Remembering Mark Cooke – former longtime Winthrop Coach

ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 SPORTS) – CN2 Sports has learned that an area coaching legend passed away – three time Big South Coach of the year Mark Cooke.

Cooke led the Winthrop Softball team for 29 seasons and retired at the end of 2018 as the Big South’s all time leader in coaching victories. During his time leading the Eagles the squad won four big south titles with two NCAA Regional appearances.

Cooke was originally hired in 1990 to serve as Softball and Volleyball Coach, pulling double duty until 1996. His best season perhaps came in 2007 when the Eagles won 50 contests and five years later in 2012 he got career win number 700 against the ninth ranked Tennessee Volunteers.

Less than a year after his retirement Coach Cooke was inducted into the Winthrop Athletics Hall of Fame. Not long afterwards, Cooke was hired to lead the Softball program at Legion Collegiate Academy where he would lead them to the state title in 2021. Mark Cooke was 69 years old we at CN2 extend our condolences to his wife April and their sons Seth and Noah.

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