Doug Martin Named NMSU Coach
What a way to celebrate a 50th birthday it was today for the new head football coach at New Mexico State University Doug Martin.
“The only way to be ready for that is to sit in that chair,” newly hired NMSU coach Doug Martin said. “The experience I gathered at Kent State was invaluable., we were in charge of saving a program which we did.”
After being named interim coach just a few weeks ago, NMSU A.D. Dr. McKinley Boston interviewed three other candidates, but decided Martin was the man for the job.
“Coach Martin’s desire and passion to be here in this community to help fuel this program was the overwhelming thing that impacted me the most,” NMSU A.D. Dr. McKinley Boston said.
Martin is optimistic about the future in Las Cruces, but so were other coaches in Aggie Land over the last few decades. From 2009-2012 DeWayne Walker was 10-40, before him Hal Mumme went 11-38, Tony Samuel in eight seasons went 34-57, in the early 90’s Jim Hess was 22-55, and from 1986-1989 Mike Knoll could only muster a record of four wins and 40 losses. In fact, no coach has had a winning record at NMSU since Warren B. Woodson from 1958-1967. He was 63-36-3 in 10 seasons.
Currently, NMSU does not belong to a conference, hasn’t been to a bowl game in 50-plus years, and has a minimal fan base. Still, Doug Martin isn’t intimidated by what he has to work with at NMSU, he embraces it and as several coaches have tried to do before him will try to be the coach that turns things around at NMSU.