ATLANTA – Oglethorpe director of athletics Todd Brooks announced Tuesday that Taylor Martin will be Oglethorpe's next women's lacrosse head coach. Martin has proven success in the Southern Athletic Association where she spent the last two seasons as Berry College's top assistant.
"I am extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Taylor Martin as our next head women's lacrosse coach," Brooks said. "There is no doubt in my mind that she will continue and grow the upward trend our program experienced this past year. I believe Coach Martin's ability to identify talent, combined with her obvious energy and excitement, will establish her as an effective recruiter and program manager. I am excited to have her join our Oglethorpe team."
Martin, a 2014 Berry graduate, served the Viking women's lacrosse program in numerous areas during her two seasons in Rome. She assisted in developing practice and game plans, implemented new defensive and goalie strategy, trained individual skill sessions, created new scouting report formats and film breakdown sessions, planned and organized recruiting events, and helped connect Berry's alumni network. Martin also assisted the team off the field by overseeing study halls and academic meetings, and she created social media content to promote the program.
"I am incredibly excited for this opportunity," said Martin. "I cannot wait to build on the growth that this team has already experienced and take that success to the next level. I would like to thank Todd Brooks and the search committee for the opportunity to lead this program and for showing me what it is like to be a part of the Petrel family. I am looking forward to getting on campus and to begin working with this talented team."
Prior to Berry, Martin spent two years in Connecticut where she coached the Nor'easters Lacrosse Club and was the head coach of the University of Bridgeport women's lacrosse team. This followed a one and a half year stint in Massachusetts where Martin served as assistant coach for Framingham State University, as well as Wayland Girls Lacrosse. She also served as the director of goalkeeping for the Bay State Bullets Lacrosse Club.
Martin also has served as head women's lacrosse coach for Wilmington College in Ohio and graduate assistant women's lacrosse coach for Castleton University in Vermont.
Despite spending several years in the northeast, Martin has many roots in Georgia. While attending Berry, Martin served in assistant camp director roles at Emory and Berry, and she also had the opportunity to coach LB3 Atlanta Lacrosse Club in Atlanta shortly after graduating. With LB3 Atlanta, Martin coached the U19 elite girls lacrosse team and assisted in the recruiting process of several players to NCAA Division I universities.
Martin's first year out of college saw her live in England for one year where she served as a development officer for English Lacrosse Association in Uppingham, England.
Martin graduated from Berry with a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education. She later earned her Master of Science degree in athletic leadership from Castleton University in 2017. Martin earned a position as a four-year starter at goalie for the Berry lacrosse team, during which time she was team captain, made the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association honor roll and won the 2014 SAA sportsmanship award.
Martin will take over an Oglethorpe program that went 11-5 (3-3 SAA) and landed third in the final conference standings last season.
