Austin Marsden enters his third year with the Sooners in 2025-26, having joined the program as an assistant coach on June 6, 2023.

During the 2024-25 season, Marsden was instrumental in the development of heavyweight Juan Mora, who reached a career-high No. 19 ranking by InterMat. Mora notched four wins over ranked opponents and recorded two technical falls and three major decisions on his way to a podium finish at the Big 12 Championships.

In 2023-24, Marsden helped guide heavyweight Josh Heindselman to a career-best .750 win percentage. Heindselman finished the season with a 24-8 record, earned a fourth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships, and became a three-time NCAA Championship qualifier. Marsden also helped the program achieve its best team finish at the NCAA Championships (23rd) in eight years.

Prior to arriving in Norman, Marsden spent four seasons with North Dakota State as an assistant coach, joining Roger Kish's staff in August of 2019 and coaching through the completion of the 2022-23 season. 

In four seasons with the Bison, Marsden helped develop heavyweight Brandon Metz into a three-time NCAA National Championship qualifier, along with three placing finishes in the Big 12 Championships. Marsden also helped in the development of Owen Pentz, who is a three-time national qualifier, who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent NCAA Championships history when he pinned No. 2 Evan Schultz of Nebraska in the opening round of the 2021 championship.

Marsden, a native of Crystal Lake, Ill., served as an assistant coach at the University of Buffalo from 2017 to 2019. He helped to develop Bulls’ heavyweight Jake Gunning into a NCAA qualifier during his stay.

Marsden was a four-year letterwinner at Oklahoma State where he compiled a career-record of 108-22 as a heavyweight with 40 bonus-point wins (19 major decisions, five tech falls and 16 falls). He went 37-8 in duals matches for the Cowboys over his career and was a three-time Big 12 champion. Marsden was an NCAA qualifier all four seasons and was an All-American in 2014 and 2016.

Following graduation, Marsden spent the 2016-17 season as a volunteer assistant at Army West Point. He helped lead the Black Knights to a 7-5 dual meet record – their most dual wins since the 2013-14 season. Army West Point had four wrestlers compete at the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis.

Marsden was a four-time Illinois Greco-Roman state champion and a three-time Illinois freestyle state champion at Crystal Lake Central High School. He was the Illinois state high school champion at 215 pounds in 2011, while recording 44 pins, the second-most falls in Illinois high school history. He was the Illinois high school state champion at 189 pounds in 2010. WIN Magazine named him Illinois Wrestler of the Year in 2011. Marsden also played football in high school, earning all-conference and Defensive Player of the Year honors.