Lee Martin was officially introduced as the Head Coach of the Hargrave Military Academy postgraduate basketball team today. Martin will also assume the role of Program Director, overseeing the Varsity, Junior Varsity and Middle School teams in addition to his duties as the Postgraduate Head Coach. Martin takes over for A.W. Hamilton, who recently accepted a position as an Assistant Coach at N.C. State under former Hargrave Head Coach Kevin Keatts. Hamilton spent six seasons as head coach and after serving for five years as an assistant at Hargrave under then Head Coach Kevin Keatts. Martin, Hargrave Class of 2009, was coached by both Hamilton and Keatts during his postgraduate year, in which his team went 27-2 and advanced to the National Championship game. Martin has served two years as Associate Head Coach after serving two years as an Assistant Coach, all under Hamilton.
“Coach Martin has been an integral part of the pushing the postgraduate team to new levels for the past four years, and it has not gone unnoticed,” said Dr. Wheeler Baker, Col. USMC (ret.), Hargrave’s president. “He is an exceptionally talented coach with a strong basketball background and an even stronger knowledge of who we are, our core values as an institution, and where we want to go.”
After graduating from Hargrave in 2009, Martin signed a full scholarship to play basketball at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. Martin was a four-year letterwinner at Catawba and served as team captain during his Sophomore, Junior and Senior seasons. Martin played a large role on the 2009-2010 Catawba team that won the South Atlantic Conference and participated in the NCAA Tournament. Martin was named team MVP after his senior season.
“It is an incredible honor to be named Head Coach of the Hargrave postgraduate basketball team. I’d like to thank Col. Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Davenport and the rest of the Board of Trustees for giving me the opportunity to lead this tremendous program.” Martin commented. “The whole person education that Hargrave provides is an invaluable resource to each and every one of our Cadets. It truly prepares them for the next level in all phases- on and off the court. As a former player for Kevin Keatts and a former assistant for A.W. Hamilton, I’m eager to build upon the success of this program and continue to provide great opportunities to many more young men. Coach Hamilton and Coach Keatts taught me so much about the game, but more importantly, they helped me become a better man. I’m eager to get started and make a similar impact on my players in the future.”
Martin returned to Hargrave immediately after graduating from Catawba, and has served the last four years under A.W. Hamilton. During his tenure as an assistant, Hargrave’s teams went a combined 134-9 and saw 51 players sign Division 1 scholarships. Martin served as the Associate Head Coach on the 2016 National Championship team, as well as the 2017 team that advanced to the National Final Four. In his two years as Associate Head Coach, Hargrave’s teams went a combined 90-3, had 25 Division 1 commits and set school records for wins in a season (47; 2016) and points scored in a single game (163; 2017). During his Hargrave tenure, all of Hargrave’s teams have advanced to at least the National Elite Eight.
“Hargrave is such a special place, and I told myself that I could never leave unless we could hire a coach who is a perfect fit with the school’s culture and can take the program to a new level,” commented A.W. Hamilton, “there is no doubt whatsoever that Lee Martin is the perfect coach for Hargrave.”
Coach Martin will assume his new duties immediately. For more information, please visit hargravesports.com.
