Mark Trakh retires as USC women’s basketball head coach


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Head coach Mark Trakh yells at his squad from the sidelines
Women’s basketball head coach Mark Trakh led the Trojans from the sidelines for nine years. (Ling Luo | Daily Trojan)

USC Athletics announced Wednesday afternoon that women’s basketball coach Mark Trakh is retiring after two coaching stints with the university. The 65-year-old coach led the program from 2005-2009 and 2017-2021 or the past four seasons and will go down as the second winningest women’s basketball coach in school history with a 155-114 record, behind Linda Sharp.

“I can’t imagine a more optimal time for all of us to embrace a fresh start,” Trakh said in a statement released by the University. 

During Trakh’s first stint at USC, the Trojans went 90-64, played in a pair of NCAA Tournaments in 2005 and 2006, always finished inside the top five of the conference and won at least 17 games each season. After this five-season stretch Trakh retired for personal reasons

The Trojans haven’t seen the same level of success as they did during Trakh’s first tenure, as USC has not finished better than seventh in the Pac-12 since his return in 2017. The Trojans also haven’t won an NCAA tournament game since 2006 and haven’t appeared in the tournament since 2014. 

Trakh’s most recent USC squad went 11-12 during the 2020-21 season and finished eighth in the Pac-12 standings. Star players such as sophomore forward Alyssa Pili, the former Pac-12 freshman of the year, and sophomore guard Endyia Rogers, recently named to the All-Pac-12 team, highlight some of the talent Trakh recently developed in USC’s program.

Athletic Director Mike Bohn thanked Trakh for his “steadying leadership” during the coronavirus pandemic and announced the immediate commencement of a national search for the next women’s basketball head coach.