Women’s basketball head coach Tina Martin announced her retirement from the University of Delaware, concluding one of the most successful coaching careers in the history of the Athletic Department.
Martin recently finished her 21st season as the winningest coach in Delaware men’s and women’s basketball history with 408 career victories.
Associate head coach Jeanine Radice, who has served the past 21 seasons on the staff at UD, will lead the team as interim head coach until a replacement is named. A national search to replace Martin will begin immediately.
“After a great deal of thought, I’ve decided the time is right for me to retire as head coach at the University of Delaware and move on to the next chapter of my life,” said Martin. “Delaware basketball has been my passion for over 20 years and I am going to miss it. I’ve been fortunate to work with very driven and loyal assistant coaches, talented student-athletes, great teams, and supportive fans. I would like to thank all of the athletic directors I have worked with at UD, including Bernard Muir and Eric Ziady and especially Edgar Johnson who hired me 21 years ago. My staff and I have established an outstanding winning tradition and I will always be proud of my legacy at the University of Delaware.”
During her tenure, the Williamsport, Pa. native transformed the Blue Hens into perennial championship contenders, first in the America East and now in the Colonial Athletic Association. Following the conclusion of the 2016-17 season, Martin ranked third in CAA history with 217 conference regular season and tournament victories.
“Tina brought an unmatched passion for the game every single day at UD, and we thank her for her commitment to repeatedly guiding our program to outstanding levels of achievement,” said UD Director of Athletics and Recreation Services Chrissi Rawak. “We wish her continued success as she retires and moves forward in her next chapter.”
Under Martin’s leadership, Delaware has recorded 20-win seasons during 12 of the past 18 years and made postseason appearances in 11 of the last 17 seasons, including four in the NCAA and seven in the WNIT. The Hens have placed fourth or better in league play all but six times during Martin’s tenure, advancing to the league championship semifinals or finals 15 times in the last 18 years, including six appearances in the CAA Championship contest.
A three-time conference Coach of the Year, Martin was instrumental in the development of the 2013 team’s seven sensational seniors that included three 1,000-point career scorers (All-American Elena Delle Donne, Lauren Carra, and Danielle Parker), two 1,000 career rebounders (Delle Donne and Parker), and the second-overall WNBA draft pick (Delle Donne).
Martin began her coaching career at her alma mater, Lock Haven University, in 1986, where she served as an assistant before moving on to Seton Hall as a graduate assistant. She played a big part in rebuilding the SHU program that went from three straight losing seasons to one that made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 1994 and 1995 under head coach Phyllis Mangina. During this time, the team finished strong with its first-ever national ranking, placing 14th overall.
Prior to joining UD, Martin was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American at Lock Haven and a four-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference All-Star and two-time league Player of the Year. She finished as PSAC’s all-time leading scorer with 2,157 points and had her number (33) retired at Lock Haven before being inducted into the Lock Haven University Athletics Hall of Fame in June 2016.
Photo Courtesy Delaware Athletics
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