Jay Martin, the Battling Bishops men’s soccer Head Coach, is set to retire at the end of the 2024 season. With the season coming to an end, there are only two more chances to see Martin in action.
Martin first became coach at Ohio Wesleyan in 1977 and has since racked up an all-time record of 762-164-81 (Win-Tie-Loss) throughout 46 teams. His 762 wins decorate him as the winningest coach in NCAA history at any division level. Entering the 2024 season his career winning percentage of .797 ranked him 14th all-time in the NCAA and fifth in NCAA Division III.
Photo by Paul Vernon
"It's time," Martin told Mark Beckenbach, Sports Information Director, ahead of his retirement announcement. "My heart wants me to continue, my brain wants me to continue, but my body says no. I clearly don't have the energy I had 10, 20, 30 years ago. The irony is that I think I'm a better coach than I was 10, 20, or 30 years ago in terms of tactics, and I think I'm still good at what I think are two of the most important areas of coaching, empowerment of players and relationships, but it's time for someone younger to bring in new energy to the program."
Martin’s list of accolades is long with 12 regional titles, 44 playoff appearances, and a NCAA record of 18 consecutive playoff berths from 1978-95. Martin guided Ohio Wesleyan to NCAA Division III national championships in 1998 and 2011. He has been the NCAA Regional Coach of the Year 16 times and was named NSCAA National Coach of the Year in 1991, 1998, and 2011.
In 2000, Martin received the Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association's Honor Award, only the fourth time that award has been bestowed since the association's founding in 1949. He received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's Honor Award in 2007 and was inducted into the United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame in 2020.
During his time as head coach Martin took 15 teams to Europe to introduce them to European soccer. Those trips provided valuable real-life experience and the ability to not only watch but also play soccer. Martin has made the program what it is and without a doubt will leave a long-lasting legacy. Not many people get a field named after them while they are still the coach, but Jay Martin is one of a kind.
“[Martin] has been a stalwart at Ohio Wesleyan for 47 years and a servant to all the student-athletes who have come through the program,” Athletic Director Doug Zipp told Mark Beckenbach in the retirement release. “He built a program based on history, pride, and tradition that, to this day, is one of the most recognized men's soccer programs in the NCAA. Through his leadership, advocacy, mentoring, teaching, and coaching, the program has been able to sustain unprecedented success over the past four decades."
The Bishops have two more home games this season on October 23rd and October 26th at 7 p.m. at the Jay Martin Soccer Complex before they head into the North Coast Atlantic Conference tournament. Alongside coaching, he teaches on campus and will continue to do so after this season comes to a finish, making an impact on athletes in and out of the classroom.
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