Martin Instrumental to Wooster’s Sustained Success

Very few teams are fortunate to have someone as dedicated and passionate about making a positive and lasting impact on a program as Bruce Martin. The College of Wooster men's basketball team was very fortunate to have Martin leave his mark and help the program achieve its status as the winningest NCAA Div. III team of the 2000s. The 26-year volunteer assistant is this year's W Association "Distinguished Award of Excellence" inductee. 

Martin was "asked by Coach Moore" to come assist the program after a successful 21-year coaching career in the West Holmes school system. The two had a previous relationship due to coaching their daughters' youth teams together. Moore had a great deal of respect for Martin's coaching abilities upon his arrival in Wooster, as he looked at some of the West Holmes players early in his coaching tenure. Matt Sprang, who played for Martin at West Holmes, came to the College in 1994, the same year Martin joined the staff. Martin's teaching went beyond the team, as he is still an instrumental part of Camp Fighting Scot to this day. 

Martin's first-rate dedication to the program, his knowledge of the game, and his ability to teach fundamentals led to Wooster posting a 637-139 record in his 26 years as a volunteer. Three runs to the national semifinals, headlined by making the 2011 NCAA Div. III championship game, took place during Martin's tenure. Wooster won 16 of its North Coast Athletic Conference-leading 19 championships with Martin assisting the team. One of his other favorite memories is an impressive 30 wins over archnemesis Wittenberg University. 

It can be argued that Martin knew most of the opponents' plays better than the players tasked with executing them. Martin's preparation and game planning gave Wooster a sizable leg up over the competition, and something legendary head coach Steve Moore attributes to the program's sustained success. 

"When he retired from teaching, I would call him a full-time film watcher," summed up Moore in his speech during the dedication of Steve Moore Court at Timken Gymnasium. "He had a den in his house where he watched film all day long before he came to practice and was tremendous in preparing us for our opponents. It got to the point where Coach Cline and I did not even have to know the plays of the other team because Coach Martin knew them." 

Martin retired from coaching following the 2019-20 season. He stays active with landscaping at Fire Ridge Golf Course and Millersburg Methodist Community Church. Martin, and his wife, Pam, have three daughters and seven grandchildren, and spend a good portion of their time cheering on their grandchildren at their sporting events.