University of Central Arkansas Athletics

For more than 30 years, Richard Martin has been a key figure in UCA athletics and the backbone of the University of Central Arkansas' running programs.

Martin is in his 27th season as UCA's cross country head coach. He served at the helm of the men's team from 1981 until it was put on hiatus in 1992. Martin resumed coaching the men's squad when it was resinstated in 2004. He has also served as head women's coach since 1993.

Martin is also in charge of the men's and women's track and field teams. The women's squad was brought back during the 2005-06 academic year and the men's team returned in 2006-07.

In the fall of 1998, Martin's women's cross country team captured the Gulf South Conference title, earning him conference Coach of the Year honors. The title was the first GSC Championship won by a UCA team in any sport. In 2005, the Sugar Bears qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships.

Martin's teams also excelled in the classroom, earning NCAA Division II All-Academic honors by leading the nation with a team GPA of 3.91 in 1996. The following season, the team earned the same award with a team GPA of 3.96.

While leading the UCA track program, Martin won five AIC Championships and was a five-time winner of the NAIA District 17 Coach of the Year award, as well as a five-time AIC Coach of the Year. Martin was also an assistant coach in 1979 when the team won the AIC Championship.

A four-year letterman in both football and track at UCA, Martin earned numerous accolades on the track. He captured AIC Championships in the 200-yard dash (1974), 100-yard dash (1975), the mile relay (1975) and helped set an AIC and UCA record in the 400-yard relay (1975). Martin earned All-American honrs in the mile relay when UCA finished second in the NAIA National Championship meet.

Martin earned his B.S.E. in Education from UCA in 1976, and immediately began working as a graduate assistant coach for the football and track teams. The following fall, after earning his M.S.E. in Health Education, he became a full-time assistant in both sports.