(Photo by Dave Kopp)

The UCM coach will hang it up after her 33rd season and more than 1,035 wins

Since 1975, University of Central Missouri head volleyball coach Peggy Martin has won more matches than any other coach in NCAA Division II history, but all good things must come to an end, as she announced today that she will retire at the end of the upcoming 2008 season.

“In my career, I knew there would come a time that it would be the finale, the end. All my mentors told me that you would know the time has come, but that’s just not been true for me.” Martin said. “I think I could go on coaching for the rest of my life, and if I continued to coach until the passion goes away I would be 90-something. I think right now is a good time to make the change, 33 years of doing something that you love is a long time, and though I don’t feel old, I think that it is time for me to say I did the best I could do and go on with my life.”

“Dr. Peggy Martin and success go hand-in-hand.” Athletic Director Jerry Hughes said. “For 32 seasons, her teams have enjoyed an amazing level of success on the court and in the classroom. UCM is very fortunate that one of the best volleyball coaches in history has spent her career with us.”

Under Martin’s guidance, the Jennies have won at least 25 matches 30 straight seasons for a 1,035-271-8 overall mark, and have won or shared 19 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association crowns since the league began sponsoring the sport in 1982. Her teams have also made 25 NCAA Tournament appearances in a row, the most in Division II history, and have reached the “Elite Eight” six times, highlighted by a runner-up national showing in 1987. Martin wanted to leave the program knowing that it will be a smooth transition to keep that winning tradition going into the future.

“The timing of this is to allow 2009 recruits to know that I will not be their coach, but at the same time, to let our team here know that I am the coach until the end of this season. Hopefully it will be one of the best year’s we’ve ever had.”

There are several people that have impacted Martin’s career and several people that have come and gone during that time. Martin noted that she has been at UCM through five University Presidents, four athletic directors, and four sports information directors.

Among the people Martin recognized was the former dean of the physical education department who hired her as a young coach and teacher, Dr. Alphadine Martin. She also thanked all the former presidents, especially Dr. Ed Elliott for his tremendous support of the program. Dr. Judy Vickrey, former Vice President for Finance and Administration, who financially helped get several things, including the sport court for the Multipurpose Building. On the coaching side, there were several others that had a huge impact.

“Dr. Millie Barnes has always been a mentor for me, coming here and having her presence on this campus was huge.” Martin said. “In terms of my assistants, Flip (Piontek) has been the best that you could ever want. Lorelee Smith, who is now the head coach at Lewis University, was tremendous. Chrissy (Elder) now and all the G.A.’s and kids that have come through this program that are still so supportive are all people I want to thank.”

Martin has also coached more than 200 student athletes in volleyball, softball, and basketball at Central Missouri.

“When you talk about players that linger in your memory, it’s unbelievable that there are just so many that do. You can’t mention one without mentioning 101.” Martin said. “For the most part, I am very proud of where they are right now and that they graduated. It’s been such a long career that I have learned more from my players than they have ever learned from me and for that I am very thankful.”

Central Missouri Associate Athletic Director Kathy Anderson was one of those student athletes.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better role model.” Anderson said. “She was the person that made me realize there was a future for women in this field and many of her former student athletes, as well as I, owe so much of their success to her.”

During her time, Martin has been chosen MIAA or Missouri AIAW State Coach of the Year a total of 15 times and AVCA South Central Region Coach of the Year on six occasions. She was also selected as AVCA Division II National Coach of the Year in 1987 after directing the Jennies to their second-place NCAA Tournament finish and a 42-4 mark.

Martin came to UCM in 1975 as head volleyball and softball coach. In 11 years at the softball helm, she led the Jennies to a 174-156 record and two MIAA titles. She was also twice chosen league Coach of the Year.

“When I came here 33 years ago I really planned on being at Central Missouri for two or three years, and after being here, I became very comfortable with the community and with the support we got.” Martin said. “Certainly I thought I would go on to bigger and better, but what I came to realize is that what was out there may be bigger, but I’m not sure that where I would go would be better. I think that is the mistake a lot of younger coaches make, thinking bigger is better, and I don’t think there is any place that I would rather be than right here.”

Martin is still very active on the volleyball scene as she has conducted her own camp at UCM each summer and speaks at several clinics during the year. She has written a book, 101 Volleyball Drills, and produced four instructional videos, “Training the Setter,” “Competitive Volleyball Drills,” “The Slide Attack,” and “Training the Libero.”

She has also served a six-year stint as chair of the NCAA Division II Volleyball Committee and has been a member of the AVCA’s post-season awards selection committee.  Martin has also been chair of the Curriculum Committee for the AVCA Convention.

It makes you wonder what she is going to do after retiring.

“I am going to relax for a year or so, then if do decide to do something it will be in the area of athletics and volleyball in particular.” Martin said. “I have no intention of coaching anywhere else, this is it. I would like to stay involved in the volleyball scene from a distance and stay affiliated with the AVCA. I will do some volunteer clinics and some consulting with high school coaches but it is pretty wide open.”

Martin, who was once a nationally rated women’s basketball referee, also served as assistant Jennies basketball coach for the 1976-77 season and as assistant athletic director at Central from 1986-88.

Martin came to UCM from Florida Southern College, where she spent one season as volleyball and basketball coach. Although those sports competed on the club level at the time, they were the forerunners of the school’s highly successful Division II programs of today.

In Mobile, Martin was a three-sport athlete at Mercy High School, competing in volleyball, basketball, and track in the CYO Leagues.  She helped lead the basketball team to an undefeated record in basketball all four years.

Martin continued her athletic career at Indiana University, where she helped the basketball squad to three straight national tournament berths. She also won four letters in softball and three in field hockey before receiving her bachelor’s degree from there in 1972. She later took a year’s leave of absence from UCM to complete her doctorate in physical education at Indiana in 1980.

In April of 2006, she was inducted into her hometown Sports Hall of Fame in Mobile, Ala. before earning a distinguished alumni award from Indiana University in the spring of 2007.

Martin began her coaching career in 1972 as volleyball and basketball coach at St. Pius X Junior High School in Mobile. She left there after one year to become a graduate assistant on the volleyball and basketball staffs at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where she earned her master’s degree in 1974.