Ohio Wesleyan University men’s soccer coach Jay Martin has been named NCAA Division III Coach of the Year , it was announced by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

The national Coach of the Year citation was the third for Martin.  He was previously honored in 1991, after guiding the Bishops to the national semifinals, and in 1998, after leading Ohio Wesleyan to its first national championship.

"The most important thing is that it's great for the program, to know that the program's been that good for so long," Martin said.  "(The award) is certainly satisfying, but we did have the best players.  This team was very unique."

This season, Ohio Wesleyan won the NCAA Division III championship, the second national title for the Battling Bishops.  The win in the national championship game was the 608th career victory for Martin, making him the all-time leader in victories by a college men's soccer coach. Martin, in his 35th season at Ohio Wesleyan, surpassed Joe Bean, who compiled 607 wins at Quinnipiac, Bridgeport, and Wheaton (Ill.) from 1962-2006, as the winningest coach in college men's soccer history.

Ohio Wesleyan won the North Coast Athletic Conference championship with a 9-0 record, the Bishops' 20th title in the 28 seasons of NCAC competition, and finished the season with a 23-2 overall record.

NSCAA release