Steven St. Martin Eleventh Year, Varsity Head Coach
Coach Steve St. Martin has been the head varsity boys basketball coach at Westwood High School for the past 10 seasons. The 2020-2021 season will be his 11th as Head Coach.
Through the first 10 seasons as the head coach at Westwood, the team has compiled a 159-70 record while being committed to playing a tough non-league schedule against some of the top division 1 and 2 teams. Wins include: multiple state tournament victories, 3 Riley Classic Championships, 4 Tri-Valley League Championships, 2 Winter Classic Championship and an undefeated (20-0) regular season in the 2014-2015 season, which led to him being named the 2014-2015 Tri-Valley League Coach of the Year. He was named Tri-Valley Coach of the Year for a second time for the 2018-2019 season. Coach St. Martin was again named Tri-Valley Coach of the Year for a third time for the 2019-2020 season after back to back league titles. He has also coached numerous Tri-Valley League All-Stars, 4 TVL MVPs, a Regional All-State player, Globe All-Scholastic, Herald All Scholastic, and a 1000 point scorer.
In the 2019-2020 season, the Wolverines finished with a 22-3 record (20-2 Regular Season, 14-2 TVL record). The Wolverines won the Tri-Valley League Large Championship for the second consecutive year, a feat never accomplished in boy's basketball in Westwood. Westwood also won the Winter Classic, Riley Classic, and went undefeated in non league play against top D1 and D2 teams, including a season series sweet of D1 South powerhouse, Bridgewater Raynham Regional High School. In the State Tournament, the #2 Seed Westwood won their opening round match-up vs Oliver Ames High School. In the Quater-Finals, in a standing room only atmosphere at Bader Gym, Westwood beat the Two Time Defending State Champion, Tech Boston Bears by 16 points. In the South Semi-Finals, Westwood lost to eventual Co-State Champions Whitman-Hanson Regional High School.
For the 2018-2019 season, the Wolverines ended with a record of 19-5 (18-4 Regular Season, 15-1 TVL record),. This earned the team the Tri-Valley League Large Championship and Coach St. Martin the honor of TVL Coach of the Year. In the State Tournament, the #4 Seed Wolverines won their opening round matchup at home against the #13 seed O'Bryant Tigers (67-55). In the second round of the tournament, the Wolverines fell to the #5 seed, New Mission Titans (58-44).
For the 2017-2018 season, the Wolverines ended with a record of 11-13 (10-12 Regular Season, 8-6 TVL 2nd Place), coming second in the league, and earning them the #16 Seed in the Division II South Sectional Tournament. In the State Tournament, they won their opening round matchup at home against the #17 seed Walpole Rebels (80-61). In the second round of the tournament, the Wolverines fell to the #1 seed, and eventual state champion, Tech Boston. Coach St. Martin was awarded the IAABO Board 30 Sportsmanship Award.
For the 2016-2017season, Westwood finished with a record of 20-4 (19-3 Regular Season, 15-3 TVL 1st Place) including winning the Inaugural Winter Classic Championship and the Riley Classic, and 1st place in the Tri Valley League. Westwood earned the #2 seed in the Division II South Sectional Tournament. After earning a bye in the first round, they beat #10 seed Foxboro at home in the 2nd round. Next, Westwood took on returning D2 South Champion, Whitman-Hanson in the D2 South Semi-Finals. Despite a valiant 4th quarter comeback, it was not enough as the Wolverines lost to the eventual D2 South Champions. For the 2015-2016 season, Westwood finished the season with a record of 15-8 (15-7 Regular Season, 13-3 TVL 2nd Place). Despite many injuries and roster upheaval, the team's hard work and commitment helped them to finish 2nd in the TVL and earned the #7 Seed in the Division II South Sectional Tournament, losing to Scituate High School in the first round.
In the 2014-2015 season, the Wolverines finished the season at 21-1, which included an undefeated (20-0, 18-0 TVL 1st Place) regular season. Other accolades from that season include the team winning the Riley Classic Championship, 1st place in the Tri-Valley League, winning the TVL Sportsmanship Award, and earning them the #1 Seed in the Division II South Sectional Tournament. The team won their first-round playoff game against Tech Boston, before losing to Foxboro in the South Section Quarter Finals. St. Martin was also named TVL Coach of the Year.
In the 2013-2014 season, the Wolverines finished the season at 17-5 (16-4 Regular Season, 13-3 TVL 2nd Place) . In their first season in Division II, The Wolverines earned the #3 Seed in the Division II South Sectional Tournament. The team won their first-round playoff game against Hingham before losing a close and hard fought game to Walpole in the South Sectional Quarter-Finals in front of a standing room only crowd at Bader Gymnasium.
In the 2012-2013 season, the Wolverines finished with a 13-9 record (12-8 in the regular season). The Wolverines defeated Hanover in a preliminary game at home before losing in the first round of the Division III South MIAA Tournament to #3 seed Rockland.
The 2011-2012 season saw Westwood finish with a 14-9 record (12-8 in the regular season), losing in the Division III South Sectional Semi-Finals to Martha's Vineyard. Their run in the state tournament included wins over sixth-seeded Norton and third-seeded Norwell. It was the first winning season and appearance in the State Tournament in over 5 years. The regular season included winning streaks of both 5 and 6 games for the Wolverines.
In his first season at the helm, the Wolverines finished with a 6-14 record.
St. Martin also coached at Walpole High School, where he worked as an assistant to his brother, Dave. He was a part of the rebuilding of that program, which reached the state tournament in 2 of his 3 years there.
In addition to coaching at Westwood High, St. Martin formed and coaches the Greater Boston All Star Team with former assistant and current Lincoln-Sudbury head coach, Mike Normant. Using the connections Coach St. Martin made as a player, this All Star team travels to different parts of Europe to play against some of the top competition that part of the world has to offer. The program is not just about basketball. Coach St. Martin and Coach Normant use basketball to teach about life. The players learn about leadership, independence, and appreciation. In the inaugural summer of 2014, the team traveled to Germany and played against not only U19 National Team Players, but some profession teams as well. In addition to a top notch basketball experience, the players were exposed to the history and culture of that area. In the summers that have followed, the team has traveled to Germany, Ireland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, and the Czech Republic. The Greater Boston All-Stars recently merged with the New England Spartans AAU Club run by Westwood Varsity Assistants Pat Harris and Ryan Douglass.
St. Martin, with his brother Dave, the former coach at Walpole High School present Catholic Memorial assistant coach, Mark Champange (former coach at King Philip High School), and Doug Alves (Bridgewater Raynham High School) formed "Foundations 4 Success". This group provides quality skill building clinics that use the game of basketball to teach life lessons. The fall of 2016 was the first such clinic held at MPlex and drew over 80 high school players from many different high schools and of all different grade levels. The group has expanded to offer fall and spring clinics as well as a Summer Camp. Prior to the start of his coaching career, St. Martin played basketball professionally in Germany trying to move up the leagues, as well as in Mexico, keeping his dream alive in hoping to get a chance to tryout for an NBA team. In his second season playing in Germany, he was elected Player-Coach halfway through the season. With the opening of the NBA’s Developmental League, St. Martin set his sights on returning to the USA to play. In the summer of 2004, while training for an opportunity to tryout for the NBA DL, Coach St. Martin collapsed again and was forced to retire from basketball for good.
Before playing professionally, St. Martin had already once retired from playing because of his ailing heart. He spent a year coaching as an assistant at his alma mater, Assumption, where he recruited players, ran the training programs, scouted teams, and helped plan practices.
As a college player, St. Martin finished his career at Assumption College playing for NABC Hall of Fame Coach, Serge DeBari. St. Martin helped turn a 1-53 team, into a NE-10 Tournament Champion and NCAA Regional Semi-Finalist, increasing the school’s win totals every year as a player (6-18, 14-12, and 23-10 in his senior season as a co-captain). Despite having a serious heart condition, he never missed a start in his senior season, was named Defensive Player of The Year, and led the NE-10 in steals for the second straight season. Bringing the Greyhounds into the NCAA Tournament his senior season, he recorded a triple double, including a career high 14 assists against LeMonye in the NE-10 Tournament Semi-Finals. St. Martin was the first known athlete to play with the heart condition that he had. He and his trainer had to keep copious notes to turn in to his doctors to help others with damaged hearts.
Coach St. Martin had a brief stop at Division 1 Northwestern State University in Louisiana where he sat out his transfer year and underwent a second heart surgery. During the surgery, St. Martin died during the procedure and his heart was left permanently damaged.
Coach St. Martin started at a small NAIA/NCAA Division 3 school named Thomas College. There he scored 34 points twice as well as scoring 24 in the first half of a game and earned Rookie of The Year Honors, despite playing in only 20 games due to collapsing on the court and having his season cut short due to major heart surgery.
As a high school player, Coach St. Martin played at Catholic Memorial High School. As a tri-captain in his senior season, he led the team in assists and steals, finishing second in points despite suffering serious injuries due to a car accident during the season. Coach St. Martin helped lead the Knights into the State Tournament, losing to eventual state champion New Bedford in the semi-finals. As a junior, Coach St. Martin led the team in assists, steals, and finished second in points, helping lead the team into the State Tournament. In his sophomore season, Coach St. Martin played on a varsity team that lost to Everett in the Boston Garden.
Coach St. Martin is frequently sought after for speaking engagements in motivation, goal setting, and overcoming adversity. He has spoken at businesses, colleges, and universities, and high schools, as well as various camps. Articles and shows of his story of overcoming adversity have been written in the Boston Globe, Worcester T&G and various other publications as well as TV stations like NESN . Coach St. Martin has won numerous awards as both a player and a coach. Scouts, agents, and coaches in the professional, collegiate, and high school ranks ask him to evaluate talent. Players often ask to train with him, he also works with people for nutrition programs and health-related goals, in addition to, working with students to increase their learning potential.
Coach St. Martin currently resides with his family in Norwood and teaches Special Education at Thurston Middle School in Westwood.