Coaching Staff
John Harvey | Head Coach
John Harvey joined the University of Arkansas at Monticello athletics department in September of 2010 as the head baseball coach.
In his first season at UAM (2011), Harvey took over a struggling program that had lost 143 games and won just 35 in the four previous seasons. In the nine seasons since, Harvey's Weevils are 257-181, including a 222-129 mark over the last seven seasons with four NCAA regional trips and four consecutive Great American Conference Championships.
Under Harvey's leadership, the Weevils have produced three All-America honorees, 11 All-Region selections and 54 All-GAC selections.
Harvey is the 11th head baseball coach in school history and he recorded his 400th overall victory on April 5, 2019 in a 6-2 triumph over Oklahoma Baptist. Throughout his 15 years as a head coach, Harvey heads into the 2020 season with an overall record of 411-329.
Prior to his move to Monticello, Harvey spent six years as head coach of GAC in-state rival Henderson State University from 2005-2010.
Throughout his six years in Arkadelphia, Harvey led the Reddies to a 154-148 record. He ranks third all-time at HSU in wins. He led the Reddies to three 30-win seasons, a then school-record 34 wins in 2009 and recorded a combined total of 20 all-conference honorees.
The Lufkin, Texas native began his coaching career as an assistant at Itawamba Community College for the 2002 season. He then served as an assistant coach at Henderson State in 2003 and 2004 before being promoted to head coach.
During his playing days, Harvey lettered four years at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, where he graduated in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. In 2004, he earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Henderson State University.
Harvey and his wife Jaime have two sons, Brooks and Brock.
Mark Jelks | Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator
Mark Jelks was hired as the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s assistant baseball coach in August of 2014. He came to UAM after a two-year stint as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Great American Conference member Arkansas Tech University.
Since joining the UAM baseball program the Weevils have compiled a record of 120-74 with three consecutive GAC championship titles in 2016, 2017, and 2018, as well as, two NCAA regional selections in 2016 and 2017. Coach Jelks has won 4 GAC championship in the past 5 seasons and is currently the only coach to win GAC championships at two separate institutions.
UAM smashed the record books in 2016 with an overall record of 40-16 and a GAC record of 21-9. The Weevils finished the 2016 season ranked 21st nationally by Collegiate Baseball, while setting school records in wins (40), hits (578), doubles (116), home runs (56), runs scored (423), RBI’s (382), and walks (259). The Weevils saw the tradition of UAM baseball continue to build throughout the 2017 season repeating as the GAC tournament champions with a GAC record of (22-11) earning UAM back to back trips to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. The tradition of Weevils baseball remained strong in 2018 with the long sought after GAC regular season title after coming close in 2014 and 2016 with a conference record of (23-10).
Similarly to UAM, Jelks helped Arkansas Tech capture its first NCAA tournament berth as the regions No. 1 seed and tournament host in 2014 after the Wonder Boys won the GAC regular season championship. Tech finished that season with a 44-12 overall record and a 25-5 record against GAC competition. Throughout the course of the 2014 season, Jelks and the Wonder Boys broke school records in overall wins (44), conference wins (25) and consecutive wins (22), while also being ranked as high as No. 3 nationally by Collegiate Baseball.
Entering into his 11th season as a coach, Jelks has tutored seven MLB draft selections, nine All-America award recipients, 16 All-Region honorees, 50 all-conference picks, four Rawlings Gold Glove winners, one Josh Willingham D2 MVP winner, three GAC Player of the Year recipients, one GAC Freshman of the Year winner, two Josh Willingham D2 MVP Award semi-finalist, and two Brett Tomko D2 Pitcher of the Year semi-finalist.
The El Dorado, Arkansas native began his coaching career in 2008, joining Kirk Bock’s staff at Bryant High School, where he helped lead the Hornets to three consecutive 7A-Central conference championships (2009-11). The 2010 Hornets won the 7A state title. In his final year at Bryant, the Hornets climbed in the national high school rankings to as high as No. 8 and ended the season with another trip to the state finals. During his three years at Bryant, Jelks mentored 23 all-conference performers and six all-state players.
Prior to joining the staff at Tech, Jelks served a short stint at the University of Central Arkansas as the director of baseball operations, in which he coordinated many of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the Bears baseball program. During his first season at UCA, the Bears finished with their best record in school history after moving to the Division I level. The Bears also reached the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time in school history that year.
Jelks earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies from the University of the Ozarks in 2006, he and his wife Kelli had their first child Georgia Mae in August of 2017.
