| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Vanderbilt |
| Conference | SEC |
| Record | 0–0 (–) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | April 22, 1976 Salem, Virginia, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1994–1998 | UNC Wilmington |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2002–2004 | Charleston (asst.) |
| 2004–2005 | Virginia (asst.) |
| 2005–2012 | Charleston (asst.) |
| 2012 | Charleston (interim HC) |
| 2012–2013 | Virginia Tech (asst.) |
| 2013–2020 | Georgia Southern |
| 2020–2024 | James Madison |
| 2024–present | Vanderbilt |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 220–137 (.616) |
| Tournaments | 1–1 (NCAA Division I) 0–1 (CBI) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| CAA regular season (2021) Sun Belt tournament (2024) | |
| Awards | |
| CAA Coach of the Year (2021) | |
Mark Byington (born April 22, 1976) is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the head men's basketball coach at Vanderbilt University.[1] He previously served as the head basketball coach at James Madison University.
Mark Byington played high school basketball at Salem High School located in Salem, Virginia. He led the Salem Spartans coached by former Dobyns-Bennett head coach Charlie Morgan to a 26–1 record in the 1993–94 season and to the Group AA state championship defeating Louisa County. His #32 jersey has since been retired by Salem High School along with #11 Richard Morgan, who was an All-American.
Byington was a three-year starter for the UNC Wilmington basketball team. He was awarded 2nd-team All-Colonial Athletic Association and All-CAA Defensive Team honors his senior year. In his four years at UNCW, he was a two-time CAA All-Academic selection and scored more than 1,000 points during his career.[2]
Byington spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at the College of Charleston, including seven as Bobby Cremins’ top assistant. The College of Charleston compiled a record of 194–100 and a 108–51 record in the Southern Conference during the years when Byington was an assistant coach. During those seasons, they also recorded six 20-win seasons, logged three Southern Conference South Division regular-season titles, advanced to the league's tournament championship game three times and made two appearances in the NIT.
After a one year assistant coaching stop at Virginia Tech, Byington was hired as the head coach at Georgia Southern.[3][4] In seven seasons with the Eagles, he guided them to a 131–97 overall record, with three-straight 20-win seasons in his final three seasons. On March 20, 2020, Byington was named the 11th head coach in James Madison history, replacing Louis Rowe.[5][6]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Charleston Cougars (Southern Conference) (2011–2012) | |||||||||
| 2011–12 | College of Charleston | 7–4* | 6–3* | 4th (South) | |||||
| College of Charleston: | 7–4 (.636) | 6–3 (.667) | |||||||
| Georgia Southern Eagles (Southern Conference) (2013–2014) | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | Georgia Southern | 15–19 | 6–10 | T–7th | |||||
| Georgia Southern Eagles (Sun Belt Conference) (2014–2020) | |||||||||
| 2014–15 | Georgia Southern | 22–9 | 14–6 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2015–16 | Georgia Southern | 14–17 | 10–10 | 5th | |||||
| 2016–17 | Georgia Southern | 18–15 | 11–7 | T–3rd | CBI first round | ||||
| 2017–18 | Georgia Southern | 21–12 | 11–7 | 3rd | |||||
| 2018–19 | Georgia Southern | 21–12 | 12–6 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2019–20 | Georgia Southern | 20–13 | 12–8 | T–4th | No postseason held | ||||
| Georgia Southern: | 131–97 (.575) | 78–54 (.591) | |||||||
| James Madison Dukes (Colonial Athletic Association) (2020–2022) | |||||||||
| 2020–21 | James Madison | 13–7 | 8–2 | T–1st | |||||
| 2021–22 | James Madison | 15–14 | 6–12 | 8th | |||||
| James Madison Dukes (Sun Belt Conference) (2022–2024) | |||||||||
| 2022–23 | James Madison | 22–11 | 12–6 | 4th | |||||
| 2023–24 | James Madison | 32–4 | 15–3 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| James Madison: | 82–36 (.695) | 41–23 (.641) | |||||||
| Vanderbilt Commodores (Southeastern Conference) (2024–present) | |||||||||
| 2024–25 | Vanderbilt | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Vanderbilt: | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | |||||||
| Total: | 220–137 (.616) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
*Byington served as interim head coach after Bobby Cremins took a medical leave of absence.