Myrtle Beach High School named its new boys basketball coach on Thursday.
Craig Martin, who had served as an assistant at North Central for the past two seasons under former Myrtle Beach coach Chad Dixon, will take over the Seahawks' program. Dixon coached the Seahawks for three seasons from 1998-2001 and compiled an 46-38 mark before leaving for North Central, his alma mater.
Martin, who is from the Detroit area, had two assistant coaching positions in Michigan before taking the job at North Central. This will be his first head coaching position.
``He had a great interview with our committee,'' Myrtle Beach athletic director Doug Terry said. ``He was one of the finalists submitted to [Myrtle Beach principal Nona] Kerr. He had a great interview with her. He is very energetic and
brings a lot of what we are looking for here at the beach. He is someone that we think will help our school and the community.''
Martin replaces DeAndre Scott, who resigned in April after a 56-27 record in three seasons at the school to take the same position at his alma mater, Wilson High School in Florence.
Terry said Martin submitted his application for the job after seeing the opening listed with the S.C. coaches association.
Martin has 12 years of coaching experience as an assistant. He went to high school at Oakland Christian in Oakland Hills, Mich., and played two seasons of college basketball at Oakland Community College from 1992-1994. He received
his teaching degree from Saginaw Valley State University and will work in the social studies department at Myrtle Beach.
Martin said the tradition of Myrtle Beach athletics as well as strong academics and an involved community were what attracted him to the position.
``I knew they had great tradition not just in basketball but in football and other sports,'' Martin said. ``They have a very involved community. It just seemed like a very good fit.''
Martin, who has a five-year-old son and is engaged to be married, said he ended up in South Carolina when the economy in the Detroit area started to struggle.
He now takes over what has been in recent years the area's most successful boys basketball program.
``I am the unknown right now, and I kind of like it that way,'' Martin said. ``I like to be the aggressor. We are going to get after you the whole game. Being from the Detroit area, obviously it is a hard working area, and that is what we
are going to do.
``It sounds like last year [the Seahawks] lost a good group of seniors, so there is obviously going to be a learning curve. But from what I have heard, they are a hard-working bunch. I just want to continue the tradition of Myrtle Beach
basketball.''
