Kentucky Adds Chuck Martin to 2023-24 Coaching Staff

Martin reunites with Calipari after three years together in Memphis.

Kentucky basketball and head coach John Calipari have officially rounded out the Wildcats' coaching staff ahead of the 2023-24 season. 

On Thursday afternoon, Chuck Martin was announced as UK's final assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, a couple of weeks after reports indicated the former Oregon assistant was headed to Lexington. 

“Chuck is a veteran in this profession who will be a great benefit to our team and staff,” Calipari said in a press release. “He has ties not only to me when we were on staff at Memphis together but also to several other members of our staff. Chuck is an established coach who will be our assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, looking to open new doors to make our successful recruiting even stronger.”

From 2006-08, Martin was an assistant at Memphis while Calipari was still the head coach of the Tigers. That's just one of eight stops in the coaching career of the San Juan, Puerto Rico native who grew up in the Bronx, N.Y.

A Monmouth graduate, Martin's first stop came at Manhattan, which came from 1999-2000. Then came a quick stop at UMass until 2001, followed by a stint at Drexel from 01-04 under current UK assistant Bruiser Flint. His final pitstop before Memphis was at St. John's from 04-06.

Martin left Memphis for his first and only head coaching job, which came in Dutchess County, N.Y. at Marist. He lasted five seasons, but managed just a 41-118 record and was fired in 2013.

He then scouted for the Oklahoma City Thunder, then came back to the college ranks as an assistant under Tom Crean at Indiana, where he stayed from 2014-17. He then made a move to the SEC in 2017, joining Frank Martin's staff at South Carolina, where he was an assistant until 2021, then an associate head coach for an additional season.

Martin joined Dana Altman's staff in Eugene last season, but is once again on the move, reuniting with Calipari. 

“I’m extremely excited to be reunited with Coach Cal,” Martin said. “I’m looking forward to joining his tremendous staff and being a part of something greater than myself.”

Per UK's release, "Martin will be tasked with providing strategies to help advance the program while offering additional counsel on all aspects of the program including recruiting, scouting, player development and special projects as assigned by the head coach. As recruiting coordinator, he will independently manage official and unofficial visits and be responsible for all recruiting strategy for the program."

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