Marcus Belcher

Hometown: Mexico, Mo. High School: Mexico Last College: Southern Illinois

Position: Assistant Coach Birthdate: 04/20/1980 Experience: 7 years/2 at SIU

Marcus is family. He really cares about this place. It means a lot to him to be back here as an assistant, and he's done a tremendous job for us. Marcus is a guy who has worked different jobs before becoming a coach. He understands what it takes to succeed. He has a great feel about what needs to be done at the right time. Chris Lowery

Marcus Belcher joined the program in June of 2009, after former associate head coach Rodney Watson accepted the head coaching spot at Southern Indiana.

Although Belcher has been at his current post at SIU just two seasons, he has deep roots with Saluki Basketball. Belcher was the starting point guard on the 2002 Sweet 16 team that beat Texas Tech and Georgia in the NCAA Tournament and led the squad with 118 assists. He scored 350 points in 66 games in two seasons at SIU.

"He is a family member, and one of the guys who helped build our program," Lowery said. "He's a proven recruiter, and as a former point guard, he understands the nuances of the game."

Belcher began his coaching career in 2004 as an assistant to Marty Simmons at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The Cougars made NCAA Tournament appearances in both 2005 and 2006. Belcher moved up to the Division I level as an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois in 2007, before re-joining Simmons at the University of Evansville a year ago.

SIU's program now has three former players on its five-man coaching staff. Belcher joins Lowery (1990-94) and Brad Korn (1999-04) as former Salukis turned coaches at Southern.

"Marcus is family," Lowery said. "He really cares about this place. It means a lot to him to be back here as an assistant, and he's done a tremendous job for us so far."

Belcher graduated from Southern Illinois with a degree in marketing, and received his master's degree in sport management from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in 2006.