April 17, 2008

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- The Marist Athletics Department will hold a press conference on Thursday, April 17 at 2 p.m. in the Cabaret of the Student Center to announce Chuck Martin as its new head men's basketball coach. Martin will become the program's sixth head coach in its Division I history. All fans are invited to attend.

Martin comes to Marist after having spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Memphis. The Tigers reached the national championship game this season, and set a single-season Division I record for most victories with 38. During the 2006-07 season, Memphis went 33-4 and reached the Elite Eight. The Tigers also became the first team in the history of Conference USA to compile a perfect regular season while winning the conference tournament, a feat which was duplicated this past season.

A native of the Bronx, Martin has served as a Division I assistant coach at five institutions. Prior to his time at Memphis, Martin was an assistant coach at St. John's University, Drexel University, the University of Massachusetts and Manhattan College.

Martin, who played at St. Raymond's for three years, was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1998. Martin is a 1993 graduate of Monmouth with a bachelor's degree in Communications. He and his wife, Lee, have three children -- a daughter, Ashley-Monet (10), and two sons, Jordan (5) and Justin (3).