Sports

Martin joins DCB coaching staff

By Tyler Ohmann

07/16/2013

The Dakota College at Bottineau baseball team has new leadership.

Travis Martin, a 2011 DCB graduate, has accepted the position of head baseball coach, replacing Eric Kester-Mabon, who resigned in May.

Martin, who will also teach, be an assistant football coach and a hall director, recently graduated from Mayville State University.

“I just expressed an interest and went forward talking with Scott Johnson with what I think and how good I think we can be,” Martin said. “Then it turned into a job offer.”

Martin will inherit a team that went 3-18 in a weather-shortened season.

“I don’t see any reason why we can’t compete in our region,” Martin said. “We’re always going to go out and play those two Montana teams and we’re going to struggle, and that’s OK, but when we come to our region tournament and we’re playing people on our level, I don’t think it should be a foregone conclusion that Bottineau is just going to come and lose two games and go home.”

Martin hopes to bring a long coaching stint that will help rebuild the program.

“The nice part is that I can offer longevity to build up the program and get it to a certain level,” Martin said. “I’m excited about the idea of getting the reins to a head coaching position.”

Martin, who played football and baseball at DCB and then went on to play football at Mayville, said his experience with a new head coach at Mayville will help him as a new coach for DCB.

“What I think is kind of cool is that when I went to Mayville and played football I was there with a first-year coach, and it was a similar situation with here, a team that wasn’t in the winning ways,” Martin said. “I got advice on what were the ways of going from where you are to where you want to be.”

“So I got to see that firsthand as a player, so I can apply similar things when I’m on the other side of that,” Martin added.

Martin’s plan will be to add depth to the roster to foster competition for playings spots. Due to a variety of reasons, Martin was one of 10 players when he played for the Jacks back in 2011, and he wants to have more players on his team.

“I’d like to increase that every year we are between 16 and 20 players,” Martin said. “Just that depth alone creates competition and competition creates better results.”

He hopes that recruiting and retention will be major tenets to his reign as coach.

“I’m big into getting quality kids who have an interest in walking across the stage in May as well as playing for me,” Martin said. “This year we might have to open it up to anyone who wants to play, because this year we’re looking at 12 guys on our team, and talking to a few more.”

“Beyond this year though I’d like to have a set roster where people can come and try and get on, but it’s going to be pretty tough,” Martin added.
Martin believes he’s always had what it takes to be a coach, and it will help him have the right mindset for the Jacks.

“In football and baseball I’ve always known what to do better than I can do it,” Martin said. “I’ve always had that coaches mentality, and I do intend to go to as many coaching clinics and seminars as possible, because I don’t want this to be just an extra title for the sake of being a title.”

“I want to make this program aspire to the levels of let’s say where the hockey program is, where you know they’re going to be a contender every single season,” Martin added.

He hopes to curb his lack of coaching experience by introducing an increased fall game schedule to prepare not only the players, but himself as well for the spring season.

“Essentially I’m starting from square one with coaching, with baseball,” Martin said. “So, I really want to push as many fall games as we can, where win or lose, it doesn’t really matter, because as much as it’s practice for the players to play, it’s practice for me to coach.”

Jim Berube will be his assistant. Martin also got a lot of advice from Kester-Mabon, who is still with the college until August.

“Coach Kester-Mabon has been very helpful since he’s still here through August,” Martin said. “He’s helped me with the ins and outs on the day to day and how to recruit.”

Martin will also coach wide receivers and quarterbacks on the football team this fall.