Kevin Martin, Assistant Men's Basketball Coach

Kevin Martin joined the Highlander program in May of 2002 as Byron Samuels’ first hire.

His main responsibilities include working with the Highlander post players, recruiting of prospective student-athletes, coordinating travel and daily schedules.

If his name sounds familiar to RU fans, well, it might be because he almost single handedly dashed the hopes for RU fans in 1998. Martin was a part of the 1998 UNC Asheville team that the Highlanders defeated to capture the school’s first BSC Championship and ensuing trip to the NCAA Tournament. Martin was the player that connected on two three pointers down the stretch to pull the Bulldogs even with the Highlanders in the final seconds.

Like Samuels, Martin, 28, is a graduate of UNC Asheville, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the North Carolina school in 1999. A native of Westerville, Ohio, Martin lettered for the Bulldogs from 1996-1999 after transferring from Ohio State University following his freshman campaign.

Martin is currently 11th all-time on UNCA’s career scoring list (1,340), averaging 16.3 points per game in 82 career contests. In his three seasons at UNCA, and was one of the Big South Conference’s most decorated players. The 1999 Big South Conference Player of the Year, Martin also garnered Second Team All-Conference honors in 1997, and was named to the First Team All-Conference in each of his final two seasons. The 1998 Big South preseason Player of the Year, Martin captured Big South All-Tournament honors in both 1998 and 1999.

In addition, Martin garnered 1999 UNC Asheville Male Athlete-of-the-Year honors and captured Big South Player of the Week honors five times in his career. He holds current UNC Asheville school records for points in a season (634), most free throws in a season (174), most free throws in a career (383) and most free throws attempted in a season (234) and career (527).

Upon graduation, Martin attended the Milwaukee Bucks mini-camp in 1999 and played professionally from 1999-2000 in Aanekoski, Finland and in Tegucigalpa, Honduras where he was part of a Central American Basketball League Championship in 2000.

Most recently Martin spent the 2001 season as the assistant varsity coach at London High School in London, Ohio.

He and his wife Jennifer reside in Christiansburg.