Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Missouri State's Cuonzo Martin is a Winner on and off the Court

I enjoy heartwarming stories. I enjoy heartwarming sports stories in particularly. Such is the case with Missouri State basketball coach Cuonzo Martin.

A reporter wrote the other day about Martin’s rise in the coaching ranks. How some bigger school might want Martin to coach its team next season.

Martin was a solid college player under Gene Keady at Purdue. He later became a serviceable NBA (National Basketball Association) player. He spent some time as an assistant coach with Purdue. He is now in his third season at Missouri State with a 52-36 overall record and a 17-4 start this season. You can understand why the guy has suitors.

What caught my attention in this reporter’s story however was Martin talking about faith and how he and his wife pray over every decision. What a testimony.

So I had to do some investigating reporting.

Although Martin has had a good basketball life, off the court he has had its struggles. At age 26, Martin found out he developed Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. In another story I read, he asked God for more time (life) so he could see his children grow.

Martin is now 39. You understand the reason why he frets little about his next possible coaching move. Martin has God and he has life.

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