Former Colonel and Thibodaux native, Ben Martin, has joined the Nicholls State men’s basketball coaching staff as the director of basketball operations now that his playing days are over.
“It is going to be a great experience. Because of my four to five years at Nicholls, I know how things run around here,” Martin said. “I think this is a great start for me in my career, and I would like to thank head coach J.P. Piper for the opportunity.”
Despite graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Finance, Martin’s true calling was a career in basketball.
“I thought that would be my career some day, but last season when I could not play, I realized how much I missed the game,” Martin said. “The chance to coach was too good to pass up.”
Having coached Martin for approximately four seasons, Piper understands his passion for the game and was willing to give him a position on his staff despite his age. Just as he was respected in his playing career, Piper believes that the respect the team has for Martin will ultimately be one of his greatest assets.
“He is a natural leader and out of all the guys I have coached in my thirty years, he is one of the few that truly ‘get it’,” Piper said. “One of the fears that I had was bringing in a guy who is so close to the players’ age onto the staff, which can sometimes compromise the credibility of the coaching staff. However, Ben was never afraid to challenge his teammates and hold them accountable.”
Jeremy Smith, junior guard from New Orleans, is very excited to have Martin on the staff.
“It will be very helpful to us as players because since he was our teammate, he will be able to relate to us,” Smith said.
As the director of basketball operations, Martin will micromanage a large amount of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into any college basketball program. He will be expected to cover an array of issues, which will prove beneficial in later coaching jobs.
“I will be overseeing the budget, making sure the day-to-day operations run smoothly, keeping track of the players’ grades, scouting, and most importantly just being on the court with the guys,” Martin said.
With all this work comes a great deal of responsibility. The best way Piper can summarize his role with the team would be an “assistant coach in waiting.”
“His understanding of the game and knowledge of what we need to do is outstanding, so you know he has a high basketball IQ,” Piper said. “Guys like that make great coaches, and if Ben wants a career in this business, I think he can have one.”