasons in Baylor history. Monceaux set single-season records in batting average (.413), hits (81), doubles (19), home runs (20), RBI (71), slugging percentage (.816) and OBP (.508). As a team, the 2007 squad hit .310 and is ranked second in school history in nearly every offensive category.
Defensively, his outfielders were part of a unit that set a school record with a .969 fielding percentage.
For his efforts, Lumley and the rest of the staff were recognized as the 2007 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
Lumley continued to show his offensive teaching prowess in 2008, as the Lady Bear offense led the Big 12 in batting average, hitting .307 on the year.
In 2009, Lumley was part of a staff that earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year. The Lady Bears again found themselves hitting above .300 for the year (.301). Two outfielders, Kayce Walker and Tiffany Wesley, earned All-Big 12 and NFCA all-region honors, while Walker tied the program's single-season batting average record (.413).
In 2010, Lumley guided Baylor's outfielders to being one of the best in the conference, as Nicole Wesley and Kayce Walker earned first-team all-conference honors. In addition, Nicole and Tiffany Wesley were named Academic All-Americans.
In 2012 Lumley helped develop first baseman Holly Holl into a first-team All-Big 12 performer and second-team all-region choice. Additionally, center fielder Kathy Shelton earned her second all-conference selection.
During Lumley's 12 years as outfield coach, nine Baylor outfielders have earned NFCA all-region regional honors, including Schwethelm, who became only the second player in school history to be named NFCA All-America when she was named to the squad following the 2005 season.
Thanks to Lumley's tutelage, Baylor has enjoyed one of the Big 12's strongest outfields over the past 11 years. In that time, nine Baylor outfielders have earned NFCA all-region regional honors, including Schwethelm, who became only the second player in school history to be named NFCA All-America when she was named to the squad following the 2005 season.
In two seasons at LSU, Lumley guided his hitters, known for their power and aggressiveness, to a final ranking of 21st in the NCAA in 1999 and No. 8 in 2000. The 2000 squad finished the season with a batting average of .310 and ranked 13th nationally in slugging percentage (.430) and 20th in scoring with 5.07 runs a game.
Lumley, a native of Tucson, Ariz., joined Moore at LSU after a 12-year stint at Flowing Wells High School in Tucson where he led the team to a No. 5 final national ranking by USA Today.
Lumley has received numerous honors for his coaching accomplishments. He was named the 1998 Arizona Coaches Association Coach of the Year, and the 1998 Arizona All-Star Game was dedicated to Lumley for his outstanding tenure as a high school coach. He was also named the 1993 and 1997 Coach of the Year by the Daily Star-Tucson Citizen.
A 1985 graduate of the University of Arizona, Lumley is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Lumley married his wife, Stacey, on Dec. 28, 2012. The couple have three sons, Trey, Mason and D.J.