Central Athletics
Larry Happel
PELLA — After piloting Central College to its most successful season in 14 years, Jeff McMartin was named the American Football Coaches Association’s Region 5 Coach of the Year.
It’s the second AFCA award for McMartin, who was also cited in 2007. He led Central to its second consecutive American Rivers Conference championship, winning the title outright after sharing it in 2019. It was the sixth league title for McMartin and a record 32nd league title for the Dutch, who also secured the program’s 22nd NCAA Division III playoff berth. Central scored playoff victories in the first two rounds before being ousted in the quarterfinals at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Saturday to close the season at 12-1.
McMartin, who earlier received league coach of the year honors for the fifth time along with his assistant coaches, helped the Dutch post their fourth undefeated regular season in his tenure and record a 14-game winning streak. It was the school’s 18th undefeated regular season overall. Central is currently riding a 17-game regular-season win streak.
A 1990 Central graduate, McMartin completed his 18th season as the school’s head coach. He’s posted a glossy 140-43 (.765) record and is among with top Division III coaches in career winning percentage.
McMartin was named to the AFCA’s board of trustees in 2015 and is one of two Division III coaches to serve on the board, which formulates policy for the 11,000-member organization. He was the 11th Division III coach ever named to the board and followed his mentor, Central’s College Football Hall of Fame coach Ron Schipper, who was a trustee from 1984-94.