Chris Capko

Christopher James Capko (born October 30, 1983) is an American college basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Ball State Cardinals men's basketball team. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators and South Florida Bulls and has previously worked as a coach for the Marshall Thundering Herd, Stetson Hatters, Georgia Southern Eagles, USC Trojans, FIU Panthers and SMU Mustangs.

Early life Capko is from Lakeland, Florida. He attended Kathleen Senior High School in Lakeland where he played basketball as a point guard and was one of the top players for the 2001 state championship team. He was a team captain and three-year starter, earning first-team all-county honors as a senior while setting the school assists record.

College career After high school, Capko walked-on to play college basketball for the Florida Gators in 2002. He appeared in 10 games during the 2002–03 season before transferring to the South Florida, sitting out the 2003–04 season. He was a walk-on at South Florida as well and a backup during the 2004–05 season, before seeing time as a starter at point guard the next year. That season, Capko started 23 games and averaged 2.9 points and 4.4 assists per game, placing fifth in the Big East Conference in assists. Capko graduated from South Florida in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. He became an assistant coach for the Stetson Hatters in 2009 and served two seasons in that role before joining the Georgia Southern Eagles as an assistant in 2011. He served two years in that role before working as an assistant for the FIU Panthers from 2015 to 2016, after which he returned to USC as an assistant.

Ball State (2026–present) In March 2026, Capko was hired as the new head coach for the Ball State Cardinals.

Head coaching record