After earning an associate's degree, he transferred to Portland State University, where he continued his baseball career as an outstanding hitter for the Vikings.
[2][4] Marbut began his coaching career back in Washington in 1998 as an assistant at Capital High School in Olympia, where he helped guide the Cougars to the state 3A championship.
[4] With Marbut as head coach, Washington State won more than 300 games, produced 23 major league draft picks, and dramatically improved a disastrous Academic Progress Rate score.
[2] Following WSU's consecutive post-season appearances in 2009 and 2010, when the Cougars finished second and third in the Pac-10 respectively, Marbut believed the time was right for Washington State to invest in baseball facilities to compete long-term with other programs in the Pacific-10 Conference and around the Pacific Northwest and he personally raised approximately $3 million in pledges to build a state of the art clubhouse; construction on the $10 million facility begins in 2019.
We have one of the best coaches in the country and this contract reflects the University's commitment and belief that continued success is on the horizon.” [11] [12] On February 17, 2016, Marbut joined the Pac-12 Network as a baseball analyst,[13] while also serving as a scout for the Houston Astros.