Former Winthrop Softball Coach Mark Cooke Passes Away

*All stats and photos from Winthrop Eagles’ website.

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Legendary softball coach Mark Cooke passed away Monday, May 15th. The former Winthrop University softball coach holds a Big South Conference record for most career wins (767).

Cooke was a softball coach for more than 30 years. He spent 29 of those years as head coach at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Cooke was inducted in the Winthrop Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019. Cooke also spent seven years coaching the Winthrop Eagles’ women’s volleyball team early in his career.

Coach Cooke won back-to-back Big South Conference Championships in 2007 and 2008. From 2007-2009, Cooke’s teams posted 90 total wins which included victories over Georgia Tech, #18 Oregon State, Auburn, North Carolina State, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Jacksonville State and Santa Clara.

Cooke was named the Big South Conference Coach of the Year in 2005, 2007, and 2008. He led his team to Big South Championships in 1990, 1991, 2007 and 2008. His team finished runner-up six times (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2010, and 2013).

Cooke is survived by his wife, April, and two sons, Seth and Noah.