Alabama A&M Athletics

As both a coach and an administrator, James Martin enjoyed a long and successful career in collegiate athletics.

Following a successful coaching career at Tuskegee, where he led the Golden Tigers to numerous baseball and football conference championships, Martin made the move to athletics administration, which in 1996 led to a return to his alma mater when he was hired as Alabama A&M's Director of Athletics.

During his 10-year tenure as Alabama A&M's Director of Athletics, Martin led the Athletic Department through an era of growth and prosperity as AAMU made the transition to NCAA Division I membership.

By building a strong network of contacts, Martin was extremely successful in raising funds for Alabama A&M Athletics through sponsorships and promotions, which helped expand the resources available to the university's student-athletes.

Martin also initiated a publicity campaign for the annual Athletics Department Golf Tournament to help gain more cooperate sponsorships.

Martin founded the Athletics Community Support Group, which assisted fans to travel and cheer for the Bulldogs at events both on and away from campus.

While Alabama A&M was making the transition to NCAA Division I membership, Martin expanded the Athletic Department and its staff to meet the needs necessary to be competitive at a higher level. Martin implemented and staffed a full-time office for Academic Enhancement, a full-time Compliance Office, a Sports Medicine staff, CHAMPS and Life Skills.

Martin also was instrumental in expanding Alabama A&M's media and community presence. During his tenure, Martin implemented the Bulldog Talk radio show, the AAMU Basketball Review television show, AAMU Day in the Mall and AAMU Day at Costco. Martin also was able to schedule Alabama A&M in the Circle City Classic, John Merritt Classic, CRSA Classic and St. Louis Gateway Classic.

Through Martin's fundraising efforts, Alabama A&M enjoyed several facility upgrades. Martin initiated the construction of the new baseball and softball fields, a new Officials' Lockerroom at Louis Crews Stadium, a new women's soccer field, a women's volleyball lockerroom and a new football practice field complete with lights and an operable scoreboard.

Before returning to his alma mater as Director of Athletics, Martin enjoyed a very-successful collegiate coaching career.

While coaching baseball at Tuskegee, Martin led the Golden Tigers to 10 SIAC championships while placing three pitchers in Major League Baseball. Martin was named SIAC Baseball Coach of the Year seven times.

After spending 13 seasons as an assistant football coach at Tuskegee, Martin was promoted to head coach, where he won two SIAC championships in 1987 and 1991. In 1998, Martin made the move to athletics administration when he was hired as Tuskegee's Director of Athletics. Martin also served as an athletic director at South Carolina State and Long Island University before returning to Alabama A&M in 1996.