Mark Coberley - Senior Associate AD/Sports Medicine, Welfare & Performance - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Mark Coberley

Title:
Senior Associate AD/Sports Medicine, Welfare & Performance
Email:
Phone:
515-294-5500

Mark Coberley, a national leader in advancing sports medicine and science while integrating emerging technologies in all areas, is the senior administrator with oversight of ISU’s sports medicine, psychological health and performance, nutrition, performance and sport science departments.

Coberley has served Cyclone student-athletes for over 30 years and worked alongside some of the institution’s most legendary coaches and administrators including Matt Campbell, Dan McCarney, Johnny Orr, Tim Floyd, Larry Eustachy, Fred Hoiberg, Paul Rhoads, Gene Chizik, Jim Walden, Jamie Pollard and Gene Smith.

He is no stranger to oversight of medical care and performance to highly successful teams, having worked with all but four of ISU’s bowl teams, as well as its 1997 Big 8 Tournament champion men’s basketball team, the 1998 NCAA Sweet 16 men’s basketball squad and three-straight College World Series (1990-1993) baseball teams at Wichita State. Coberley played a key role in helping the Cyclones successfully navigate the COVID epidemic to win the PlayStation Fiest Bowl and has overseen medical care for all of ISU bowl championship teams.

A leader in the Big 12 Conference medical arena serving as Chair of the league’s Medical Aspects of Sport Committee and Chair of the Student-Athlete Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group, Coberley’s team earned three Big 12 Conference Sports Medicine Staff of the Year awards. He also coordinated the Big 12’s concussion study, whose results were published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, for 10 years and contributed to the NCAA and NFL’s health and safety measures.

Coberley started his career under ISU Athletics and NATA Hall of Fame member Frank Randall, whom he replaced in 1999 as director of the sports medicine department. In addition to overseeing the growth of the ISU sports medicine team, he has been a driving force behind the development of the department’s mental health and nutrition departments.

Coberley has been recognized with numerous awards for his sports medicine career including induction into the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 2023, the Mid-America Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Iowa Athletic Trainers Society Hall of Honor in 2014. He earned a 2013 NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award and was named the 2011 NCAA Division I Head Athletic Trainer of the Year.

He has also been honored as the 2020 ISU Athletics Department Employee of the Year, the ISU Professional and Scientific Excellence Award in 2019 and the 2021 ISU COVID-19 Exemplary Operational Support Award. He has served numerous university campus groups including the Pandemic Flu Preparation Task Force, the Enterprise Risk Management Committee and the AED Policies Committee.

Coberley has served on the 40,000-member National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Directors and as President of the Iowa Athletic Trainers Society, in addition to his work as a member of the NATA College/University Athletic Trainers Committee, Chair of the Iowa Athletic Training Licensing Board, and co-creator of the NATA Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine.

A senior lecturer at ISU in the Master of Athletic Training Education program, he has taught in the curriculum for over 20 years with courses in athletic injury rehabilitation, administration and organization, and leadership principles. Coberley has mentored over 300 ISU students entering the athletic training profession and has former students working throughout the NCAA, NFL, NBA and MLB.

Mark holds multiple professional credentials and certifications in sports medicine and performance including: BOC Certified Athletic Trainer, Iowa Licensed Athletic Trainer, Certified Performance Sport Scientist (NSCA), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA), Corrective Exercise Specialist (NASM), Performance Enhancement Specialist (NASM), and specialty skills certifications in dry needling, instrumented soft tissue mobilization techniques, blood flow restriction therapy, and therapeutic laser use. He received his Master’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of Arizona and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from ISU.

The New London, Iowa native and his wife Denise have two grown children, Mackenzie and Beau. All four family members are ISU alums. Denise is a PhD graduate of ISU in Applied Linguistics and Technology and is a researcher and lecturer in science communication. Mackenzie (husband Sean) is a music agent in Nashville, Tenn. A football letter winner, three-time first-team All-Big 12 Academic honoree and Big 12 Gerald Lage Academic Excellence award winner, Beau works for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves organization.