Cindy Martin has resigned from her position as the head women’s basketball coach at Youngstown State University, announced Ron Strollo, YSU’s Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. A national search for Martin’s replacement will begin immediately.
Martin was the head coach at YSU for two seasons, and the Penguins went a combined 3-57 in her tenure. The Penguins were 3-27 in 2008-09 and 0-30 in 2009-10.
“I have decided to step down from my position because I feel in my heart it is what’s best for the program at this time,” Martin said. “I want to thank Youngstown State University and the athletic department for the wonderful opportunity. We signed back-to-back recruiting classes that are committed to their successes both on and off the court.”
“I hope my ladies and staff have learned as much from me as I have learned from them over the last two years.”
Martin inherited a roster that was heavy on relatively-inexperienced seniors and had one incoming signee when she took over the program in April 2008. After a 3-27 season in which she depended on many first-time contributors, Martin and her coaching staff signed a total of 10 student-athletes who would have been eligible to play in 2009-10. However, only three of those appeared in a game during the year as the Penguins had a maximum of eight players in uniform.
Three incoming players had season-ending injuries, three players did not meet academic requirements and another left the university on the first day of the fall semester. Those that did play were effective, as newcomers Brandi Brown and Bojana Dimitrov were the team’s top two scorers. Brown was runner-up for the Horizon League Newcomer-of-the-Year award and had one of the best freshman seasons in school history.
“We were surprised at Coach Martin’s decision to resign at this time,” Strollo said. “She accepted a difficult challenge in rebuilding the winning tradition of YSU women’s basketball, and she and her staff worked tirelessly the past two years toward that end. We understand the end results of this past season put their efforts to the test, but a full examination of the extenuating circumstances that led to this year’s outcomes makes those familiar with the situation supportive of the progress she made.”
“However, Coach Martin’s unselfish attitude has led her to decide that the perceptions are too difficult to overcome, and, in the best interest of the future of YSU women’s basketball, she needed to step down. She has brought two solid recruiting classes to our program, most notably All-Newcomer Team selection Brandi Brown, so the foundation is much stronger than before her arrival. The integrity she has displayed in resigning only magnifies the reasons she was the right choice when we chose her as our head coach. We wish her nothing but the best in her future coaching endeavors.”
Off the court, the women’s basketball team was a model program. The Penguins were a fixture in the community as they completed at least 30 community service projects in the past two seasons. The team was also strong in the classroom as it had a combined 3.29 grade-point average in the fall 2009 semester.
Strollo will address the media at a press conference on Monday at 4 p.m.
Courtesy: YSU Sports Information
