Mike Martin '04 - Men's Basketball Coach - Brown University Athletics

Mike Martin '04

Title:
Men's Basketball Head Coaching Chair
Phone:
401-863-1226
Email:
brownbasketball@brown.edu
Joined Brown:
June 2012
Alma Mater:
Brown '04

Mike Martin '04 is in his 12th season as the Men's Basketball Head Coaching Chair in 2024-25. He is the 31st head men’s basketball coach in the program’s 117-year history. Martin launched his Brown career in 2012-2013 as the fourth youngest head men’s basketball coach in Division I.

With an 80-66 home victory over Cornell on Feb. 11, 2023, Martin became the winningest head coach in Brown men's basketball history with his 134th career win, breaking the 54-year-old record previously held by Stanley Ward. Following the completion of the 2022-23 season, Martin's record stood at 135 victories.

In 13 years at the helm of the Brown Basketball team, Martin has changed the direction and culture of the program, with the building blocks in place to develop an Ivy Championship team.

In 2024-25, Martin led the Bears to an 84-80 double overtime win over #RV Rhode Island, handing the Rams their first loss of the 2024-25 season on December 10, 2024. Martin also helped lead Brown to a 60-53 win at Vermont on December 3. The loss for the Catamounts snapped a 14-game home winning streak, and was their third loss in the last four seasons at Patrick Gymnasium.

The Bears’ 8-5 record in 2024-25 was the best non-conference record under Martin. Brown posted a six-game winning streak in non-conference play, the second six-game winning streak under Martin. This winning streak also matched the longest non-conference winning streak under Martin ‘04 (2018-19), this is the longest non-conference winning streak against D1 opponents. Brown’s six-game non-conference winning streak during the 2018-19 season featured a win over Salve Regina (D3). Brown’s 7-3 record through the first 10 games of the season was the best 10-game start under Martin ’04 and the best 10- game start since the 2001-02 season.

Under Martin's leadership, Kino Lilly Jr. became the fourth player in program history to earn First Team All-Ivy honors in three consecutive seasons. Lilly Jr. joining the list of Mike Cingiser (1960-62), Earl Hunt (2001-03), and Jason Forte (2003-05). Lilly Jr. was also named to the NABC Second Team All-Mid Atlantic District.

Martin took the Bears to new heights during the 2023-24 season. Eight Ivy League regular season wins was tied for the most under Martin, Brown's six-game winning streak to end the regular season was the longest since the Bears won six consecutive games during the 2018-19 season. Brown's seven-game winning streak ahead of the 2023-24 Ivy League Championship Game was the longest streak under Martin. Kino Lilly Jr. was named First Team All-Ivy for the second consecutive season and Nana Owusu-Anane was named Second Team All-Ivy.

The 2022-23 season not only saw Martin set the program's all-time wins record, but it was also the team's fourth straight season of at least 13 victories, just the second time in program history that the Bears have compiled at least that many wins in four straight seasons. Sophomore Kino Lilly Jr. was named to the All-Ivy First Team and senior Paxson Wojcik to the Second Team.

In 2021-22, Martin led the program to 13 victories. Jaylan Gainey '22 was named Ivy Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season and Kino Lilly Jr. '25 was honored as Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

Martin's 2019-20 team posted 15 wins, compiling the most wins (35) over two years in Brown basketball history. The Bears' eight Ivy League wins (8-6, 4th place) mark the 14th time in Brown history that a Brown team has won eight or more conference games. Jaylan Gainey '22 was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, the second consecutive Brown player to earn the honor.

In 2018-19, Martin was named the Ivy League Coach of the Year after guiding Brown to its first 20-win season ever (20-12) and a postseason berth in the College Basketball Invitational. The catalyst to the teams' success was defense with the Bears' defense being ranked 22nd out of 353 Division I teams behind the play of Obi Okolie '19, who was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. His squad also posted its first-ever postseason win, beating Alabama Birmingham in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational.

In his first year as head coach of the Bears, Martin was named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award as the nation's outstanding first-year head coach after leading the Bears to a turnaround season with a 13-15 overall record, including a fourth-place finish in the Ivy standings with a 7-7 mark after winning four of its last five games.

Martin instilled a defensive work effort on the court that translated into an improvement in team defense of five points per game from the previous season. He also coached Brown's first-ever Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, Cedric Kuakumensah '16.

Martin's 2013-2014 team posted a 15-14 overall record and hosted Brown's first ever postseason game, playing Holy Cross in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament at the Pizzitola Sports Center. In addition, Kuakumensah was named the Ivy League's Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.

Martin's first recruiting class proved to be one of the most honored in Brown basketball history, with three different freshmen being named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week a school record 10 times - forward Leland King '17 (four times), forward Steven Spieth '17 (three times) and guard Norman Hobbie '17 (three times).

A member of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Regional Advisory Committee, Mike was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in the Perry Category for distinguished achievement in two categories (player and coach), and was inducted along with his dad, Mike, who was inducted into the Icon category, his uncle, Buddy, who played at Dartmouth and was inducted in the Prep School Category, cousins Colin and Sean Tabb, representing their high schools, and his late grandfather, William, who played at Providence College and was inducted in the high school category.

A four-year starter at Brown, Martin was part of the winningest class in the Bears' basketball history, posting a 63-45 four-year record from 2000-2004. He also helped the Class of 2004 to a school-record 39-17 Ivy League mark during that period -- the best by an Ivy League team other than Penn and Princeton since 1970.

"I'm honored and thrilled to be the head coach at Brown, a school at which I have so many fond memories,” said Martin. “I believe strongly in all we have to offer at Brown and am eager to connect with all the current players, Brown alumni, fans, and supporters."

An economics concentrator as an undergraduate, Martin was co-captain of Brown's 2003-2004 team that finished second in the Ivy League standings for the third time in his four years and defeated Princeton for the first time ever in Princeton, New Jersey. He also helped the Bears to a school-record four straight winning seasons.

A native of Agawam, Mass., where he starred at Cathedral High School, Martin averaged 11 points per game for Brown as a senior. He also played a major role on the Bears' 2003 team that posted a 12-2 Ivy League mark and earned a berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). When he graduated, Martin ranked third all-time at Brown in career treys (143), ninth in career steals (113), and tenth in career assists (232).

After graduating from Brown, Martin spent the 2004-05 season playing professionally for Dart Killester in Ireland's top division of professional basketball.

Martin launched his coaching career at Brown on head coach Glen Miller’s staff as an assistant coach in 2005-2006. He joined Miller at Penn in 2006-2007 as an assistant coach and enjoyed a memorable season, with the Quakers posting a 22-9 record, winning the Ivy League Championship with a 13-1 League mark, and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

At Penn, he helped head coach Jerome Allen and the Quakers post 20 wins overall in 2011-2012 for the first time since 2006-07, finishing second in the Ivy League at 11-3, one game behind Harvard in the standings. Penn then played in the postseason College Basketball Invitational, defeating Quinnipiac in the opening round before falling to Butler in the quarterfinal round.

Martin has helped recruit and mentor some of the Ivy League's top players during his time at Brown and Penn, including Sean McGonagill '14, Brown's third all-time leading scorer and a two-time first-team All-Ivy selection under Martin; Matt Mullery ’10, Brown’s all-time leader in blocked shots; and Penn’s Zack Rosen, the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2011-12 and the program's all-time assist leader. He also developed Kuakumensah ’16 into the greatest shot blocker in Ivy League history and the only player in Ivy annals to score 1,000 points, grab 800 rebounds and block 300 shots.

Martin's wife, the former Kristin Ferrell '04, was a member of the women's soccer team while at Brown.

HEAD COACHING RECORD

Season	School/Team	Overall	Percentage	Ivy League	Conference Percentage	Conference Finish	Postseason
2012-13	Brown	13-15	.464	7-7	.500	fourth
2013-14	Brown	15-14	.517	7-7	.500	fourth	CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT)
2014-15	Brown	13-18	.419	4-10	.286	seventh
2015-16	Brown	8-20	.286	3-11	.214	seventh
2016-17	Brown	13-17	.433	4-10	.286	sixth
2017-18	Brown	11-16	.407	4-10	.286	seventh
2018-19	Brown	20-12	.625	7-7	.500	fourth	College Basketball Invitational (CBI)
2019-20	Brown	15-12	.556	8-6	.571	t-fourth
2020-21*	Brown	-	-	-	-	-	-
2021-22	Brown	13-16	.448	5-9	.357	t-sixth
2022-23	Brown	14-13	.519	7-7	.500	t-fourth
2023-24	Brown	13-18	.419	8-6	.571	fourth	Ivy League Championship Game
2024-25	Brown	14-13	.519	6-8	.429	sixth
Career	12 Seasons	162-184	.468	70-98	.41.6

*Season canceled due to COVID-19

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What They Say About Mike Martin:

Boston Celtics Assistant Basketball Coach Jerome Allen:
“I am extremely happy for Mike and his family; his hiring is well-deserved. Mike has done the University of Pennsylvania a great service for the last six years, and it is only right that he get the opportunity to run his own program. As I have learned the last three years, it is a special opportunity to oversee a program that you once played in, and I know that Mike will embrace that opportunity at Brown. With the exception of two times each season, I wish Mike nothing but the best of success.”

Former Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach John Beilein:
"It was just a matter of time before Mike Martin became a head coach at the Division I level. Mike is an impressive young man with great potential as a leader and a basketball coach. He understands what it takes to win in the Ivy League and gives Brown a rising star in the coaching profession."

Former Hofstra Head Basketball Coach Mo Cassara:
“Mike Martin is one of the most talented and energetic young coaches in the country. Mike's return to Brown is a wonderful hire for the basketball program, the athletic department and the university community.

Penn Men’s Basketball Coach Steve Donahue:
“Brown could not have hired a better person or coach. He understands what Brown and the Ivy League is all about, and he’s the perfect guy for the job. Watching him grow as a player and coach, I always thought Mike would be an Ivy League head coach.”

Hartford Head Basketball Coach John Gallagher:
“Having worked with Mike for two years and seeing first hand the work ethic, discipline and energy he exhibited, it will come at no surprise when Brown Basketball plays with those same qualities.”

Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris:
"Mike had an outstanding playing career as an Ivy League student-athlete and has built on those experiences to find great success as a coach. I wish him all the best as he embarks on the next stage of his coaching career at Brown."

Brown’s All-Time Leading Scorer Earl Hunt ’03:
“As an alum and teammate of Mike, I’m extremely pleased at the decision to have him lead the Brown basketball program. He’s smart, energetic and hates to lose. Mike’s well connected in recruiting circles, and is a wonderful representative of Brown. The program could not be in better hands.”

Stanford Athletic Director and NCAA Basketball Committeeman Bernard Muir ’90:
“Mike’s enthusiasm, passion, and knowledge of the game make him a great hire for Brown. Mike exudes confidence in everything he does. As a former player, I’m excited about the leadership Mike will bring to the program. The Brown basketball community is ready to stand behind him.”

Former Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese:
“I remember Mike as a very good basketball player and outstanding competitor at Brown. The basketball program at Brown will be in great hands under his leadership.”