Doug Martin to resign as head football coach
Doug Martin announced his decision to resign as head coach of the Kent State football team Sunday afternoon.
Martin, who has led the Flashes for seven seasons, will resign following Kent State’s final game of the season this Friday. Martin is in the final year of a four-year contract extension signed in 2006.
“I’d like to thank Doug for his eight years of service to the university, seven of which were as the head coach,” Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen said. “Under his direction, our team made strides on the field, performed very well in the classroom and was active in the community.
The announcement comes on the heels of Kent State’s worst loss of the season, a 38-3 defeat against Western Michigan. The Flashes, who were expected to contend for the Mid-American Conference East Division title this season, clinched a fourth-place finish with its fourth conference loss.
| Doug Martin’s head coaching tenure at Kent State 2004: 5-6 overall (4-4 MAC, T-fourth) 2005: 1-10 (0-8, sixth) 2006: 6-6 (5-3, second) 2007: 3-9 (1-7, seventh) 2008: 4-8 (3-5, fifth) 2009: 5-7 (4-4, fourth) 2010 (with 1 game remaining): 4-7 (3-4, fourth) Totals: 28-53 (20-35)
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Despite failing to produce a winning season in his seven-year stint as head coach, Martin, 47, is the MAC’s longest-tenured coach. After Saturday’s loss, he holds a 28-53 record at Kent State, the eighth-best winning percentage of Kent State’s 19 head coaches.
Along with his head coaching duties, Martin is also the team’s quarterback coach and offensive coordinator. Martin may best be known for mentoring current NFL players like David Garrard (quarterback, Jacksonville Jaguars), Joshua Cribbs (wide receiver, Cleveland Browns) and Julian Edelman (wide receiver, New England Patriots) while in college.
Martin was named head coach by former Director of Athletics Laing Kennedy on March 1, 2004, after serving as the Flashes’ offensive coordinator for a season. After going 6-6 in his second year and just missing a MAC Championship game berth, Martin received a four-year extension to his contract.
Previous to Kent State, Martin was on East Carolina’s coaching staff for 11 years and East Tennessee State’s staff for four years.
“Doug has led this program with character and integrity and his players and staff have our full support Friday as they take on Ohio,” Nielsen said. “We’d like nothing more than to send him off with one last victory at home over the Bobcats.”
The Athletic Department said a national search for Martin’s successor will begin immediately.
Contact Josh Johnston at [email protected].