Central’s McMartin, Arizona’s Rodriguez named to AFCA board
Central College
PELLA — Central College coach Jeff McMartin and University of Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez are the newest members of the board of trustees of the American Football Coaches Association.
McMartin and Rodriguez were elected Tuesday by members attending the AFCA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. McMartin becomes one of just two NCAA Division III coaches on the board, which formulates policy for the 11,000-member organization, founded in 1923 by Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Heisman and others. Also from Division III is current board member Pete Fredenburg of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas).
In becoming just the 11th Division III coach in AFCA history to serve on the board, McMartin follows his mentor, Central’s hall of fame coach Ron Schipper, who was a trustee from 1984-94 and in 1994 became the second Division III coach ever to serve as the organization’s president. Central joins Ithaca College (N.Y.) as the only Division III schools to ever send two coaches to the board, which includes 18 head coaches—one from each NCAA FBS conference, two each from FCS, Division II and Division III institutions, and one from the NAIA. University of Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville will serve as the organization’s president for 2015. Rodriguez, who previously served on the board from 2002-10, takes over as third vice-president.
McMartin is in line to eventually become president, provided he remains a Division III head coach.
“We’re extremely excited for Jeff to have this opportunity,” said athletics director Eric Van Kley. “Not only is this recognition for his coaching success on the field, but for his leadership and character off the field. This is a tremendous honor, both for him and for Central College and we’re proud to have him represent us on the AFCA’s board of trustees.”
McMartin is active in the organization. He’s spent six years on the AFCA’s 31-member Division III head coaches’ council, including the past three years as chair. He also served for three years on the rules committee and is a member of the publicity committee, voting on the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. At the AFCA Convention he’s been a presenter for the graduate assistants panel and a breakout session speaker. This week he spoke on “Football Operations without an FCS-size Budget: Approaches in Recruiting, Travel and Calendar Management.”
Nonetheless, McMartin was caught off guard by the announcement.
“I was pleasantly surprised and humbled,” he said. “I had no idea coming here that this was going to happen. It’s a tremendous honor, but with that honor comes responsibility. I’m really excited about the opportunity to serve the organization and promote the game of football, as well as represent Central College, the Iowa Conference and Division III.”
McMartin said that the AFCA meant a lot to Schipper, who ranks among the winningest coaches in college football history with a 287-67-3 career mark from 1961-96, 18 Iowa Conference titles and 12 NCAA Division III playoff berths. He died in 2006.
“Coach Schipper would be tickled by this,” McMartin said. “I plan to I can represent Central, our program, and also Coach Schipper in a way that he would be proud of.
“The AFCA has meant a lot to Central College and it’s a tremendous honor to serve on the board. It’s neat that someone who played for Coach Schipper, was a student coach, and now the head coach at the school he cared so much about, would represent Central on the AFCA board.
“When (executive director) Grant Teaff told me I was on the board, Coach Schipper was the first person who came to my mind.”
McMartin notes that Central has also had two coaches win the AFCA’s Division III Assistant of the Year Award, retired assistant Dick Bowzer (2008) and current defensive coordinator Don De Waard (2000).
A 1990 Central grad, McMartin recently completed his 11th season as head coach, piloting the Dutch to an 8-2 mark and a second-place finish in the Iowa Conference. He’s compiled an 87-29 (.750) record, leading Central to four league titles and four NCAA playoff berths. Prior to his return to Central, McMartin earned a master’s degree at Wake Forest University (N.C.), where he served as a graduate assistant coach from 1990-92. He was later an assistant at Illinois Wesleyan University (1992-94), the University of Rochester (N.Y.) (1994-95) and Beloit College (Wis.) (1995-2000) before becoming offensive coordinator at DePauw University (Ind.) (2000-03). He’s a three-time conference coach of the year (2005, 2006, 2007) and was named an AFCA Division III regional coach of the year in 2007. His Central squads have posted three undefeated regular seasons, with a 28-game regular-season win streak from 2006-08.
Todd Berry of the University of Louisiana-Monroe is the new AFCA first vice-president and Lee Owens of Ashland University is second vice-president. Other returning board members include Frank Solich, Ohio University; Bill Cronin, Georgetown College (Ky.); Mike Riley, University of Nebraska; Gary Patterson, Texas Christian University; David Bailiff, Rice University; Mark Richt, University of Georgia; Fredenburg; Turner Gill, Liberty University; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern University; Craig Bohl, University of Wyoming; Bronco Mendenhall, Brigham Young University; Todd Knight, Ouachita Baptist University; David Cutcliffe, Duke University; and Dale Lennon, Southern Illinois University. Ex officio members include Bobby Kennedy, University of Iowa, chair of the Assistant Coaches Committee; Dino Babers, Bowling Green State University, chair of the Minority Issues Committee and Sam Knopik, The Pembroke High School (Mo.), chair of the High School Committee. Teaff serves as secretary-treasurer.
McMartin is excited about using his position to grow as a coach.
“It’s a chance to get to know and work with some really outstanding coaches,” he said. “It’s nice to be in an environment where I can get to know them better. It’s a great board with some tremendous coaches.”
