Erik Martin’s vision extends beyond the basket at SC State

The Bulldogs’ head men’s basketball coach emphasizes service, discipline and belief as the foundation of his program.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — “It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish.”

That quote from South Carolina State University head men’s basketball coach Erik Martin serves as his testimony of service and commitment to his players.

While the Bulldogs have had a slow start this season after capturing the MEAC regular season championship last year, Martin remains optimistic that his team can win in more ways than one.

His plan is to help his players succeed not just on the court, but in life.

“We’re heavy on community service. Every year we get with at least three to four elementary schools. I take the team there, and they speak in front of the kids. Sometimes they read to the kids,” Martin said.

The university announced Martin as the head coach of the men’s basketball team on July 11, 2022. Community involvement has been one of his focuses from the beginning.

A program rooted in the community

“This is my fourth year. I feel very comfortable saying men’s basketball has the most community involvement of anyone on this campus. That was always my goal when I became a head coach,” Martin said. 

“I love getting into the community. Those are the people you want to come to the games and support you,” he said, noting that he always intended to live in Orangeburg.

“How am I going to be about the community if I don’t live in the community? So, you can catch me at Walmart. I’m in there three times a day. My wife’s like, ‘Why do you always go to Walmart?’ One, I need a lot of stuff, and two, that’s where I’m running into fans,” Martin said.

A native of West Covina, California, Martin attended Whittier Christian High School in nearby La Habra, where he played center and power forward.

Before taking on his role at SC State, his background included playing professionally overseas and holding various coaching positions.

Lessons shaped by the journey

“I left West Covina in 1991. I went to the University of Cincinnati. That became home. So I went from Cincinnati to playing overseas,” Martin said.

“I played in nine different countries: Spain, Japan, China, Korea, the Philippines, Argentina and Taiwan. I think what I learned by being in other countries is that we are all the same,” he said. “We just rap different. I respect and can relate to anyone because I’ve been to those countries.”

Martin is committed to building the men’s basketball program after its slow start.

“Obviously, we’ve started off slow, but my program has been known for playing harder than anyone else and being physical — defense and rebounding,” Martin said. “You can’t win basketball unless you’re good at defense and you’re good at rebounding.” 

He said being a former player helps him understand his players better.

“I know where these guys are coming from. I know what they want to do. So, I feel like I give them the best opportunity to try and get there, but none of it matters if we don’t win,” Martin said.

“We’re coming off a conference championship. That’s the first championship South Carolina State has had in 22 years. My plan was to win back-to-back championships, and it still is. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” he said.

Martin chose to come to SC State for a reason. 

He most recently served 16 seasons as an assistant coach under legendary Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins at West Virginia.

“He called me and said, ‘Erik, I got the perfect job for you.’ I’m like, ‘Coach Huggins, what do you know about HBCUs?’ He said, ‘Erik, I don’t know anything about HBCUs. I do know I’m about to retire, and I want to get you a head job before I retire,’” Martin said.

 “So the process started, and no matter what happened — whether it be the interview or the Zoom meeting — at the end I leaned on my relationship with God. He’s the one who made me comfortable with making the decision to come here,” he said. “Even though I’ve had tough times … this whole experience has allowed me to become closer to God. That’s better than wins and losses. Better days are coming.”

Moving from West Virginia was an example of God taking him out of his comfort zone.

“I was very comfortable in West Virginia, having been there for 15 years. He put me somewhere where I had to struggle,” Martin said, noting that tapping into the university’s legendary Bulldog grit has helped him keep going.

Standards set high

Martin was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2025. He led his team to an 11-3 MEAC regular-season record and an 18-12 overall mark while closing the regular season on a nine-game winning streak.

“I’m the basketball coach. My job is to win games … I still need to be better. We’re coming off a conference championship. I thought winning the championship in 2024 would give us a lot more visibility,” he said. “Do I think we’re getting as much as we should be? I don’t know. I believe everything tends to work itself out.

“Would I like to have more space around the state with what we’re doing? Probably. But I would like to have a bigger presence in Orangeburg. I want a lot of the locals to come to my games,” Martin said.

What are his hopes for the future?

“Multiple championships. We’re going to win a championship this year. If I wasn’t saying that, then I shouldn’t be working here. No matter how many games we’ve lost, we’ve got a chance to be great if we want to be great,” he said.