Ex-coach to be sentenced after no-contest plea to sexual abuse
Marshall, 59, expected to face up to nine years, four months in prison
SAN JOSE >> A once-prominent track and basketball coach for Valley Christian High School is set to be sentenced this week following his conviction of more than two dozen charges that he groomed and sexually abused two former female athletes in the 2000s.
Greg Marshall, 59, pleaded no contest in June to 26 felony counts of having sex and engaging in sex acts with a minor. He is scheduled for sentencing Thursday, when he faces anywhere from probation to 19 years in prison, though the recommended sentence from the county probation department is a prison term of nine years and four months.
“When anybody commits sex acts against minors, it’s a horrendous crime, but when it’s someone in a trusted position like Mr. Marshall, it’s especially heinous,” said Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Kelly Meeker.
The defense attorney representing Marshall in the criminal case did not respond to a request for comment.
Accountability has been an arduous pursuit for Allison Brown, whose account of abuse comprises 20 of the 26 charges, and Tracey Walker, whose earlier accusations against Marshall were not initially prosecuted.
“It’s finally some closure after I first brought it to light in 2006 and it didn’t go anywhere,” Walker said in an interview. “I’m happy me and Allison definitely shed light on this toxic environment. People abuse their power so often and they don’t get repercussions, because they’re good coaches, and it gets swept under the rug.”
Brown said she drew inspiration to come forward from the USA Gymnastics
athletes who exposed team doctor Larry Nassar’s serial abuse over a two-decade span.
“We’ve had a lot of great people who have paved the path for us, and in my mind, Tracey and I are a part of that,” Brown said. “It’s a huge victory for us to get to this point and continue to lead the way for young boys and girls who have been the victims of sexual abuse.”
Marshall was arrested in January 2019 after Brown contacted San Jose police to report that her basketball coach had a sexual relationship with her starting in 2004 when she was 17. In a police-monitored phone call and text messages with Brown, Marshall reportedly
acknowledged the relationship with his former basketball player. The coach was arrested two days later.
Brown’s case shined a harsh spotlight on Valley Christian High School after it renewed public attention on how Walker — who had been Brown’s teammate — reported in 2006 that she had a sexual relationship with Marshall when she was underage. No charges were filed, with prosecutors at the time citing insufficient evidence.
But after Brown’s allegations led to criminal charges for Marshall, the district attorney’s office filed six charges based on Walker’s allegations. Both women identified themselves publicly in January after Brown filed a lawsuit against Valley Christian, saying they did so to empower other abuse survivors to come forward.
Marshall was a part-time after-school track coach at Branham High School at the time of his arrest. He has also worked as a strength coach for the San Francisco 49ers and for two seasons spanning 2009-2011 was a strength and conditioning coach for the Santa Clara University women’s soccer team.
After Marshall’s arrest, Brown, Walker and several other female athletes under Marshall’s watch called out how he was still allowed on campus and trained students through his private business, after the school formally cut ties with him as a coach in the wake of Walker’s accusation.
In multiple statements made since Marshall’s arrest, the Valley Christian administration has emphasized that it reported Walker’s account to police, and that when no charges were filed, the school lacked the grounds to ban him from campus given that his wife was also a coach and his children were star athletes at the school.
That assessment forms part of the basis of the civil suit that Brown filed against the school in January, alleging that the administration prioritized preserving the school’s reputation and athletic pedigree over protecting her and other students. Walker reached a settlement in 2020 after filing a similar claim against Valley Christian and Marshall.
Brown’s lawsuit was settled in May, which her attorney Robert Allard said involved an undisclosed monetary settlement and pledges from the school to swiftly institute new preventative measures. Those measures included but are not limited to using enhanced background screening for hires, providing new training and education, and establishing clear procedures for students to complain about suspected predatory behavior.
“These two young women who went to Valley Christian hoping to achieve their dreams, instead what they got was a complete nightmare,” Allard said. “And it was all easily avoidable.”
Both Walker and Brown said their stories should drive sharper vigilance in school communities, from administrators and teachers to parents.
“It’s a matter of having open dialogues and discussions with children about body boundaries and sexual health, what is appropriate and what is not appropriate,” Brown said. “The biggest point is where children are, predators are.”
Brown recalled how she struggled with blaming herself after being vilified. She said she hopes young athletes and others take strong lessons from her experience.
“This guy just charmed everyone and people loved him so much, they didn’t care what I went through,” Walker said. “Don’t be afraid to speak up. You know your intuition. Tell somebody, and if they don’t do something, tell someone else, and keep telling.”