| Mark Kingston | |
| Current Title: | Associate head coach |
| Current Team: | Creighton |
| Current Conference: | Big East |
| Contract: | $600,000[1] |
| Birth Date: | 16 May 1970 |
| Birth Place: | Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Player Years1: | 1989–1992 |
| Player Team1: | North Carolina |
| Player Years2: | 1992 |
| Player Team2: | Helena Brewers |
| Player Years3: | 1993 |
| Player Team3: | Peoria Chiefs |
| Player Years4: | 1993 |
| Player Team4: | Geneva Cubs |
| Player Years5: | 1994 |
| Player Team5: | Daytona Cubs |
| Player Years6: | 1995 |
| Player Team6: | Orlando Cubs |
| Player Years7: | 1995 |
| Player Team7: | Daytona Cubs |
| Player Years8: | 1996 |
| Player Team8: | Orlando Cubs |
| Player Years9: | 1997 |
| Player Team9: | Grays Harbor Gulls |
| Coach Years2: | 1999 |
| Coach Team2: | Illinois State (Asst.) |
| Coach Years3: | 2000–2001 |
| Coach Team3: | Miami (FL) (Asst.) |
| Coach Years4: | 2002–2008 |
| Coach Team4: | Tulane (Asst.) |
| Coach Years5: | 2009 |
| Coach Team5: | Illinois State (Asst.) |
| Coach Years6: | 2010–2014 |
| Coach Team6: | Illinois State |
| Coach Years7: | 2015–2017 |
| Coach Team7: | South Florida |
| Coach Years8: | 2018–2024 |
| Coach Team8: | South Carolina |
| Coach Years9: | 2025 - present |
| Coach Team9: | Creighton (associate HC) |
| Tournament Record: | NCAA: 12–14 American: 2–4 MVC: 13–6 SEC: 2–5 |
| Awards: | 2× MVC Coach of the Year (2010, 2013) |
Mark Kingston (born May 16, 1970) is an American college baseball coach who is currently the associate head coach at Creighton University. He was previously the head coach at the University of South Carolina, the University of South Florida and Illinois State University.[2] [3] [4] [5]
Kingston played high school baseball at Potomac High School in Dumfries, Virginia where he was a Collegiate Baseball Top 50 recruit, and was drafted out of high school by the New York Yankees in the 35th round of the 1988 MLB Draft. Choosing instead to play college ball at North Carolina, he played four seasons, helping the team to an Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title and berth in the 1989 College World Series in his freshman year. He was drafted in the 45th round of the 1992 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. After playing rookie ball in the Brewers organization, he played four additional seasons in the Chicago Cubs organization, reaching Class-AA, and one season with the independent league Grays Harbor Gulls.
After his playing days were over, Kingston earned a position as an assistant coach at Purdue. He earned the top assistant position after two seasons, and then served one year at Illinois State. He then served two seasons at Miami (FL), where he helped guide the team to the 2001 College World Series title, produced two All-Americans, and saw 18 players sign professional contracts. He then moved to Tulane as recruiting coordinator, where six of his seven classes were ranked in the Top 25 nationally by Collegiate Baseball. The Green Wave reached the 2005 College World Series as the top seed, and earned academic honors in Omaha. In 2009, Kingston served as associate head coach at Illinois State before being elevated to the top job the following season.
Kingston was named the head coach at South Florida ahead of the 2015 season. Kingston coached at USF from 2015 to 2017 and led the Bulls to a pair of NCAA Regional appearances.
On June 30, 2017, Kingston was named the head baseball coach at South Carolina, becoming the 30th head coach in program history. Despite inheriting a team that failed to reach the postseason the year before, Kingston led the Gamecocks to an NCAA Regional crown and an NCAA Super Regional appearance in his first year at the helm. Kingston was relieved of his head coaching position on June 3rd, 2024.
On June 17, 2024, Kingston was named the associate head coach/head coach in waiting for Creighton. He will serve under Ed Servais, who will be going into his 22nd and final season as head coach of the Bluejays in 2025.[6]