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Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
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Copyright © 2002 Express Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 


For the week of May 21 - 27, 2003

Sports

Dale Martin is
WR’s new grid coach

After a two-month search


By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer

For a retired guy, Dale Martin keeps pretty busy. At 64, he’s got energy to burn and a strong desire to be involved with young people and sports.

And now, after a career of coaching that dates back to 1962, Hailey resident Martin has his first head coaching job.

Martin was hired Thursday as Wood River High School’s new football coach. He replaces John Blackman, who resigned Jan. 27 after 12 seasons as Wolverine head football coach.

Dale Martin. Wood River’s new varsity football coach. Express photo by Jeff Cordes

He started immediately to assemble a staff, make plans for a summer football camp and introduce himself to prospective Wood River football players and their families.

"We’re six to eight weeks behind schedule right now," said Martin, whose first scheduled game is Sept. 5 against Wendell at Phil Homer Field.

But Martin is very familiar with the Wood River program. He’s been an assistant coach to Blackman for four seasons starting in 1999. Last fall Martin was defensive coordinator.

The Wood River head coaching job paid $3,700 last year. Martin made $2,400 as assistant. The staff includes three coaches at the varsity level, two JV and two freshmen.

In fact, Martin has done many things for the Blaine County School District since he and his wife Marti moved to Hailey from Seattle after selling their business there in 1996.

"The amount of work Dale Martin has done for the school district is unbelievable," said Wood River High School athletic director Ron Martinez.

For the last two years Martin has been in charge of athletic maintenance and athletic equipment at the high school.

He has been assistant softball coach at Wood River since 1998 and has developed young softball players in the Silver Foxes summer program. Since arriving in Hailey, he has worked for the Blaine County Recreation District taking care of ball fields and running the umpire program in summer.

"I believe in getting involved. That’s what I do," said Martin. "Marti and I weren’t ready to retire when we sold our company in Seattle in 1996. But someone made us an offer we couldn’t refuse."

He wanted the Wood River head football job, Martin said. "It’s a new beginning for the program and for me," he said. "I’m a big believer in positive reinforcement. And I want to make this program something everybody can be proud of."

Martin’s hiring, finalized Thursday night, completed a two-month search process by an 11-member committee of Blaine County School District teachers, community members and student representatives.

Martinez said the committee spent 30 hours interviewing nine candidates and assessing the results. The nine candidates included six from Idaho and three from out of state.

Most prominent and one involved until the final selection night was Tom Harrison, current coach of the powerhouse Snake River (Moreland) Panthers football program.

Harrison’s Panthers have won an Idaho record 54 straight games and five straight State 3A championships including last November’s 44-14 trouncing of Weiser in Boise. Snake River was 12-0 last year.

Because of his glittering record, the committee closely scrutinized Harrison, but the Snake River coach made some requests that the school district couldn’t meet, Martinez said.

"We felt we’d get a coach out of the original five we interviewed, and Dale was one of those five," said Martinez.

"Dale fits all the things we were looking for in a coach. He can prepare the kids to move up to the next division. He is someone who is sensitive to our kids and someone who can motivate them to be champs."

Other candidates were Shawn Scow, coach of the State 1A champion Castleford Wolves who elected to take an assistant football/basketball coaching job at 3A Payette High School; Parma football coach Mike Olson; and Ryan Fleischman, former assistant coach to Layne Coffin at Century High School.

Completing the list were Ray Kroth from Utah, Cal Szubner from Tillamook, Oregon and Mike Voit from Washington. Wood River High School freshman football coach Rick Ambrosi was also interviewed.

As school recesses for the summer May 30, Martin will get next year’s grid players ready to attend a Montana State University summer camp June 15-18. "We took 22 last year. We’d like to take as many as we can this year," he said.

The high school weight room will be open Mondays through Fridays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. throughout the summer, he said. Small groups will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays to throw the ball around.

Martin said he will make some changes in the staff and also in offensive tactics—which means Blackman’s double-wing power running attack will probably be a thing of the past.

"My philosophy is I want to throw the football," said Martin. "I believe you do fewer things on the football field—and you do them well. I believe in a trick play or two. It forces the opponent to prepare for it."

He added, "There are three parts to football—offense, defense and special teams. If you win two of the three, you win the football game. Special teams are very important.

"We will never walk on the field when we don’t think we’ll be successful. As a staff, nobody will out-work us. We will be prepared and we’ll spend a lot of time looking at film.

"After every game we’ll have a reception for the parents that the athletes will attend. And I’ll address the reception.

"I just want pride with our kids. And I want to get the community behind the team. This is a Wood River Valley team, after all, and we need the community’s support.

"I want a successful program where the kids will play hard, do their best and give me 100%. Then we’ll be fine."

On the selection committee were Martinez, high school principal Graham Hume and high school teachers Jeff Larson and Keith Jacobson; Tom Bailey and Chris Malmgren from Wood River Middle School; students Matt Pruett and Dustin Selner; and community members Pete Kramer, John Koth and Sandy Sanders.

 

 

About Dale Martin


Born—June 28, 1938 at Fullerton, Ca. Grew up in Bakersfield. Graduated from Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, Ca. in 1957.

Age—64.

College—Earned an athletic scholarship to Whittier College in Whittier, Ca. where he participated in football, track. Graduated from Whittier in 1961 with a degree in physical education.

Business experience—First big job: Physical Education Director at La Habra (Ca.) Boys Club in 1963. Martin worked in athletic supply for seven years at La Habra. Moved to Seattle in 1971. Worked for Growing Green Interiors, an interior plantscape company in Seattle, from 1973-96. Was general manager/owner from 1983-96.

What you don’t know about Martin—Qualified for the 1960 Olympic trials in the 200-meter dash and was the Whittier College track captain in 1961….Played men’s major fast-pitch softball.

Coaching experience—Martin said, "I have coached at all levels from youth to adult. I have coached women’s softball, youth league basketball, baseball and football at both the junior high and high school level. And I have experience as an athletic trainer dealing with injuries…I feel my strengths are dealing with people and coaching."

Family—Wife Martha "Marti" Isaacson Martin is completing her first year as attendance secretary at Wood River High School. The couple’s son Jeff Martin, 26, is a Sun Valley policeman. He is married to Kristin and they have three children: Brett, 9; Adele, 3; and Cameron, 2. Dale also has two children from his first marriage: Greg Martin of Seattle and Elisa Martin Tafolla of San Bernardino, Ca.

Hobbies—Dale said, "Jeff and I do a lot of duck hunting and fishing."

 

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