After six seasons at the helm of the Saint Martin’s University women’s basketball program, Head Coach Christy Martin announced her resignation from the post for personal health reasons following the team’s season finale, a victory over Northwest Nazarene University. The Saints finished the season with a 6-12 GNAC record (9th place) and 10-16 overall record.
“In my more than 20 years as a head coach, I’ve preached to my players the importance of self-care and holistic health,” said Coach Martin. “Now it’s time I heed my own advice. Despite the many accomplishments we’ve had and the bright future I envision for the program, I am choosing to step down to prioritize my health. My love and gratitude for Saint Martin’s University and the incredible relationships I have with the community will remain unparalleled. Once a Saint, always a Saint.”
Coach Martin led the Saints to 59 wins over her time as a Saint, including the first win on the road against Simon Fraser University since 2011, and the first win over Alaska-Anchorage since 2013, in this season alone. In both 2018 and 2019, she coached the GNAC Freshman of the Year as Saint Martin’s claimed the award in back-to-back seasons with Saniah Simpson-Patu and Claire Dingus, respectively. In 2021, Martin helped Dingus be named the women’s basketball program’s first ever All-American when she was named a D2CCA Honorable Mention selection. Last season, the women’s basketball team earned their first Top 25 ranking in program history thanks to an outstanding start to the 2021-2022 campaign.
Director of Athletics, Steve O’Brien responded to Coach Martin’s announcement by saying, “I would like to thank Coach Martin for her years of service to the Saint Martin’s women’s basketball program, her passion for coaching, and contributions to the campus community. We wish her well in all of her future endeavors.”
Saint Martin’s has already begun the process to identify the program’s next head coach.
