SAN ANGELO, TX — The San Angelo Central Bobcats announced Jacob Martin will be the Bobcats' new Defensive Coordinator for the upcoming 2023 football season. After Coach Joshua Willis, the previous defensive coordinator, left Central to become the head coach at Hughes Springs High School, the Bobcats filled a void that needed to be filled.
Jacob Martin spent the last seven seasons at the University of Texas Permian Basin as one of their top defensive guys. In 2022 he was the Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach. As coach of the Falcons, Martin coached All-American and two-time Lone Star Conference Linebacker of the Year Chris Hoad, who finished his career as the LSC all-time leader in tackles with 526, as well as Keegan Gray, a three-time Lone Star Conference Honorable Mention.
Before he coached the Falcons in Odessa, Martin spent five seasons in Stephenville with Tarleton State alongside Head Coach Justin Carrigan. Martin spent his first two seasons as a graduate assistant coach working with the secondary. In 2012 he coached the defensive ends before moving back to coach the secondary again for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
The college coach says he is ready to make the transition down into Texas High School Football. “This is something that I’ve always dreamed of since I finished playing football. My path never led here as far as being a high school coach. I was always a college coach, so I took those opportunities, but when I saw this opportunity come up, I jumped at it,” he said.
Martin certainly did not need to leave the college game. Even after UTPB hired a new coach this off-season, Martin certainly could have found another job in college football, but he thinks high school football is where he is supposed to be.
“Knowing that at this level, you get to reach kids in a different way before they get to (college). You get to, hopefully, help a lot more kids reach their goals, whether it’s in football or off the field, than what I was able to do before at UTPB,” Martin continued.
When asked why Central? Coach Martin said, “The pride in Central football reminds me of where I grew up in Celina. I told my wife that being in San Angelo also reminds me of our time in Stephenville.” With a laugh, he added, “Well, a bit bigger than Stephenville, but the way the support is, it still has the small-town feel to it.”
Coach Martin has an excellent background in high school football. He played his high school ball at Celina under legendary coach G.A. Moore, the winningest coach in Texas High School football history. Martin won three state titles with Celina before he graduated. He played college football at MSU Texas for two seasons before transferring to Trinity Valley Community College, where he was a 2-time JUCO All-American.
Coach Jacob Martin
(Credit: utpbfalcons.com)
Moving forward, Martin is exactly what the Bobcats need on defense. Over the past few seasons, Central’s high-octane offense put their defense in tough spots at times with how quickly they scored. In the classic Big 12 problem, defense became secondary to the offense if said offense could continue to score. The Bobcats ran into a meat grinder last year when their offense faltered. There were several games where a few stops here and there would have changed the outcomes of some of the games.
Hopefully, Martin can change the Bobcats’ defensive identity. Central never lacks athletes on either side of the football, so the new coach finds this opportunity exciting.
“I think the way we did things at UTPB, the confidence, and the way you carry yourself as a coach rubs off on your players. It will take time for them to trust me, and the same for me to them. But once we build that trust in each other, we will be able to do great things.” Martin continued with praise for the talent at Central, “There’s a lot of talent here (in San Angelo), especially at the lower levels. There are some really good-looking kids here. Hopefully, we can get them to play fast and play hard.”
Central will need all the help they can get for the upcoming 2023 season. The Bobcats graduate many of their offensive weapons this season, including Angelo State commit Tyler Hill and several of their leaders on defense. With that said Head Coach Kevin Crane enters year three with a solid hire in Jacob Martin. Time will tell how the Bobcats progress, but spring football is just around the corner.
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