Photo: Glencoe High School head football coach Scott Martin (pictured at center) speaks at the 2022 Etowah County Football Media day on Tuesday, July 26 at the Downtown Civic Center in Gadsden. Pictured with Martin are GHS seniors Nolan Fairley at right and Caleb Chapman at left. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)
By Robb Corker/Staff Correspondent
“We’re not going to build on the past so much as we’re going to build on the future.”
Glencoe High School’s new head football coach Scott Martin is poised to bring success to Glencoe’s ailing football program that’s gone 3-17 over the last two years. Martin alluded to his previous experience as the best indicator of Glencoe’s future success.
“This will be my 30th year as a head coach. Every program I’ve taken over, for the most part, has been a lot of the rebuilding process, so that’s always been one of my challenges as a head football coach is to go into a place where they’re not successful and do everything I can to make them successful.”
Martin believes he has the blueprint for Glencoe’s success, and his history with Ohatchee High School where his record of 57-24 from 2014 to 2020 supports that belief.
“We’re going to make sure we put the best team on the field defensively first, and then we will build around our offense. Ohatchee either shared or outright won four regional championships in a row, and I promise you they all started with a great defense.
“That’s always been my belief is having a great defense is what wins those championships.”
The goals of Glencoe High’s new head coach are myriad and far-reaching. Martin relishes the opportunity to build a program that will remain consistent in the future by creating a pipeline and system that bridges the gap from little league to high school.
“If we’re about to take our kids from the first time they step on the football field all the way to their senior year in high school, and they’re doing the same things consistently, then you’re developing that consistency in the program that will ultimately reap the benefits.”
Martin spoke not only about building the program’s future but the immediacy of this season for his seniors and his commitment to making their senior season a successful one.
“Some people say, ‘You’ll be good in a couple of years.’ I can’t afford to be good in a couple of years; I want to be good immediately because those seniors only have one chance. We’re going to do everything we can to give these guys a great senior year.”
Martin is also confident he possesses the support he needs to make this season a successful one.
“I’m extremely excited to be the head coach here. I think it’s one of the finest 3A jobs in the state and I talk to our kids all the time about being proud of who they are. I know we’ve been on hard times lately, but–facility-wise, the way our kids are, our administration–there’s a lot of things in place that we can get success fairly quickly.”