Mike Martin faced the challenges of NFL defenders as a wide receiver for the Bengals from 1983 through ’89, including the Bengals’ last super bowl team in 1988. But perhaps his biggest challenge came when he was named head football coach at Taft High School in 2002. The Senators failed to field a football team in 2001 after only a handful of players showed up for workouts, and had only one victory in the previous three seasons.

In four years, Martin has not only revived the program, he has turned it into an area powerhouse. After three years of rebuilding, the Taft Senators finished the 2005 season with a record of 8-2, and the football program now fields teams on the Freshman, Junior Varsity and Varsity levels with more than 80 student-athletes competing. Along the way Martin has been named SOPL Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2005, and the Cincinnati Enquirer Coach of the Year, Southwest Ohio Coach of the Year and the Ohio Coach of the Year in Division III, all in 2005.

Since his arrival Coach Martin has emphasized more than football. He has implemented a system that provides students with tutors, mentors, and weekly progress reports. As a result, more students are thinking about college, the graduation rate has increased, and there are more extra curricular activities for students to be involved in.

For his dedication to his players and their education, his community, and his overall commitment to being more than just a football coach, Mike Martin is the 2005 recipient of the Marvin Lewis Coach of the Year Award.