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Mona Martin enters her 15th season as ULM's second longest tenured head coach. Martin guides the Warhawks into their fourth season as members of the Sun Belt Conference.
Last year, Martin led the Warhawks to a 7-11 Sun Belt record and 15-16 overall record. The Warhawks made history in the opening round of the conference tournament as they knocked off the defending champions, Western Kentucky, for their first ever Sun Belt Tournament victory. There were many highlights from last season, but one that stands out is Martin's 200th victory as the Warhawks head coach.
"Coaching at ULM is special to me because of the support from the administration," Martin said. "I am proud of our players because of the high graduation that we have attained while I have been here. It means a lot to have quality people graduate from this program."
In their final season in the Southland Conference (2005-06), the Martin-led Warhawks advanced to the O'Reilly Auto Parts/Southland Conference Tournament semifinals. ULM played Stephen F. Austin for the second time to overtime in eight days, coming up one point shy of their second consecutive trip to championship game.
In 2004-05, Martin led ULM to a Southland Conference regular season co-championship and a 20-win season (22-8) for only the seventh time in school history. Martin coached former Warhawks standout Nina Randle to a new ULM and SLC career record in steals on her way toward earning all-Southland Conference first team and SLC All-Tournament honors. Randle went on to play professionally in Switzerland. Michelle Biley, then a junior, also received all-Southland honors, and Aishie Banks, also a junior in 2004-05, was named to the SLC all-Tournament team.
During Martin's time at ULM, the Warhawks have experienced great individual success. Martin has guided 18 individuals who were named to all-conference teams, including four on the All-SLC first team. Most recently, Lottie Moore was named to the all-Sun Belt Conference third team. Martin was twice named the SLC Coach of the Year, picking up the honor in 1998 and again in 2005.
Entering the 2009-10 campaign, Martin's 207 career wins at ULM are the second-most by a Sun Belt Conference head coach at their current school.
Having her program in a situation where it can vie for the conference title year-in and year-out is exactly what Martin envisioned when she arrived at ULM in 1995 after compiling a 120-70 (.631) record in six seasons at West Monroe High School.
Martin began her career in 1976 at Natchitoches, La., Central High School, only three months after graduating from Northwestern State with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and physical education. Martin and Central got started together because the school was about to play its inaugural season of girls' basketball and needed a coach. The combination was a great success.
In 11 years, Martin guided NCHS to a 266-91 record, a winning percentage of .746. All but one of her teams went into the state playoffs, four of them went to the state final four and three-the 1981, 1986 and 1987 squads-won state championships.
Her 1986 team went 36-0, won the state title and finished the season ranked No. 8 in the nation. Martin was not only voted the state's top coach but the National Coach of the Year.
The Lady Chiefs never finished lower than second in the district under Martin, winning six district crowns and finishing second five times. She was named district Coach of the Year four times and Louisiana Coach of the Year three times (1982, 1986, 1987). Her last two Natchitoches Central teams were 70-3 and won state titles both years.
In May 1987, Martin entered collegiate coaching when she was named associate head coach at Northwestern State. In her two years, she helped the Lady Demons go 38-20 and make their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
From Northwestern State, Martin moved to West Monroe High School where success followed. In her six years at WMHS, she put the Lady Rebels in the state playoffs every year and won three District 2-5A championships. Her 1994 squad went to the state finals and Martin received her fourth state Coach of the Year award.
Her coaching career also includes 10 seasons of AAU basketball coaching experience, serving as co-head coach of the New Orleans-based Domino's team. Her first AAU team advanced to the 1986 national championship game.
Her final squad, just before she was named ULM head coach, finished seventh among 77 teams at the 1995 national championships in Dallas.
At ULM, she has a record of 207-195 overall and 134-114 in league contests as a member of the Southland and Sun Belt Conferences. After opening with two 5-21 seasons, she guided her 1997-98 team to a 19-9 record and a second-place finish in the Southland, earning Martin Coach of the Year awards from both the Southland Conference and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Her 2000-01 team was 20-9 and again second in the Southland.
Martin's overall head coaching record for 14 years at ULM and 17 as a high school coach is 593-356 (.625).
The ULM coach, is married to Mike, a design engineer for Superlift in West Monroe. Born in New Orleans, Martin grew up in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Waltrip Senior High School. In addition to her bachelor's degree from Northwestern State, she also received a master of science degree in physical education from the same institution in 1979.
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Courtesy: ulmwarhawks.com
