Martinez to Coach Defensive Secondary
Oklahoma hires Wiilie Martinez as secondary coach: Willie Martinez has been named the new defensive backs coach at Oklahoma. OU Head Coach Bob Stoops made the announcement today and the move is pending approval of the university's board of regents.
As part of the move, assistant head coach Bobby Jack Wright, who has been on the Sooner staff since 1999, will move from the secondary to coaching OU's defensive ends. He previously coached the defensive ends from 1999-2004 when the program produced five All-Big 12 players at the position.
Martinez was defensive backs coach at Georgia from 2000-09, and was the defensive coordinator from 2005-09.
"Willie is an outstanding coach and someone with a tremendous background in our profession," Stoops said. "His experience is very impressive and he will contribute a lot of very good things to our program. And not only is he fine secondary coach, he's a good recruiter with ties in Florida and a number of other places."
Stoops said past visits with Georgia's staff familiarized him with Martinez.
"Our staffs had been together exchanging ideas and I was impressed with Willie," Stoops said. "In those meetings you not only get a feel for how well someone knows the game, but their ability to communicate and interact with other people, and Willie was a guy that represented himself and his school very well."
The admiration is mutual from Martinez.
"Bob has won so many games and so many championships there that I am just very humbled to be part of that staff," Martinez said. "I was there in 1985 with Miami so I've experienced it myself. I love history and tradition and I go back to my childhood and that Oklahoma name was just always the tops. And it still is thanks to what Bob and his staff have done.
"I've known Bob back to his K-State days and I've known all of those guys on the defensive side of the ball. It's an outstanding group of men and that's what makes this such an attractive job."
The big-play potential and the responsibility of the secondary are the aspects of secondary coaching that most appeal to Martinez.
"We're the last line of defense and you've got to have a good group of athletes who can handle that pressure," he said. "You're going to have a direct impact on every play. You have to have some swagger and the ability to shake off the bad play. I know that a game is almost always going to come down to who plays the best in the secondary and I like that."
Martinez doesn't mind either that the head coach, Stoops, has a background of coaching defensive backs.
"Bob's experience with defensive backs is something that I really like and I want him being around us in practice," he said. "His input is invaluable, but his presence also is a sign to our players that there is a good emphasis on our position."
Before going to Georgia, Martinez served three years as secondary coach and one as assistant head coach at Central Michigan.
During his nine years at UGA, he was part of a staff that led Georgia to 90 victories, two SEC championships, three SEC Eastern Division titles, seven bowl victories, and six top ten finishes in the final national polls including No. 2 in 2007 and No. 3 in 2002. (SoonerSports.com)
Related:
OU Hires Martinez as Defensive Assistant
As part of the move, assistant head coach Bobby Jack Wright, who has been on the Sooner staff since 1999, will move from the secondary to coaching OU's defensive ends. He previously coached the defensive ends from 1999-2004 when the program produced five All-Big 12 players at the position.
Martinez was defensive backs coach at Georgia from 2000-09, and was the defensive coordinator from 2005-09.
"Willie is an outstanding coach and someone with a tremendous background in our profession," Stoops said. "His experience is very impressive and he will contribute a lot of very good things to our program. And not only is he fine secondary coach, he's a good recruiter with ties in Florida and a number of other places."
Stoops said past visits with Georgia's staff familiarized him with Martinez.
"Our staffs had been together exchanging ideas and I was impressed with Willie," Stoops said. "In those meetings you not only get a feel for how well someone knows the game, but their ability to communicate and interact with other people, and Willie was a guy that represented himself and his school very well."
The admiration is mutual from Martinez.
"Bob has won so many games and so many championships there that I am just very humbled to be part of that staff," Martinez said. "I was there in 1985 with Miami so I've experienced it myself. I love history and tradition and I go back to my childhood and that Oklahoma name was just always the tops. And it still is thanks to what Bob and his staff have done.
"I've known Bob back to his K-State days and I've known all of those guys on the defensive side of the ball. It's an outstanding group of men and that's what makes this such an attractive job."
The big-play potential and the responsibility of the secondary are the aspects of secondary coaching that most appeal to Martinez.
"We're the last line of defense and you've got to have a good group of athletes who can handle that pressure," he said. "You're going to have a direct impact on every play. You have to have some swagger and the ability to shake off the bad play. I know that a game is almost always going to come down to who plays the best in the secondary and I like that."
Martinez doesn't mind either that the head coach, Stoops, has a background of coaching defensive backs.
"Bob's experience with defensive backs is something that I really like and I want him being around us in practice," he said. "His input is invaluable, but his presence also is a sign to our players that there is a good emphasis on our position."
Before going to Georgia, Martinez served three years as secondary coach and one as assistant head coach at Central Michigan.
During his nine years at UGA, he was part of a staff that led Georgia to 90 victories, two SEC championships, three SEC Eastern Division titles, seven bowl victories, and six top ten finishes in the final national polls including No. 2 in 2007 and No. 3 in 2002. (SoonerSports.com)
Related:
OU Hires Martinez as Defensive Assistant
Labels: Defense, Oklahoma Sooners
