Chuck Martin reunites with John Calipari on Kentucky basketball coaching staff
LEXINGTON, Ky. — John Calipari took a page from his past as he continues to fill out Kentucky's coaching staff ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Calipari named Chuck Martin as an assistant Thursday, leaving just one more coaching spot open on his staff ahead of the 2023-24 season. Martin held the same role at Oregon last season.
“I’m extremely excited to be reunited with Coach Cal,” Martin, who worked on Calipari's Memphis staff for three seasons (2006-08), said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to joining his tremendous staff and being a part of something greater than myself.”
Martin replaces former assistant K.T. Turner, who spent one season with the Wildcats before leaving to become the new head coach at University of Texas at Arlington. Martin's role includes on-court coaching as well as off-campus recruiting.
“Chuck is a veteran in this profession who will be a great benefit to our team and staff,” Calipari said. “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.”
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A recent NCAA rule change, already in effect, allows schools to add two full-time assistants who can provide on-court instruction and fulfill other coaching duties, but they are not permitted to take part in off-campus recruiting. One of those spots already has been filled: Calipari hired former NBA assistant John Welch on May 22. The other position remains open.
As a recruiter, Martin is credited with helping Oregon land five-star forward Kwame Evans Jr. last year.
The most notable player Martin signed during his coaching career is OG Anunoby, who played at Indiana from 2015-17. Selected with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft by Toronto, Anunoby was a member of the Raptors' championship team during the 2018-19 season. He led the NBA in steals per game (1.9) during the 2022-23 regular season. Those efforts earned Anunoby a spot on the NBA All-Defensive second team.
Martin not only is back at Calipari's side; he's back in the SEC after a single season on the West Coast.
He was an assistant for five seasons (2017-22) at South Carolina under Frank Martin (no relation). In his final season with the Gamecocks, Chuck Martin was the team's associate head coach.
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Prior to joining South Carolina, he was an assistant at Indiana for three seasons (2014-17), a period in which the Hoosiers reached the NCAA tournament twice and captured the Big Ten regular-season title (2016) under coach Tom Crean. Martin was a scout for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2013-14 NBA season.
Martin served as Marist's head coach for five seasons (2008 to 2013). He struggled mightily, going 41-118 overall (21-69 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play), including a 1-29 campaign in 2009-10.
Martin also had assistant coaching stints at St. John’s (2004-06), Drexel (2001-04), UMass (2000-01) and Manhattan (1999-2000).
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball: John Calipari hires Chuck Martin as UK assistant
