Ed Martin built his legendary basketball coaching career one step at a time, and at each of those steps, he found remarkable success. The seeds were sewn in his first coaching position at Avery High School in Charleston, South Carolina, from 1952 to 1955, where his cagers won two state championships.
Moving to the collegiate level, Martin went to South Carolina State College from 1955 to 1968, where he coached seven SIAC championship teams and participated in five NCAA and three NAIA tournaments. But Ed was just warming up! He is probably best known for the powerhouse he built as head coach for Tennessee State University from 1968 to 1986.
During his tenure, Martin took six teams to NCAA regional tournaments, won the NCAA South Regional four times, and was elected College Division Coach of the Year in 1972. He sent sixteen TSU players to the NBA, but more impressively, he had the highest graduation rate among basketball players in Tennessee state institutions. Martin’s career record stands at an awesome 516-254, and when in 1984 he left TSU for an assistant coach position at Vanderbilt, he had the fifth best winning percentage in the nation.
Martin’s record of service to his community is just as impressive. He has served on countless boards of directors, including the Special Olympics, United Way, and Boys Club. Currently Associate Professor of Human Organization and Development, as well as a scout for the NBA, Ed Martin’s dedication to excellence on every level makes him a true champion.