How a former TCU walk-on turned his hoop dream into a successful coaching career
.png "Southlake Carroll head coach David Markley, a former TCU walk-on, turned basketball dreams into a reality.")
As a child, Southlake Carroll basketball head coach David Markley would pretend to be an NBA player while shooting hoops in the driveway.
He created late-game scenarios in his head and envision taking a game-winning shot as time expired. For as long as he can remember, Markley has had a passion for basketball.
He grew up playing at the Grapevine Recreation Center and attended Colleyville Heritage High School, where he was a three-year letterwinner. Markley had a knack for playmaking, and as a senior team captain, he averaged 12.7 points and 5.4 assists per game.
He had a “flashy” playstyle he likened to Steve Nash that Greg Gober, Colleyville Heritage’s coach at the time, wasn’t always a huge fan of.
During those years playing under Gober, Markley set the foundation for a successful career that turned basketball dreams into a reality.
“Gober was so instrumental in my life,” Markley said. “He had such an impact on me. I’ve been able to experience a lot of great things and gain a lot of great relationships through basketball. He was the one that lit the fuse.”
Markley was an exceptional high school basketball player, earning All-District and All-Area honors. Gober told him he would make a great coach considering his knowledge of the game, but at the time, Markley didn’t buy into it.
He received offers to play at the Division 3 level but decided to go in an unconventional direction. Markley walked on at TCU, embracing a serious challenge.
He knew he would have to be the toughest competitor and hardest worker to “scratch and claw” for every opportunity. Markley ended up playing four years, averaging less than two minutes per game.
Although he wasn’t a key contributor on the court, Markley was able to learn, soaking up everything he could from a high-level college basketball environment. The experience allowed him to make lifelong relationships with teammates and coaches, and it taught him the value of a strong work ethic.
At the end of his four years as a Horned Frog, however, Markley thought his time in basketball was over. He accepted a job in the oil and gas industry and stayed there for a year but strived for more meaning in his work.
“When (playing at TCU) came to an end, I didn’t know what to do,” Markley said. “I kind of felt empty because basketball was such a big part of my life.”
Markley realized that his calling was to be a basketball coach and gave Gober a call.
Gober offered him a spot on his staff as an assistant, and Markley got to coach at Colleyville Heritage, his alma mater.
“And I’ve loved it ever since,” Markley said.
Markley served three years under Gober and one year under coach Stephen Hamrick, who currently serves as the Panthers’ head coach. In those years, Markley learned what “coaching is really about.”
“It’s not about winning,” Markley said. “It’s not about the X’s and O’s. It’s about relationships and the impact you can make on young people, helping them achieve their dreams and helping them in their lives.”
Markley said Coach Gober would sit in his office from dawn to dusk, working endlessly and pouring his full attention and energy into Colleyville Heritage basketball. Markley would wonder what he was doing all day, and Gober told him that someday, he would understand the intense dedication it takes to organize a program and create a culture.
Markley started a “do whatever it takes” mentality, accepting every task and going above and beyond an assistant coach’s typical requirements. That helped him learn and grow, which set him up for a head coaching job.
In 2012, Markley became the inaugural head coach at Chisholm Trail, accepting the tough task of building a program from scratch.
“Honestly, I’m not sure if I was ready to be a head coach at the time,” Markley said. “But I was blessed with the opportunity, and I was able to learn through growing the program.”
The program started with only freshmen and sophomores and went through some growing pains. In Chisholm Trail’s first year, the Rangers won zero district games. But by the fourth year of the program, they won a district title and a playoff game, showing exponential improvement.
“We took our lumps for a little bit, and that made us better,” Markley said. “That made me a better coach. It made our program better. I think I learned how to cultivate a culture, a strong culture. ... I’m really proud of the success we had there.”
After nine seasons at Chisholm Trail, Markley had an opportunity to move closer to his hometown and become the head coach at Southlake Carroll. He decided it was time for a new challenge and was hired as the Dragons’ head coach in 2021.
Southlake Carroll is associated with greatness, and the nine Lonestar Cups given to Texas’ top performing athletic programs is proof of that.
“Being from the area, when you think of greatness, you think of Southlake Carroll,” Markley said.
Dragon basketball, however, hadn’t seen the same success Carroll is accustomed to. Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Southlake Carroll boys’ basketball hadn’t won a playoff game in 20 years.
“And that challenge really excited me because greatness is expected here,” Markley said. “And the opportunity to go build that program, to go build that culture, really stood out.”
In the 2024-25 season, the Dragons took a massive step in the right direction, winning a long coveted bi-district championship. Senior Ari Tumma, the District 4-6A Co-MVP, helped lead the way, earning Star-Telegram All-Area Second Team honors.
Markley was named the District 4-6A Coach of the Year.
The Dragons want to build on the milestone, and Markley will continue to focus on what he thinks matters most: Being a coach who genuinely cares about the student-athlete, something he learned from Gober.
“I want these kids to know that I really care about them,” Markley said. “And that’s the main goal. Obviously, we want to win every game. We want to win championships. But the main goal — I want to give these kids a great experience when they’re in my program — give them everything I’ve got and help them achieve the goals they want to achieve.”
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
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