Cuonzo (CON-zoe) Martin, Associate Head Coach at Purdue University, has been hired as the new Bears basketball coach at Missouri State University. Martin will begin his duties April 1.
Martin becomes the 16th head coach in the history of Missouri State, the 27th winningest NCAA Division I program in America. He will take over the reins of the program in time for the 100th anniversary of Missouri State’s basketball program and will inaugurate the Bears’ move into the $67 million 11,000-seat JQH Arena for the 2008-09 season.
Martin, a native of East St. Louis, Ill., was a star player at Purdue from 1991-95 for Coach Gene Keady and then played four years professionally. He has been on the coaching staff at Purdue for the past eight years under Keady and now Matt Painter.
The 36-year-old Martin was introduced at a news conference today (Wednesday, March 26) in Hammons Student Center. Earlier, his appointment was formally approved by the Board of Governors in a telephone conference call. Martin and his wife, Roberta, spent Tuesday and Wednesday on campus interviewing. While many candidates were screened and several interviewed, Martin was the only candidate invited to campus for a visit.
“I am excited to be joining such a great University and working with the faculty, staff and students,” said Martin. “And I am ecstatic about having the chance to lead this basketball family. The Missouri State Basketball Program has a rich tradition and it is clear that the fans love the Bears.
“I am anxious to get to know and start working with our players. Our goals are to be productive on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. On the court, we want to play hard every minute of every game, and to win basketball games. I am confident we can be successful.”
Martin replaces Barry Hinson, who had coached Missouri State for the past nine years. On March 9, the University announced that Hinson’s contact would not be renewed. The new mentor is expected to inherit two starters and six let-termen from a Missouri State team which finished 17-16 in the 2007-08 campaign. The Bears finished in a tie for seventh place in the Missouri Valley Conference with an 8-10 league record. Missouri State is in its 18th season in the MVC and has played at the Division I level for 26 years.
“We are extremely pleased that Coach Martin has joined our University as head basketball coach,” said Bill Rowe, Director of Athletics. “We considered a number of excellent candidates for the position, but Cuonzo rose to the top in all categories, from background to references. We couldn’t be happier.”
Martin’s compensation package will be about $300,000, with the opportunity to earn additional performance incen-tives. The package will include about $140,000 in base salary from the University, about $70,000 from radio and tele-vision revenue, and the remainder from the Missouri State Foundation. This is an increase of about $100,000 over the previous package, with the increase to be funded through private gifts made to the Missouri State Foundation to support the basketball program.
Missouri State President Michael T. Nietzel said there were seven attributes that he and Bill Rowe were seeking in the new coach:
1. Stable affiliation with a premier NCAA Division I program known for academic success and strong record of compliance
2. Association with a program that has experienced regular post-season success
3. Evidence of effective recruiting, with an affinity for Midwest talent
4. Knowledge of, and appreciation for, the Missouri Valley Conference
5. Extroverted personality and desire to be a part of the local community
6. Respected and recommended by other coaches for his integrity and intensity
7. Coaching style that included hard-nosed defense and up-tempo offense
“Cuonzo Martin met and exceeded all of these criteria,” said Nietzel. “He comes from a Purdue program that has been highly regarded in the Big Ten in every way, from success on the court to performance in the classroom. And from coast to coast, he earned tremendous references from other coaches, basketball commissioners, officials, and those who know college basketball.”
Martin is in his eighth year on the Purdue coaching staff, having been promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach in September of 2007. After a four-year professional career, Martin completed his bachelor’s degree in restaurant, hotel, institutional and tourism management at Purdue in the summer of 2000.
Martin, who graduated from Lincoln High in East St. Louis, Ill., and attended New Hampton Prep School in New Hampshire, came to Purdue in 1991. He finished four years later as one of the finest Boilermaker players ever. He current-ly ranks 11th on Purdue’s all-time scoring list with 1,666 points, good enough for a 13.1 average in his 127 games played.
His best year was his senior season, when he averaged 18.4 points per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the floor, 46.9 percent from three-point range and 79.9 percent from the free throw line.
Martin was an emotional leader for the Boilermakers, as well as a long-distance specialist, compiling a 179-for-390 (.459) mark on three-pointers his last two years after going 0-for-7 from long range his first two seasons. He led the Big Ten in three-point shooting as a senior and was fourth in scoring while helping the Boilermakers to their second of three consecutive outright Big Ten titles. He also was named to Dick Vitale’s All-Defensive team in 1995. During Martin’s four years, Purdue was 90-37, including 54-12 the last two years, with a pair of conference titles.
Martin played professional basketball for four years, with brief NBA appearances with the Milwaukee Bucks (twice) and Vancouver Grizzlies. He spent most of his playing time in the Continental Basketball Association and Europe. He was team captain and leading scorer for three seasons with the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Hoops and was leading scorer for the Felize Scandone team in Avellino, Italy, in 1997.
Martin and Roberta have two sons, Joshua and Chase, and a daughter, Addison.
