Mark Jelks was hired as the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s assistant baseball coach in August of 2014. After seven years of contribution he was promoted to associate head coach in the spring of 2021. Coach Jelks came to UAM after a two-year stint as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Great American Conference member Arkansas Tech University.
Since joining the UAM baseball program, the Weevils have compiled a record of 238-166 with four consecutive GAC championship titles in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, as well as three NCAA regional selections in 2016, 2017, and 2019. Coach Jelks has won five GAC championships in the past nine seasons and is currently the only coach to win GAC championships at two separate institutions.
UAM smashed the record books in 2016 with an overall record of 40-16 and a GAC record of 21-9. The Weevils finished the 2016 season ranked 21st nationally by Collegiate Baseball, while setting school records in wins (40), hits (578), doubles (116), home runs (56), runs scored (423), RBI’s (382), and walks (259). The Weevils saw the tradition of UAM baseball continue to build throughout the 2017 season repeating as the GAC tournament champions with a GAC record of (22-11) earning UAM back-to-back trips to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. The tradition of Weevils baseball remained strong in 2018 with the long sought after GAC regular season title after coming close in 2014 and 2016 with a conference record of (23-10).
Similarly to UAM, Jelks helped Arkansas Tech capture its first NCAA tournament berth as the regions No. 1 seed and tournament host in 2014 after the Wonder Boys won the GAC regular season championship. Tech finished that season with a 44-12 overall record and a 25-5 record against GAC competition. Throughout the course of the 2014 season, Jelks and the Wonder Boys broke school records in overall wins (44), conference wins (25) and consecutive wins (22), while also being ranked as high as No. 3 nationally by Collegiate Baseball.
Entering into his 14th season as a coach, Jelks has tutored seven MLB draft selections, 11 All-America award recipients, 21 All-Region honorees, 70 all-conference picks, four Rawlings Gold Glove winners, one Josh Willingham D2 MVP winner, three GAC Player of the Year recipients, two GAC Freshman of the Year winners, two GAC Pitcher of the Year winners, two Josh Willingham D2 MVP Award semi-finalists and two Brett Tomko D2 Pitcher of the Year semi-finalists.
The El Dorado, Arkansas native began his coaching career in 2008, joining Kirk Bock’s staff at Bryant High School, where he helped lead the Hornets to three consecutive 7A-Central conference championships (2009-11). The 2010 Hornets won the 7A state title. In his final year at Bryant, the Hornets climbed in the national high school rankings to as high as No. 8 and ended the season with another trip to the state finals. During his three years at Bryant, Jelks mentored 23 all-conference performers and six all-state players.
Prior to joining the staff at Tech, Jelks served a short stint at the University of Central Arkansas as the director of baseball operations, in which he coordinated many of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the Bears baseball program.
Jelks earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies from the University of the Ozarks in 2006, he and his wife Kelli had their first child, Georgia Mae in August of 2017.
| 2021-2023 |
University of Arkansas - Monticello • Associate Head Coach |
| 2014-2021 |
University of Arkansas - Monticello • Assistant Coach |
| 2012-2014 |
Arkansas Tech University • Assistant Coach |
| 2011-2012 |
University of Central Arkansas • Director of Baseball Operations |
| 2009-2011 |
Bryant High School • Assistant Coach |
