Cardinal Hall of Honor
In Lamar’s first 25 seasons as a senior college, the only head coach for the Cardinals was Jack Martin.
In his time at Lamar, Martin’s teams went 334-283, winning five conference titles along the way. His 334 wins are 200 more than any other LU men’s basketball coach. Martin, who began his coaching career at Hardin-Simmons University in 1948, had a sparkling record of 376 wins and 318 losses when he retired.
Martin put Lamar in the basketball limelight from Texas to the east coast during the 1960s when he introduced the run-and-shoot offense and pressing defense. From 1959 through 1966, the Cardinals posted a fine 150-58 record with four conference championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances. Martin’s teams won Lone Star Conference titles in 1961, 1962 and 1963, and Southland Conference crowns in 1964 and 1970. Three of his teams won 20 or more games, with a 20-4 record in 1968-69 standing as his best season.
