Profile: Jose "Chuck" Martin, Assistant Coach

Jose "Chuck" Martin

Position: Assistant Coach
Alma Mater: Monmouth '93

Another native New Yorker on St. John's head coach Norm Roberts' staff, assistant coach Jose "Chuck" Martin is entering his seventh season in the college ranks and his second on the St. John's bench.

A key recruiter on the St. John's staff, Martin played a major role in helping the Red Storm bring in fresh talent - first when Roberts and his staff took the reins and then over the course of the past season when the team's needs were assessed.

Martin came to St. John's after spending three seasons as an assistant coach at Drexel University. Martin was involved in all aspects of the Drexel basketball program, including national recruiting, working with the team's guards on skill development, scouting and game preparation.

In his three years at Drexel, the Dragons reached the conference championship game once, and made two postseason appearances. Martin played a major role in the development of point guard Eric Schmieder, an All-Colonial Athletic Association performer, and also helped recruit and develop Bashire Mason, who was named the league's defensive player of the year. It was the first time a freshman had won the award in the CAA.

Prior to working at Drexel, Martin worked with head coach James "Bruiser" Flint at Massachusetts during the 2000-01 season, when the Minutemen advanced to the Atlantic 10 conference championship game.

Martin began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Manhattan College during the 1999-00 season under Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez. Martin's strong roots in New York City helped land all conference players Mussy Green, Jared Johnson and 2004 NBA second round draft pick Luis Flores. Those three players helped earn the Jaspers a reputation as one of the top mid-major programs in the country over the last several years.

On The Way Up

Before he started his career in college coaching, Martin established strong relationships on the East Coast with several of the top high schools, prep schools and AAU coaches as the camp director for the Eastern Invitational Basketball Camp.

The Bronx native has close ties to the New York City basketball community, working as an assistant coach at national-powers St. Raymond's and LaSalle Academy. Martin was an assistant at LaSalle from 1993-95, when he worked with former St. John's standout Ron Artest, as well as future NBA player Shamgod Wells. While coaching at St. Ray's, Martin tutored former NBA center Ernest Brown, All America and Virginia standout Majestic Mapp.

Martin, who played at St. Raymond's for three years, was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1998.

Martin attended Champlain (Vt.) Junior College, where he captained a pair of NJCAA tournament teams, before completing his career at Monmouth University. At Monmouth, Martin played the point guard position and averaged 7.1 points and 2.0 assists for his career. Martin is a 1993 graduate of Monmouth with a degree in communications.

Martin and his wife Lee have three children, an eight-year old daughter, Ashley-Monet, two sons, Jordan (3) and Justin, born Feb. 3, 2005.