Veteran coach Marc Lowe has been hired as Illinois Valley Community College’s women’s basketball head coach.

He brings 30-plus years of experience and a promise to players and fans that can be summed up in two words.

“We’re back!” said Lowe, who intends to power up the energy around the game. “Overall, I want fans to be excited about what we have going on and our players to be excited for the opportunities on and off the court.”

He added, “I’m a junior college product, and so are my wife and my daughter. I just like the junior college level because of the way basketball is going.” In IVCC, he saw another opportunity
to make a difference. “I love t e a c h i n g the game, the fundamentals, and seeing the players grow and their game grow. It’s just the joy of being a teacher of the game and giving them the knowledge I have and watching them go!”

Lowe, who lives in the Peoria area, says he’s proud to have impacted all the teams he’s led. His career has spanned men’s and women’s programs and included head coach at Spoon River College in Canton, women’s head coach at Illinois Valley Central High School in Chillicothe and assistant at the University of Illinois – Chicago, Jackson State University in Mississippi, and Bradley University in Peoria. As a player, he emerged from high school and community college ranks to play Division II level college ball.

Tapped to refit both men’s and women’s programs when they were reinstated at Spoon River College three years ago, the experience gave him a chance to lead rebuilding efforts. But “here at IVCC, I don’t feel we have to start over. This is a reboot. We’ll plug it back in.”

IVCC’s 2023-24 season ended before it started last summer. Recruiting efforts hit a snag after a coach’s resignation in May and the college was left with too few players to comfortably field a team. In the months off the court, Athletic Director Cory Tomasson and Assistant Coach Brittney Moriarity stepped up recruitment efforts until Lowe’s arrival.

Lowe recognizes a season’s suspension took its toll on players and fans and he’s determined to restore their faith and the program’s conference standing and galvanize the fans. “We’re going to have energy going into next year. We’ve been recruiting really hard. Our alums are glad the program’s back –- they enjoyed their time here and they want other players coming through to enjoy theirs.”

He adds he’s looking forward to working with men’s coach Chris Herman, a longtime colleague. Home nights will become double-headers featuring both squads.

Tomasson cites Lowe’s adeptness from the bench and out front recruiting. “Coach Lowe’s resume is truly impressive, with coaching experience and success at the NCAA, NJCAA, IHSA, and AAU levels. His recruiting experience will be a tremendous asset to getting this Eagles team back to the level of success that we have enjoyed in the past. While we know that this first year is a growth year, we are very optimistic of what the future holds for this program under his lead.”

Lowe works as a building substitute teacher and a family liaison at the Quest Charter Academy in Peoria. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing.