Missouri Western head men’s basketball coach Sundance Wicks has announced the hiring of Will Martin as assistant coach.

“To say Coach Martin is a perfect fit for what we are trying to do here at Missouri Western would be a massive understatement,” Wicks said. “I have five key components that I look for in someone that will help lead our young men: Will brings the juice every day. He fights to make a difference in the lives of those he interacts with daily. He views what we do as art and is constantly improving the way he teaches the game and relates to people. Will acts with intention and gets things done. Coach Martin is fiercely loyal, brutally honest, completely transparent and relentlessly optimistic in his approach to life.”

“For our program to head in the right direction, I wanted to have this caliber of a man by my side, daily.”

Martin comes to Missouri Western after spending the past season as an assistant coach and director of athletic admissions at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee. Wicks and Martin worked together at the University of San Francisco where Martin served as the director of basketball operations on Rex Walter’s staff.

“It is an absolute honor to be welcomed into the Missouri Western family,” Martin said. “I am beyond excited to join in the vision of Coach Wicks for this program. The foundations of Energy, Transparency, and Relentless Optimism are standards I look forward to help implementing as we embark on this incredible journey of building culture at Missouri Western.”

“The opportunity to serve under a man like Sundance Wicks is once in a lifetime. I can’t thank him enough for putting his trust in me as we lead these young men through the GRIT and the GRIND with true LOVE and PASSION.”

Prior to San Francisco, Martin was a graduate assistant and video coordinator at the University of Tulsa from 2013-15. During his time at Tulsa, Martin worked with both Danny Manning and Frank Haith. Martin also served as Senator for the College of Education during his time at Tulsa.

“Will Martin is very knowledgeable, smart, organized, honest and passionate about the game of basketball,” Wake Forest head coach Danny Manning said. “His honesty and loyalty will continue to set him apart.”

As an undergraduate, Martin served as a men’s basketball manager at the University of Kentucky under head coach John Calipari. During Martin’s tenure with the Wildcats, the team reached the Elite 8 on three occasions, the Final Four, twice, and Martin served as the head manager of the 2012 National Championship team.

“Will was a valuable member of our program during his time at Kentucky,” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said. “His passion for the game and genuine care for the kids are exemplified in his work ethic. We are excited for Will and look forward to his continued success in coaching.”

In addition to his duties with the men’s basketball program, Martin served as captain of the University of Kentucky Ethics Debate team from 2009-11. Under his direction, Kentucky claimed its first-ever regional championship and national appearance in the team’s history.

Martin received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Kentucky in 2012 and obtained his Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Tulsa in 2015.

Off the hardwood, Martin also is involved in a prison ministry project – “Against the Grain” – where he serves as a volunteer teacher of the “180 Project.”

Martin replaces Aaron Coombs who was named head coach at Oklahoma Panhandle State on April 16.

http://gogriffons.com/news/2018/5/1/will-martin-named-assistant-mens-basketball-coach.aspx