Edwardsvillle Head Coach Matt Martin Wins 100th Career Game Friday At Highland, Values Relationships With Players And Coaches The Most
EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville head football coach Matt Martin reached a top personal milestone on Sept. 3, when the Tigers defeated Highland 41-33 at Highland Stadium. It was Martin's 100th career win as a head coach, his 89th as head coach at Edwardsville, taking over the program in 2010 as interim head coach before being appointed to the position full time for the 2011 season.
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Martin would be the first one to tell you that it's not about the records and milestones, but it's really all about his players and assistant coaches, and about the relationships, he's developed with both.
"I never really got into coaching for personal accolades like this," Coach Martin said after the 100th career football win."They're (the players) part of it. As I've looked back over my career, I value the relationships that I have formed with players and coaches. When I look back, and you remember the 2017 year, what I remember isn't the records, but who played Tiger football the correct way."
Martin, a native of Peoria who played as a lineman in college at Western Illinois, started as an assistant coach at Harvard, Illinois, High before coming to the St. Louis area as a teacher and assistant coach for at Edwardsville in 1999 before taking his first job as head coach of Granite City in 2003. He went 11-35 in five seasons at the helm of the Warriors, taking them to the IHSA Class 7A playoffs in his final season in 2007 before stepping down. He returned to Edwardsville as an assistant in 2008 before taking over as interim head coach in 2010 after the resignation of Mark Bliss, and was named to the job for the 2011 season.
Since then, the Tigers have qualified for the IHSA playoffs in all nine of his full seasons, missing out in 2020 because of the abbreviated COVID-19 season that was moved to the spring of 2021.
After graduating from college, Martin did apply for various jobs in his native Peoria area, but without success.
Coach Martin also values the relationships and friendships he's formed with his players and coaches, some of whom have gone on to coaching jobs at other schools.
"I still have close relationships with coaches that have gone on to other programs," Martin said, "and some of my players."
The most important part of his job at Edwardsville involves helping his players not only with strategy and tactics but helping them mature into becoming dependable and responsible young men.
"It's much needed, but it comes with the job," Martin said. "I think our whole staff is into helping kids grow. It's fun to see that growth, right? And I'd like to think we've had a small part in that."
It's something Martin is very proud of, and it's just one of the reasons he got into coaching. Another reason is that he sees the profession as a way to give back to those who helped him along the way.
"It's our role," Martin said. "I think most people get into coaching because we've had someone in our lives that used sports to help us grow and become young men. And now, we're giving back."
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