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Marking, Jim
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Born April 26, 1927, in Parkston, South Dakota, Jim Marking was raised by his grandparents. He became the winningest coach in South Dakota State University men’s basketball history at the time of his retirement in 1974, compiling a record of 148 wins and 80 losses for a .649 winning percentage.
Marking earned seven varsity letters while attending Parkston High School, where he excelled in football. He entered the United States Navy before enrolling at South Dakota State University. Although he did not make the SDSU basketball team, he was a dedicated student of the game and, during his senior year, served as head coach at nearby Bruce High School in Bruce, South Dakota.
After graduating from SDSU in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, Marking coached basketball at Hayti High School from 1950 to 1954, compiling a record of 117 wins and 13 losses. His teams won the South Dakota Boys State Class B Championship in 1954 and finished as runner up twice. Beginning in 1956, he coached at Watertown High School, where his teams posted a record of 78 wins and 35 losses, won the South Dakota Boys State Class A Championship in 1959, and finished as runner up twice.
Marking joined South Dakota State University in 1960 and completed his basketball coaching career there in 1974. As assistant coach under Jim Iverson, the SDSU Jackrabbit men’s basketball team won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1963. As head coach from 1965 to 1974, Marking led SDSU to four North Central Conference championships in 1968, 1969, 1970, and 1973, and five NCAA postseason appearances. He also served as SDSU’s tennis coach for five years. After leaving SDSU, Marking was employed by Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Dakota and retired in 1987.
Over 24 years of basketball coaching, Marking produced a combined record of 386 wins and 137 losses for a .738 winning percentage. His high school coaching record was 194 wins and 48 losses. His SDSU freshman teams compiled a record of 44 wins and 9 losses. His SDSU varsity teams finished 79 and 45 in conference play for a .637 winning percentage. In addition to these records, Marking influenced hundreds of student athletes as a teacher, coach, and advisor.
Marking received numerous honors and recognitions, including being the only South Dakota high school basketball coach to win both a State Class B and a State Class A championship. His honors include induction into the South Dakota Hall of Fame, South Dakota High School Coaches Hall of Fame, South Dakota Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, North Central Conference Hall of Fame, SDSU Hall of Fame, and Watertown High School Hall of Fame. He received the SDSU Distinguished Alumnus Award, the South Dakota Press Association Distinguished Athletic Award, and was named South Dakota College Coach of the Year in 1970. On December 21, 1974, South Dakota Governor Richard F. Kneip issued an executive proclamation declaring “Jim Marking Day.”
On August 22, 1952, Jim Marking married Carola Koehn, a high school friend and a 1982 graduate of SDSU in Home Economics. They had five children: Nancy Johnson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Tom Marking and his wife Cindy of Porterfield, Wisconsin; Dan Marking and his wife Susan of Grand Rapids, Minnesota; Robert Marking of Brookings, South Dakota; and Pam Rathlisberger and her husband Marvin of Crystal, Minnesota. After 59 years of marriage, Carola Marking preceded him in death on March 18, 2012.
Jim Marking died on January 19, 2013, and is buried in Brookings, South Dakota.
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Field of Activity: Basketball--Coaching
Occupation: Basketball coaches
Associated Groups: South Dakota State University