Basketball fans in Kentucky got an unfortunate wakeup today as former Morehead State basketball coach Wayne Martin passed away. He was 79 years old.
Martin served as head coach of the Eagles from 1978 to 1987, leading the team to their first-ever Ohio Valley Conference tournament titles in 1983 and 1984, and to their first NCAA Tournament win in two decades.
Over his nine seasons, Martin would go 130-120 overall. His 130 wins rank fourth in school history.
Following his coaching career, Martin went into broadcasting. He worked at a variety of major broadcast networks including WYMT and WKYT for decades, becoming a general manager and vice president over his two decades in the industry.
Earlier this year, Morehead State broke ground on the new Martin Hall campus residence hall and has raised funds for a substantial scholarship in his name.
Coach Cal speaks
Taking to X on Saturday, Arkansas head coach John Calipari – who previously coached at Kentucky for 15 years – paid tribute to Martin. He said that the two worked closely while Martin was general manager of WYMT and helped organize charity telethons with him. Coach Call called Martin “a great friend” and offered his prayers to Martin’s family.
“Wayne Martin, former Head basketball Coach at Morehead has passed away. We worked closely with him when he was WYMT General Manager as we organized multiple telethons for charity that raised millions of dollars. He became a great friend. Praying for him and his family,” Calipari wrote on X.
Martin’s passing has also been marked by members of the Morehead State administration, people from the many media companies he worked for and other basketball people who were part of his life.
Our hearts go out to Martin’s family and loved ones.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Aug 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
