TCU coach Mark Campbell gets special win in city where career took off

Marcus D. Smith, USA TODAYSun, March 29, 2026 at 4:32 AM UTC

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TCU coach Mark Campbell gets special win in city where career took off

SACRAMENTO, CA — TCU head coach Mark Campbell was kind of bummed out that the Horned Frogs weren't awarded home-court advantage for the Women's NCAA Tournament Regionals.

The Horned Frogs' campus is located in Fort Worth, Texas, also one of the sites for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds. The other regional site selected for the 2026 NCAA Tournament was Sacramento.

Although not Fort Worth, it's still a familiar scene for Campbell.

Campbell's first stint as a collegiate head coach was at Sacramento State, from 2021 to 2023. It's a full-circle moment for Campbell to be back in the city where his career took off. Not only that, but he advanced to the Elite Eight after defeating Virginia, 79-69, and is 40 minutes from reaching the Final Four.

Following his team's Sweet 16 victory, Campbell told USA TODAY Sports that his return to Sacramento, and seeing familiar faces, has been "special."

"This week for me and my family has been awesome. It's been really special. I started my head coaching career here at Sac State. I'm forever thankful for Mark Orr. I don't know if he's here, but he's athletic director that took the chance and allowed me to become a head coach and to figure out how to build a program. And so there's been a lot of fun things, seeing all the faces that were a part of Sac State when we were here," Campbell said.

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The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.

There was a special moment that took place during the announcement of the teams' starting lineups.

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While Campbell was taking in the atmosphere, preparing for battle in a win-or-go home elimination game, he found himself standing over a familiar sight.

"I mean, on the dang court, there's a Sac State logo, which was really, really special during the starting lineup. I was literally standing on it on accident, I looked down and saw it. So, it's been neat. I owe a lot of my success in a huge part of my career to my time at Sac State," Campbell said. "And so to advance and to do it here, obviously, I'll say this — so, I wish we were in Fort Worth. We tried hard to play it there, but we didn't quite get there. But this has been an amazing consolation, and in some ways even more special."

What would be extra special for Campbell would be to advance to his and the university's first Final Four. First, they have a tall task of getting past No. 1 seed South Carolina on Monday, March 30.

Campbell isn't taking any time to reminisce on the battle with Virginia. Now, it's time for him to focus on the next task.

"You got to turn the page, soon as I get out and walk off the stage (I'll) dive into the scout. We'll do film tonight. Kids will get their treatment, massages and ice baths and all that," Campbell said. "And again, that's learning from last year of staying locked in and turning the page. You really don't get a chance to celebrate. You got 48 hours to get your team right and get a game plan installed and try to have a chance to win the next one."

Campbell's TCU team lost in the Elite Eight last year, a 58-47 loss to the Texas Longhorns on March 31, 2025. The only players remaining from that team are Donovyn Hunter, Taylor Bigby, Natalie Mazurek, Maddie Scherr and Aaliyah Roberson.

Almost a year later, but with an entirely different look, TCU will once again play in the Elite Eight with a chance to advance to the Final Four.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sweet 16 win in Sacramento special for TCU women's basketball coach

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Source: “AOL Sports”