Mark Dean Hess

Mark Hess was born and raised in Ashland, the younger son of Jim and Margaret Ann Hess. Mark first learned the game of basketball through the coaching of his father in his driveway and alongside his friends in the Ashland YMCA recreational league. His growth as a player continued as he played alongside his role models - his older cousins - on the driveway basketball court at his Grandparents’ farm.

Mark was a four-year letter winner for the Ashland Arrows Varsity Basketball Team under the leadership of Head Coach Chris Stokes. In Mark’s four years under Stokes, the Arrows compiled a record of 69-23 and won two Sectional and District Championships. As a senior, Mark, along with seven of his classmates, won an Ohio Heartland Conference (OHC) Championship and reached the “Elite Eight” as they advanced to the Regional Finals, the furthest an Arrow team has gone since 1932. For his efforts as an Arrow, Mark was named 1st Team OHC three times, 1st Team District 6 three times, and co-Team MVP, All-Northwest District, and Special Mention All-Ohio as a Senior. Hess’ 991 career points lists him as the 6th all-time leading scorer in Arrow Basketball history,

After graduating from Ashland High School in 2003, Mark earned a scholarship to Mount Vernon Nazarene University and played basketball for four years under Coach Scott Flemming. Coach Stokes and the Arrow basketball program proved to prepare Mark for college basketball as he started in 35 of the 36 games his first season and was the Cougars second leading scorer (12.6 points per game) and rebounder (8.0 rebounds per game) as a true freshmen. For the season, he was named American Mideast Conference (AMC) - South Division Freshman of the Year and AMC - South Division 2nd Team. In his sophomore season, Hess became the main option for the Cougars and led them in scoring (17.9ppg), rebounding (7.8rpg), and field goal percentage (55%) as well as scoring his 1,000th career point. For his efforts, Mark was named Team MVP, 1st Team AMC - South Division, and NAIA Honorable Mention All-American. As a junior, Hess helped lead the Cougars to a 27-9 record (which tied the school record for wins in a season), an AMC Tournament Championship, and an NAIA National Tournament berth in which they advanced to the “Elite Eight”. Hess was again named Team MVP, 1st Team AMC - South Division, and NAIA Honorable Mention All-American. In his final season, the Cougars finished 25-7 with an AMC - South Division Conference Championship and another NAIA National Tournament berth. Hess was named 3rd Team AMC - South Division. For his career at MVNU, Hess was a three year captain, scored 1,839 points (7th all-time), grabbed 982 rebounds (3rd all-time), and made 749 field goals (6th all-time) and 332 free throws (5th all-time). Off of the basketball court, Hess was named ESPN Magazine Academic All-District 1st Team twice, AMC All-Academic Team twice, and NAIA Division 2 All-America Scholar Athlete twice.

Mark graduated from MVNU with honors in 2007 as an Integrated Mathematics Education major and began his career as a math teacher and basketball coach at Willard High School. His first coaching job was as the Freshman Coach on Coach Greg Nossaman’s Willard Flashes staff. Mark then went to Powell, Ohio with Coach Nossaman where he was a Varsity Assistant Basketball Coach at Olentangy Liberty High School for four years. In 2012, Mark Hess was named the Head Varsity Boys’ Basketball Coach at Hilliard Darby High School. After two seasons at Darby, Hess accepted the challenge of becoming the Head Varsity Boys’ Basketball Coach at Beavercreek High School, one of the ten largest public high schools in the state of Ohio. This upcoming season will be Hess’s twelfth year as a high school teacher and coach—his seventh as a Varsity Head Coach.