As the ninth head coach of the Morehead State men’s basketball team, Wayne Martin served the institution from 1978-87. The 1968 graduate of MSU was an instrumental figure in athletics, and his accomplishments as a leader earned him a spot in the MSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995 and Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2004.
In 1982, he was honored as the OVC Coach of Year. He mentored three NBA draft picks during his career, including fellow MSU Hall of Fame member Bob McCann.
Martin’s experiences are not only limited to coaching. He also competed as a member of the MSU golf team from 1964-68 and earned a varsity letter in basketball.
“I got into basketball when I was four years old,” said Martin. “My dad put up a hoop in the backyard, and it was the center of outdoor basketball for the neighborhood. I was further influenced by the success of Clark County (Ky.) High School, and my family would always attend home and away games.”
When the time came to choose a higher education institution, his choice was simple.
“Going into college, I knew Morehead State was where I wanted to play,” added Martin. “Coaches Bob Laughlin and Sonny Allen made great impressions on me, and the campus was the most beautiful in the state of Kentucky.”
He compiled a 216-153 record in 13 seasons at the helm of Eagle basketball, and MSU saw a pair of teams earn berths in the NCAA Tournament. His most successful years in the program came with the 1982-83 and 1983-84 squads, which garnered back-to-back OVC Championships.
“Coming back to Morehead State as a coach was a dream come true for me, and I was fortunate enough to live that dream for nine years,” he said.
Over the years, Martin’s family hasn’t been a stranger to MSU athletics. Martin’s brother Wes, who played golf at MSU, is a member of the 2012 MSU Athletic Hall of Fame class, and his nephew Brad is currently a member of the golf team. And now Martin is making another significant contributuion to the university as he has been appointed to the school's Board Of Regents.
Morehead State University Videographer David Patrick recalls one of his fondest memories watching Wayne and Wes at MSU basketball games.
“Wayne didn’t mind at all to get on referees from the time the game tipped until the time it ended,” recalled Patrick. “Wes was just as vocal, if not more so, than Wayne and the two looked just alike. So, when the officials moved to the other side of the court to get away from Wayne, they thought there were two Coach Martins because Wayne and Wes sounded and acted so much alike.”
Patrick, also a graduate of MSU, had never seen an Eagle basketball game until his freshman year of college, and he was fortunate enough to experience it at its peak. He describes Martin as a very energetic and passionate coach.
“The arena was always packed on game day so we’d get there early,” Patrick remembers. “Now, as a season ticket holder, when Wayne comes back for games, there’s always a crowd around him because he’s extremely popular.”
Patrick formerly worked under Martin at WKYT-TV in Lexington, Ky., where Martin has served since 1989. He is currently the president and general manager of the station.
“Wayne is a business man and he has been very successful in starting the next chapter of his life,” said Patrick. “He leads by example and has an open door policy. He always challenges his employees.
“I can credit my career success to Wayne. He never let me down and is like a father figure. He is also still very loyal to the university, and is still very much admired by those in the community.”
The transition from athletics was not initially an easy one for Martin.
“Emotionally it was difficult for a while,” said Martin. “However, I was able to feed my need for basketball by tying basketball into my career. Sales calls allowed me to end up in Clay County to watch Bobby Keith’s teams or at Union College with Pete Moore’s teams.”
Despite being an hour apart at their current day jobs, Patrick still sees martin regularly and enjoys their time together.
“Wayne was fun to watch, truly knew the game and cared,” added Patrick. “MSU coaches continue to use him as a resource. He hopes that every coach raises their level of success because he is proud of his alma mater and wants it to progress to levels even greater than those while he was coaching.”
When asked about his feelings of Morehead State University, and the community, Martin said, “I owe a lot to Morehead State. Some of my closest friends at MSU have been a great influence on my life and career. The institution has meant everything in the world to me, and I am honored to have attended school there and serve the community.”
