Mark Downey
Head Men's Basketball Coach

Contact Info.
Phone: 479-968-0365
E-Mail: mdowney@atu.edu

Education:
High School:
St. Francis High School (Morgantown, W. Va.), 1990
College:
Charleston University (Charleston, W. Va.), Bachelor of Science, 1995
Marshall University (Huntington, W. Va.), Master of Science - Athletic Administration,  1998

Playing Experience:
Downey lettered for four years at Charleston University (Charleston, W. Va.) from 1990-95. As a player, he was an All-WVIAC all-conference performer and served as the team's captain from 1993-95.  In addition, helped lead Charleston to a WVIAC Tournament Championship in 1992-93 and holds the league's record for three-point field goals in a season (111).  In high school, Downey was the state of West Virginia's leading scorer (37.6 points per game) as a senior in 1989-90 and was a two-time captain and a First-Team All-State selection and was runner-up for the West Virginia Player of the Year as a senior in 2000.

Coaching Experience:
Downey came to Tech after spending the five seasons (2001-06) as an assistant coach on Monte Towe's staff at the University of New Orleans.  As a assistant at UNO, he served as the recruiting coordinator, handled scheduling, scouting of opponents, travel coordinator, assisted in game and practice preparation and also was the director of the Monte Towe Basketball Camp.  Prior to working at New Orleans, Downey served as the head men's basketball coach at Independence Community College in Independence, Kan. from 1999-2001. While at ICC, Downey led the Pirates to a 47-23 record and was named the Region VI and Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year. In addition, he led ICC to the Jayhawk Eastern Conference title and a Region VI championship in 2000 and led the school to the Region VI title game in 2001. Before assuming the head coaching role at Independence, Downey spent one season (1998-99) as an assistant at the school under head coach Chris Jans. In addition, he spent two seasons (1996-98) as an administrative assistant coach under head coach Greg White at Marshall University and began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Barton College in Wilson, N.C. in 1995-96.    

Personal:
Downey is 36 years old and recently married the former Ericka Beavers. He is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and also a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and made his motion picture debut this past year as one of Adolph Rupp's 'Runts' (Tommy 'Crash' Kron) in the movie 'Glory Road', about the 1965 NCAA Basketball Championship game between Texas Western University and the University of Kentucky.

At Tech:
Downey, who has compiled 47-41 coaching record, enters his fourth season at the helm of the Wonder Boys in 2009-10 and is looking to continue the momentum following last season's 23-9 squad which captured the school's first-ever Gulf South Conference Men's Basketball title and made to its first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament appearance, where the Wonder Boys lost in the regional semifinals. In Downey's second season at Tech in 2007-08, he led the Wonder Boys had many milestones, including earning its first Gulf South Conference Tournament appearance since the 1999-00 season, earning its first-ever postseason win at the NCAA Division II level with its 65-49 win over Alabama-Huntsville in the opening round of the 2008 GSC Tournament and posting a winning record (18-11) for the first time since 1999-00. In addition, the Wonder Boys posted a 12-win improvement from 2006-07 when they finished with a 6-21 overall record.

Doug Karleskint
Assistant Men's Basketball Coach

Contact Info.
Phone: 479-964-3263
E-Mail: dkarleskint@atu.edu

Education:
High School:
Fort Scott High School (Fort Scott, Kan.), 1998
College:
MidAmerica Nazarene (Olathe, Kan.), Bachelor of Sports Management, 2003
Northwest Missouri State University (Maryville, Mo.), Masters of Education, 2009

Playing Experience:
Karleskint played two seasons (1999-00) at Fort Scott Community College as a point guard and also played one season at shortstop in baseball while at Fort Scott. Along with playing at Fort Scott, he also played point guard at both East Central [OK] and finished his playing career at MidAmerica Nazarene.  In high school at FSHS, Karleskint was a three-sport athlete as he was a two-year lettermen and an All-State selection as a quarterback in football, was a three-year lettermen and a two-time All-State selection in basketball and was a four-year lettermen, a three-time All-District and a two-time All-State selection in baseball.

Coaching Experience:  
Karleskint comes to Tech after serving the past two seasons (2007-09) as an assistant coach on the staff of Danny Kasper at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas. In his two seasons with the Lumberjacks, Karleskint helped SFA to a 50-14 record and back-to-back regular season Southland Conference Championships, including posting a 24-8 record in 2008-09. in addition, SFA won the Southland Conference Basketball Tournament in 2008-09 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, while in his first season in 2007-08, the Lumberjacks played in the NIT and finished with a 26-6 overall record. Prior to going to SFA, Karleskint served as a graduate assistant coach for two years (2005-07) on Steve Tappmeyer's staff at Northwest Missouri State University. While with the Bearcats, he helped the team post back-to-back 20-win campaigns and a MIAA regular season title in 2007. Before beginning his two-year stint at NWMSU, Karleskint spent the 2003-04 season as an assistant coach at Fort Scott C.C. and then spent the 2004-05 season as an assistant coach on Happy Osborne's staff at Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kent. 

Personal:
Karleskint is 29 years old and was born on Nov. 30, 1979, in Fort Scott, Kan. He is married to the former Kyla Boots of Fort Scott, Kan., and the couple are the parents of a one-year son, Jadin.

At Tech:
Karleskint is entering his first season with the Wonder Boys in 2009-10.