Tim Marrion enters his third year with the San José State University men’s basketball program and his first season as Assistant Coach/Operations. Marrion has on-court coaching responsibilities, is actively involved in the program's recruiting efforts and oversees all areas of basketball operations. He returned to the Spartans in 2023–24 as Director of Operations, contributing to the program’s most successful three-year stretch since 1988.
Marrion enters his 20th season in coaching, his 19th working at the NCAA Division 1 level. This marks Marrion’s fourth stint with the Spartans, having previously worked under former head coaches Jean Prioleau and George Nessman.
Prior to rejoining San José State, Marrion spent two seasons as the Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at the University of Idaho from 2021-2023. While in Moscow, he played a pivotal role in bringing in top talent, including:
- Isaac Jones, future NBA player and 2023 Big Sky Newcomer of the Year
- Nigel Burris, 2023 Big Sky Freshman of the Year, and the only 247 Sports Top 300 recruit in the Big Sky for the 2022 class. Burris also led all NCAA Division I freshmen in true shooting percentage
- Terren Frank, a former ESPN Top 100 and four-star recruit, the highest-ranked player in Idaho program history
During his time in Moscow, Idaho Marrion oversaw the team's defensive efforts with the Vandals reducing opponents' scoring by 6.7 points per game. Notably, on December 2, 2022, Idaho held Northern Illinois to just 47 points — the fewest allowed against a Division I opponent in over six years. Marrion also served as Acting Head Coach during the 2023 Big Sky Conference Tournament.
Marrion’s coaching career includes three separate tenures at Washington State University in Pac-12 Conference, where he rose through the ranks from Coordinator of Operations to Assistant Coach, working under Ken Bone and Ernie Kent. In his final season (2018–19), WSU achieved its best defensive efficiency in Pac-12 play since 2014. The Cougars swept Arizona and Arizona State on the road for program's first road sweep in over 10 years.
Throughout his career, Marrion has coached 17 future NBA players, including five-time NBA All-Star and four-time champion Klay Thompson.
Collectively, his teams at San José State, Washington State, and Idaho have won 219 NCAA Division I games, including seven postseason victories and five wins over Top 25-ranked opponents. Impressively, Marrion has helped increase team winning percentage in six of his seven years as an NCAA Division I assistant coach.
Earlier in his career, Marrion served as Associate Head Coach at Clark College, a junior college located in Vancouver, Washington. During the 2014–15 season he helped guide the team to its second NWAC Championship in school history and first since 1995. The Penguins finished with a 25–6 overall record, winning the NWAC West Region, and leading the conference in multiple defensive categories. The team also set NWAC Tournament records for fewest field goals allowed in a game (8), fewest points allowed in a game (30), and the largest margin of victory in a game (44).
Marrion earned his bachelor’s degree in Sport Management with a minor in Leadership Studies from Washington State University in just three years, graduating in 2006. He later earned his master’s degree in Sport Leadership from Duquesne University in 2014.
Marrion and his wife Sofia were married in 2013 and have three children: Gia, Del, and Brae.