A coach, educator, and community builder, Marshall Cho has been a passionate advocate of basketball throughout his decades-long professional career. His unconventional journey from South Korea to the U.S., then to Africa and back again has instilled in him a wealth of experiences and expertise across a range of diverse cultural backgrounds, mentoring athletes at the college, high school, and youth levels and building bridges through the game of basketball both on and off the court.

Marshall’s innate ability to bring together communities has proven him to be a unique trailblazer in his field, using his skills and relationships to develop thriving programs, inspire athletes globally, and heighten awareness of the basketball community—all while proudly representing his Korean American heritage.

Marshall was born in Seoul and moved to Springfield, Ore. when he was 10 years old. Growing up, he displayed a fierce love for the game and played basketball through high school. Upon graduation, Marshall attended the University of Oregon and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration, followed by a master’s degree in secondary mathematics education from Columbia University.

Marshall began his career as an educator through the Teach For America program, teaching mathematics in the South Bronx and Harlem and serving as the boys basketball coach at Future Leaders Institute, where he led them to a New York City Charter School Championship.

Fate then led him to Mozambique, where Marshall worked as a volunteer coach and instructor with the Mozambican National Basketball Federation as well as the varsity boys basketball coach at the American International School of Mozambique, a program that he launched and developed. During his time in Africa, Marshall also served as a coach for the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Africa and led various volunteer efforts such as conducting basketball clinics with local basketball clubs and rehabilitating basketball courts through partnerships with Hoops 4 Hope and the U.S. Embassy.

Returning to the U.S., Marshall worked as an assistant coach at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md. During his time there, DeMatha won two WCAC championships, compiled an 88-19 record, and sent four players to the NBA: Victor Oladipo, Jerian Grant, Quinn Cook, Jerami Grant. He then embarked upon his next chapter back in his home state as Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Portland for the Portland Pilots.

Marshall served for eight seasons as the varsity boys basketball coach at Lake Oswego High School, where he earned the distinction of being among Oregon’s first Asian American varsity boys basketball coaches. During Marshall’s tenure, he won the Three Rivers League title for three consecutive seasons as he was named league Coach of the Year each year.

Marshall worked as the head coach with the World Select team at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit, where he had volunteered with Team USA in years past. He also worked as a court coach at USA Basketball’s Men’s Junior National Team Minicamp in conjunction with the NCAA Final Four and as the camp lead instructions director for the Yao Foundation Camp in China.

Outside of his coaching positions, Marshall has served as member of the board at the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association and sits currently on the board for the Oregon Basketball Coaches Association. Marshall is also a member of the Council of Korean Americans and was a NetKAL Class XI Fellow.