New athletic director Jack Hayes called Friday "an exciting day for the athletic department and an exciting day for the men's basketball program" as he introduced Mike Martin '04 as the team's incoming head coach.
Martin, who is coming off of a six-year stint as an assistant coach of the men's basketball team at Penn, will be returning to his basketball roots at the Pizzitola Center, where he previously played and coached.
"It's a tremendous honor for me to be back at Brown," Martin said at the afternoon press conference announcing his naming.
Martin began his collegiate coaching career in 2005, serving as an assistant under former Brown men's basketball Head Coach Glen Miller for a season before moving with Miller to Penn.
He also enjoyed a storied playing career as a Bear, starting all four seasons and co-captaining his senior squad. The 2004 graduates left Providence as one of Bruno's finest men's basketball classes - they compiled a 39-17 Ivy League record over four seasons, including a 12-2 mark in the 2002-2003 season that led to a National Invitational Tournament berth. After graduation, Martin went to Ireland, where he played professionally in the country's top league for a season.
Martin, who becomes the fourth youngest head coach in Division I men's basketball, will replace Jesse Agel as head coach. Agel's contract was not renewed after last season's conclusion. The Bears registered a disappointing 2-12 Ivy record in the 2011-2012 campaign. In his four-year stint as head coach, Agel registered a 39-79 overall and a 14-42 Ivy record.
The search for a new coach lasted six weeks, according to Hayes.
Though Martin said it is bittersweet to be "leaving behind a group of guys I care deeply about" at Penn, he said he is ready to put in the hard work to reestablish Brown as a premier Ivy squad.
Current players and alumni expressed excitement about the new coach's potential impact on the program.
"He's young enough that he'll be able to recruit well, and he has enough experience to be able to be a good coach," said former captain Peter Sullivan '11.
Martin's experience with the program should help him, co-captain Matt Sullivan '13 said. "It's a new wave of excitement," he added.
"It's always good to keep it in the Brown family," Peter Sullivan said, adding that Martin's knowledge of the Ivy League from his time at Penn will also prove beneficial.
This coming season could mark a turning point for the young program, with the new coach taking over an experienced squad with many returning players, Matt Sullivan said. "We only lost one senior, so we have pretty much everything," he said.
"I think they're going to be good this year," Peter Sullivan said. "It will be a fun season to watch."
