Caitlin Marshall - Equestrian Coach

Caitlin Marshall

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
cmarsh32@utm.edu
Phone:
731-881-7261

Caitlin Marshall, the 2022-23 Eastern College Athletic Conference Assistant Coach of the Year, is in her fourth season as University of Tennessee at Martin assistant equestrian coach in 2025-26.

Last season, Marshall helped the Skyhawks to their first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference championship, claiming the second league title in school history (first since the 2012-13 season). UT Martin was selected to the NCEA Championship in Ocala, Fla., making the program's first at-large bid in the current eight-team format. The Skyhawks' No. 8 ranking was the highest end-of-season ranking in program history, capping off a historic year.

UT Martin equaled the most wins in school history (eight) in 2024-25, including an undefeated 6-0 regular season record in the ECAC standings. The Skyhawks boasted a school-record four Ariat NCEA All-Americans (Gabby Adams, Elise Mason, Mia McAfoos, Logan Putvinski) as UT Martin's three first-team honorees trailed only SMU and Auburn (four apiece) for most in the nation. A total of 11 different Skyhawks combined for 15 ECAC postseason awards, including major award winners Adams (Flat Rider of the Year), McAfoos (Horsemanship Rider of the Year), Mason (Reining Rider of the Year) and Payton Lussen (Flat Freshman of the Year). In addition, four student-athletes brought home seven ECAC Championship awards, including Horsemanship MOP Ava Newsom and Fences MOP Kate Mills.

In 2023-24, Marshall helped the Skyhawks to a NCEA top-10 ranking in all 19 polls. UT Martin won its fourth straight ECAC reserve championship, nabbing the ECAC Tournament's top seed for the second consecutive year. Individually, Lexi Bailey (first team reining) and Emma Schaefer (honorable mention reining) each claimed NCEA All-American status while the Skyhawks generated a school-record six All-ECAC selections. That included ECAC Reining Rider of the Year Schaefer while Mills also collected ECAC Freshman of the Year status in fences. Overall, Marshall helped tutor three ECAC All-Tournament performers while a dozen different UT Martin representatives combined for 27 ECAC Rider of the Week or ECAC Rider of the Month awards in 2023-24.

Marshall made a splash in her first season as a Skyhawk in 2022-23, nabbing the aforementioned ECAC Assistant Coach of the Year award. UT Martin produced a pair of All-Americans (Putvinski in reining, Julia Gilman in fences), saw four riders combine for five All-ECAC accolades and generate 13 recipients of the ECAC Rider of the Week or ECAC Rider of the Month award. As a team, the Skyhawks claimed their third consecutive ECAC reserve championship and were the No. 1 seed in the ECAC Championship tournament following an unblemished 3-0 regular season record against league rivals. UT Martin was ranked in the NCEA top-10 polls in 14 out of a possible 17 weeks in 2022-23, once again establishing the Skyhawks as one of the nation's premier programs.

Marshall joined UT Martin after five years as an assistant under head coach Eric Hubbard at Fresno State, her alma mater. Marshall oversaw 289 individual Bulldog victories (153 flat, 136 fences) and 53 MOP’s (27 fences, 26 flat) in the Jumping Seat discipline, coaching four All-Americans and 11 all-conference performers. Fresno State qualified for the NCEA Championships in each year the event was held during her tenure.

Overall, Marshall coached seven All-Big 12 Conference honorees and four All-United Equestrian Conference riders at Fresno State. Her All-American pupils included first teamer Alivia Hart (2020 fences), Cecily Hayes (honorable mention in both fences and flat in 2020) and Ana Bertozzi (2021 flat honorable mention). Marshall also mentored three Bulldogs who received National Rider of the Month accolades and six conference Riders of the Month. Outside of the arena, Bertozzi captured 2022 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the sport of equestrian.

Fresno State’s best season during Marshall’s tenure was in 2019-20 as the Bulldogs tallied their third-most victories (eight) and posted their second-highest single-season winning percentage (.615) in school history. Fresno State reached as high as No. 4 in the national poll (its highest ranking ever), knocking off six nationally ranked opponents – including a trio of victories over top-3 squads. Marshall’s Jumping Seat squads joined forces for 83 combined victories and 16 MOP’s before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marshall was a student-athlete from 2007-11 at Fresno State and was selected as team captain during her senior season. She was a member of a nine-win squad as a sophomore (second-most victories in program history) and was part of a Bulldog program that was a four-time qualifier for the Varsity National Championship. She was bestowed the Fresno State Equestrian Team Award of Excellence, which is given each year to the team member who exemplifies success in the classroom, arena, gym and community.

Following her career as a student-athlete, Marshall worked as an assistant trainer at Pheasant Grove sales and training barn, where she rode sale horses and coached many riders from their short stirrup years all the way to the medals arena.

An Oakdale, Calif. native, Marshall graduated from Fresno State with a degree in agricultural business in 2011.