A former Triton standout as a player, Marcus "Chief" Bryant is in his tenth season as an assistant coach and second season as associate head coach for the Eckerd men's basketball staff.  Bryant's impact on the success of the Eckerd men's basketball program has been felt as both a player and a coach.

As a player, Bryant was a member of the 2003-04 Sunshine State Conference championship team and was also a pivotal player on the two Triton teams that made NCAA National Tournament appearances 2002-03 and 2003-04. During his two years at Eckerd, Bryant's teams averaged 23 wins per season and made a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2002-03 as Eckerd won a then-school-record 25 games.

Bryant certainly made his presence felt as he finished at Eckerd College near the top of several statistical categories. Bryant ended his collegiate career ranked 14th in rebounds per game (6.59), 12th in points per game (13.1) and ninth in field-goal percentage (55.1 percent). He was also a two-time SSC All-Conference selection.

His leadership and character on and off the court landed him the Triton Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award for Senior Male Athlete.

Now in his tenth year on the bench and second year as associate head coach, Bryant continues to play a vital role in the success of the program.  He serves as the program's recruiting coordinator and is responsible for bringing in some of the best players in the Sunshine State Conference.  His tireless work alongside head coach Tom Ryan resulted in the program's winning the SSC regular season and tournament championships in the same year for the first time in history.  In 2015-16, the Tritons climbed as high as No. 5 in the NABC Division II Coaches Poll and won 25 games on their way to an NCAA Tournament bid.  The Tritons claimed the program's fifth SSC  Tournament Championship in 2017-18 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the third time in program history.

In 2018 Bryant was ranked the fourth-best assistant coach in Division II by Coachstat.net.

In all, Eckerd has posted six 20-win seasons during Bryant's nine years on the coaching staff.  The Tritons also boast the highest winning percentage in Florida over the past four years at all collegiate levels.

He also coordinates the team's academic efforts.  In 2015-16, the Tritons placed four players on the NABC Honor Roll and posted a team GPA of 3.2. 13 Eckerd student-athletes have received honor roll recognition while Bryant has been part of the coaching staff

Bryant has worked with All-America selections Lance Kearse, Darrien Mack, and Drushaun McLaurn, and has also coached Jerrick Stevenson, who was named SSC Freshman of the Year.  In 2018, McLaurn and Trevon Young both earned first-team All-SSC honors while McLaurn went on to receive All-Region, All-District, and All-American awards.

His other basketball duties include day-to-day operations, team travel, scouting opponents, game planning, player development and monitoring schedules and academic progress of players.  He also is heavily involved with Eckerd's summer camps as the director of Jim Harley's Basketball School, summer team camp and elite camps.  The series of camps brings in over 1500 students to the Eckerd campus during the summer.

Off the court, Marcus also serves the college as the Event Management Coordinator for all of Eckerd's home athletic events and is the Director of Facilities and oversees the birthday cake fundraiser for the entire college.

Bryant graduated from Eckerd in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and currently resides in Saint Petersburg, Fla.  His family includes his wife, Latara Bryant, and his children, Major James Bryant and Makensley Janelle Bryant.