Trakh (pronounced TRACK), 55, becomes the 10th head coach in NM State history and has nearly 30 years of head coaching experience, including 16 at the NCAA Division I level at both Southern California and Pepperdine.

Trakh served as the head coach at USC from 2004-09, where he compiled a 90-64 overall record. In his first two seasons, he guided the Women of Troy to their first NCAA appearances in seven years, as the team advanced to the second round in both 2005 and 2006. The Trojans finished in the top half of the Pac-10 all five years and were the conference tournament runner-up in 2009 and regular season runner-up in 2005.

Trakh coached four all-Pac-10 performers at USC, including two-time first-team honoree Eshaya Murphy, who was later tabbed in the second round of the WNBA Draft in 2007. In all, his players made various all-Pac-10 teams 20 times and also excelled in the classroom, garnering a spot on the conference all-academic squad on 14 occasions.

On the recruiting trail, Trakh helped the Trojans sign four classes ranked in the top 12 nationally, including the No. 1 class in 2006, according to USA Today and All Star Girls Report. Trakh successfully recruited 10 Street & Smith All-Americans, seven McDonald's All-Americans, three Parade All-Americans and the 2006 National Player of the Year.

Before accepting the position at USC, Trakh had a highly successful 11-year tenure as head coach at Pepperdine from 1993-2004. Under his direction, the Waves posted six consecutive 20-win seasons from 1997-2003, made six straight postseason appearances and claimed four West Coast Conference titles. Trakh was twice named the league's coach of the year in both 1999 and 2002, and ended his tenure with a 199-123 overall record and a 99-55 mark in the WCC.

The Waves had two WCC Players of the Year in Rasheeda Clark (2000) and Tamara McDonald (2002), with Clark going on to become the school's first ever WNBA Draft pick. Trakh coached 10 first-team all-conference players at Pepperdine and his student-athletes posted an impressive 100 percent graduation rate during his stay in Malibu.

Before entering the collegiate ranks, Trakh had a Hall of Fame career as the head girls' coach at Brea Olinda High School in Brea, Calif., from 1981-93. He helped lead the Ladycats to national prominence with a 354-45 overall record, highlighted by four state titles (1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993), six CIF Southern Section championships and 12 Orange League Crowns. In his final five campaigns, Brea Olinda posted an amazing 161-8 record and did not lose more than two games in any single season.

Among his standouts at Brea Olinda were current Long Beach State head coach Jody (Anton) Wynn and current Hawai'i associate coach Da Houl. Trakh, a California State High School Coach of the Year, is a member of both the City of Brea Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the Southern California High School Basketball Coaches' Hall of Fame.

A 1981 graduate of Long Beach State, the Wanque, N.J., native earned his bachelor's degree in journalism and also has his teaching credential.

The Mark Trakh File

Birthdate
May 31, 1955

Hometown
Wanque, N.J.

High School
Lakeland Regional High

Alma Mater
Long Beach State 1981

Coaching Career

2004-09
University of Southern California (Head Coach)

1993-2004
Pepperdine University (Head Coach)

1981-1993
Brea Olinda High School (Head Coach)

Collegiate Coaching Honors/Accomplishments
- NCAA Second Round (2005, 2006)
- NCAA First Round (2000, 2002, 2003)
- WNIT (1999, 2001, 2004)
- WCC Champions (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003)
- WCC Coach of the Year (1999, 2002)

Trakh's Career Coaching Profile

                                                Overall            Conf.            Conf.            Final

Year            Team/School            W-L            W-L            Finish            Rank            Postseason

2008-09            USC                        17-15            9-9            t4th            -            -

2007-08            USC                        17-13            10-8            4th            -            -

2006-07            USC                        17-13            10-8            5th            -            -

2005-06            USC                        19-12            11-7            t4th            -            NCAA Second Round

2004-05            USC                        20-11            12-6            t2nd            -            NCAA Second Round

Total Record at USC:             90-64             52-38

2003-04            Pepperdine            17-13            10-4            t2nd            -            WNIT First Round

2002-03            Pepperdine            22-8            12-2            1st            -            NCAA First Round

2001-02            Pepperdine            23-8            11-3            1st            -            NCAA First Round

2000-01            Pepperdine            20-11            10-4            t3rd            -            WNIT First Round

1999-00            Pepperdine            21-10            12-2            1st            -            NCAA First Round

1998-99            Pepperdine            21-9            11-3            t1st            -            WNIT First Round

1997-98            Pepperdine            21-10            10-4            2nd            -            -

1996-97            Pepperdine            15-13            6-8            5th            -            -

1995-96            Pepperdine            15-13            7-7            t4th            -            -

1994-95            Pepperdine            10-16            4-10            t6th            -            -

1993-94            Pepperdine            14-12            6-8            t5th            -                

Total Record at Pepperdine:             199-123 99-55

Total Collegiate Overall / Conference Records: 289-187 / 151-93

1980-93            Brea Olinda HS            354-45            -            -            -           

                                                                                    4 California State Champ.

                                                                                    6 CIF Southern Section titles

                                                                                    12 league titles

Total Career Overall Head Coaching Record:  643-232