Central College Athletics

The 2024 president of the American Football Coaches Association, Central College's Jeff McMartin is the seventh-winningest active football coach in the NCAA Division III.

McMartin, who took over in 2004, has posted a glossy 163-50 (.765) record and  guided Central to its sixth conference title on his watch in 2021, along with a sixth NCAA Division III football playoff berth.. He was named the 2021 AFCA Division III Coach of the Year He's a five-time conference coach of the year (2005, 2006, 2007, 2019, 2021), was named an AFCA Division III regional coach of the year in 2007 and 2021 and the D3football.com regional coach of the year in 2021. His 2021 squad led Division III in nine statistical categories including total offense and scoring offense and shattered 61 school records. Five players received all-America recognition, including the Division III player of the year. McMartin's squads have posted four undefeated regular seasons, with a 28-game regular-season win streak from 2006-08. Under his leadership, the Dutch have finished in the top three in the league 17 times in 19 years.

McMartin has been a part of one of the nation's most tradition-rich college football programs as a player, student assistant and now head coach after graduating in 1990. Central's 32 league titles are a league record and the school's 22 NCAA Division III playoff berths are the fourth-most in the nation. The Dutch have compiled 18 undefeated regular seasons and haven't had a losing football campaign since 1960.

McMartin served president of the AFCA in 2024 after being named to serve on the organization's board of trustees in 2015, McMartin is one of just two NCAA Division III coaches on the board, which formulates policty for the 12,000-member organization. He's only the 11th Division III coach in AFCA history to serve on the board and follows his mentor, Central's hall of fame coach Ron Schipper, who was a trustee from 1984-94.

McMartin spent six years on the AFCA's 31-member Division III Head Coaches Council, serving as chair from 2012-14. He also served for three years on the rules committee and serves on the publicity committee, voting on the AFCA Division III Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

Prior to returning to Central, McMartin was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at DePauw University (Ind.). During his four years there, DePauw broke several school offensive records.

From 1995-2000, he served as offensive line coach at Beloit College (Wis.) where he also worked with special teams. From 1994-95 he was the defensive line coach at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) and was defensive line coach at Illinois Wesleyan University from 1992-94. He was a graduate assistant at Wake Forest University (N.C.) from 1990-92.

McMartin graduated from Central in 1990 and went on to earn his master's degree from Wake Forest University in 1992. He served as a student coach under Schipper for two seasons after a career-ending injury and also was a student coach at Oskaloosa High School in 1987.

McMartin is also a veteran track and field coach. He was head men's and women's coach at Beloit from 1995-2000 and interim head coach at Illinois Wesleyan in 1994. McMartin was an assistant at De Pauw from 2000-03, at Rochester from 1994-95 and at Illinois Wesleyan in 1994.

McMartin’s wife Laurie is also a 1990 graduate of Central and they have two daughters.

Profile: 2023 interview with Trevor Castle, KRLS Radio

Achievements

Central College 

• Team has 163-50 (.765) record, 124-36 (.775) mark in conference games in his 21 seasons
• (6) NCAA Division III playoff appearances – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2019, 2021
• AFCA Division III Coach of the Year - 2021
• (2) AFCA Division III West Region Coach of the Year – 2007, 2021
• 2024 AFCA President
• Member, AFCA Board of Trustees (2015-present)
• (5) Conference coach/coaching staff of the year – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2019, 2021
• (6) Conference championships – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2019, 2021

DePauw University

• Team had 23-17 (.575) record, 16-8 (.667) mark in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference games in his four seasons

Beloit College

• Team had 25-22 (.575) record in his five seasons

University of Rochester

• Team had 3-6 (.333) record in his one season

Illinois Wesleyan University

• Team had 14-6 (.700) record in his two seasons
• (1) NCAA Division III playoff appearance – 1992

Wake Forest University

• Team had 6-16 (.273) record, 1-13 (.071) mark in Atlantic Coast Conference games in his two seasons

Athletics career

Central College

• Defensive back and wide receiver
• Injuries ended his Central career 

Year-by-year Central record