CBs Coach Demetrice Martin Talks Return to Michigan State Football

New Michigan State cornerbacks coach Demtrice Martin was a four-year letterwinner as a Spartan in the 1990s.

Former Michigan State defensive back and wide receiver Demetrice Martin is back in East Lansing.

The former four-year letterwinner returned to the Spartan football program in January when he was named cornerbacks coach. On Saturday, he will be back in Spartan Stadium for Michigan State's "Spring Showcase."

"It was kind of surreal coming back, seeing all the new facilities and things and such like that," Martin told reporters after the Spartans' spring practice on Tuesday. "And it was pretty big-time. I mean, it was something that I always watched from afar, always watching the guys from afar, and I knew at any given opportunity that it was a right fit. I would love to be able to come back and give back to the university that gave me so much."

Martin has been coaching at the college level for more than 20 years but never served on his alma mater's coaching staff until this year.

"There was always some talks here and there, but it was never really a real true opportunity being how these contract stuff and all that kind of stuff go," Martin said. "So, it just worked out where it was a perfect timing and it was a perfect storm."

While Martin is one of only a couple of coaches to have been with the program before, the rest of the coaching staff did have time to settle in before Martin's arrival this winter.

"They were kind of getting acclimated before me," Martin said. "So, me being the last full-time hire, I came in and just kind of brought the energy and bringing what being a 'Spartan Dawg' means and all that type of stuff. Obviously, going along with coach Hawk [Courtney Hawkins] here, so we're just kind of showing the guys the old ways of how we used to do things and kind of mixing it with the new ways."

Martin was an excellent cornerback for the Spartans during his college career, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors for the 1994 season. He led the conference with seven interceptions that season.

Following his final season (1995) with Michigan State, Martin went on to coach what will soon be 24 years of college football.

The Michigan State Spartan Football "Spring Showcase" will be held at the High Cathedral of the Spartan Nation, Spartan Stadium, on April 20, 2024, at 2 p.m.

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