Kyle Martin recently completed his fifth season as the head coach of the Purchase College men's basketball team in 2019-20.
Over the past five seasons, Martin has amassed an 82-53 (.607) overall record and guided the Panthers to the Skyline Conference Playoffs each year, including four-straight seasons with a conference tournament semifinal finish or better.
Martin has lead the team to eight wins over regionally-ranked opponents during the past four seasons and recorded a 16-7 record in one-possession games during his tenure with the Panthers. He has also recruited seven all-conference selections, one conference player of the year and one conference defensive player of the year.
This past season (2019-20), Martin led the Panthers to an 18-10 record, captured the Skyline Conference North Division Regular Season title and reached as high as #4 in the NCAA Atlantic Region rankings. The Panthers won two playoff games before falling to No. 8 nationally-ranked Yeshiva University (29-1) in the Skyline Conference Championship game. The team defeated two 20-win regionally ranked opponents (Potsdam and Gwynedd Mercy) to win the York College Invitational and snapped Hamilton College's 34-game non-conference winning streak in December. Martin also improved his all-time record to 5-0 versus across-street rival Manhattanville College with two double-digit wins.
Off the court, the program continued to do numerous community service activities - including creating the Red Kettle Challenge - where the team rang the Salvation Army Red Kettle bells for every win during the holiday season. The team also partnered with the
Go4theGoal organization by donating money and wearing gold laces during a playoff game for the
Lace Up for Pediatric Cancer Initiative.
In Martin's fourth season (2018-19), the Panthers finished 16-11 overall and capped a memorable year with a berth in the Skyline Conference Semifinals. The team defeated Sarah Lawrence College in the opening round, before falling at Farmingdale State in the semifinals.
Martin stepped into the 2018-19 season having lost four all-conference and top-scoring performers after they graduated in May 2018. However, a strong recruiting class and solid core of returners saw the program record another notable campaign, including a home playoff game after winning eight of their final nine games. During the regular season, the team defeated two regionally-ranked opponents and had two student-athletes (Elijah Lott and Willie Britton) earn Skyline All-Conference distinction.
Off the court, the Panthers had two players achieve a 4.0 GPA and four others achieve over a 3.0 GPA. The team also did a numerous community service activities. One of note was their adoption of Danny McManus through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation. Danny is a local 12-year-old boy who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2017. Members of the team visited Danny at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, presenting him with a jersey and other items, while keeping in contact with him throughout the season.
In Martin’s third season (2017-18), Purchase finished with an 18-9 record and a spot in the Skyline Conference Championship game. The 2017-18 season also marked the first win over a nationally-ranked team in the program's history. The victory came against No. 14 Wesleyan University and gained national attention as the buzzer-beater ending climbed to No. 1 on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top-10 Plays.
Members of Martin’s first recruiting class developed into Skyline Conference Player of the Year (Deshawn Cann) and Skyline Conference Defensive Player of the Year (Tarik Allicock); while Cann and Nikeem Deleon earned All-Conference honors.
The team also thrived off the court, with over half of the squad achieving over a 3.0 GPA. The program under Martin also did numerous community events, including volunteering their time at college day at two separate New York City schools.
Martin’s second season (2016-17) ended with a 17-10 mark and a berth in the Skyline Conference Semifinals, after defeating Yeshiva University in the tournament first round.
Along the way, Purchase led the Skyline Conference in scoring and picked up key wins against the defending SUNYAC Champion Cortland State, New York University and rival Manhattanville College.
Martin guided two players to all-conference recognition, both members of his first full recruiting class (Brian Berrios and Cann).
Martin's first season in Panther blue and orange yielded a 13-13 record, which was a four-game improvement from the previous campaign and a Skyline Conference playoff berth. The Panthers finished the regular season with a 10-5 record after a 3-7 start. Off the court, the team had four Skyline Conference Academic Honor Roll members (Kalyn Credle, Max Pearce, Michael Soffer and Julian Wright).
Prior to Purchase, Martin was the top assistant coach at Morrisville State College, guiding the heralded program to three outstanding winter campaigns, most notably two North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Tournament Championships and one regular season title. Martin also assisted in guiding Morrisville State to two-straight NCAA Division III Championship Tournament appearances, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2012-13, and the Elite 8 in 2013-14. Both seasons remain the best in school history.
At Morrisville State, he coached six to all-conference distinction, two players to all-region honors and four to 1,000-point scorer status. The team went 23-6 in 2012-13 and finished No. 20 in the D3Hoops.com rankings. The following season, 2013-14, Morrisville State recorded a 22-9 mark and the highest D3Hoops.com ranking in program history – No. 16 – after advancing to the Elite 8.
Before joining Morrisville State, Martin served as an assistant coach at Hamilton College. As a member of the highly-competitive NESCAC, the Continentals appeared in the conference tournament quarterfinals and had a D3Hoops.com all-region player in his one season as an assistant.
The Tully, NY native was a two-time all-section basketball player at Tully High School where he still remains among the all-time leaders in points scored and three-pointers made.
Martin briefly attended and played basketball at Hudson Valley Community College, before transferring to the University at Albany where he earned his undergraduate degree in sociology. While at Albany, he was a member of the lacrosse team that won two America East Conference Championships and appeared in two NCAA Division I Tournaments.
He later earned his Master's in organizational leadership from Mercy College. In addition, he currently holds a New York State Basketball Coaching Certification from SUNY Cortland and is a member of the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY). Martin resides in White Plains, NY with his wife Kelly and son Jack.
