Submitted Content

Coach brought football, basketball titles to LHS

Posted December 03, 2017 10:00 pm

By Dale Eggert on behalf of Libertyville High School

Coach Martin in 1928, his first year at Libertyville Township High School. Courtesy of Dale Eggert

• The following is part of an ongoing series of articles in celebration of Libertyville High School's 100th anniversary.

Jack Martin was Libertyville Township High School's head football and basketball coach for nine years. No Libertyville High School coach has had as much success as Coach Martin had in any one decade.

Martin grew up in the St. Paul, Minnesota, area and was very involved in athletics. He attended college at North Central College in Naperville, lettering in football, basketball and baseball. His degree was in coaching. He even spent his summers at the University of Illinois taking more coaching classes for several years after graduation.

Before coming to LTHS, coach Martin held a teaching and head football and basketball positions at Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Only at Eau Claire for two years, Martin's teams won a state football championship and a state title and state third place in basketball.

Martin came to LTHS in the fall of 1927 to teach physical educational and general science along with his coaching. His football teams earned conference championships in his first three years. In his nine years at LTHS his football teams won seven conference titles, taking second the other two years. His conference record in football was 46-3. His 1933 team achieved an honor that will most likely never be matched: In their seven games that season, LTHS held all seven opponents scoreless.

In basketball, his teams won six conference titles in his nine years. His final LTHS basketball team in 1936 went 16-0 in the league in taking the title, a feat only accomplished by the 1982 LHS team. His basketball teams always had to go up against a much larger Waukegan team in the regionals so they never advanced to the sectionals.

After the 1936 school was finishing, coach Martin announced he was leaving LTHS for a much larger Lyons Township High School. His successor for the 1937 school year was Art Bergstrom, a very successful coach in his own right though not matching coach Martin's success.

Following a four-year stint at Lyons Township, it appears coach Martin left education and went into private business in Wisconsin.

Of his seven Conference Championship football teams, the 1933 team was his best as they were unscored-upon in all seven games. Courtesy of John Snow Jr.

The 1936 Basketball team, coach Martin's final LTHS team, who finished 16-0 in the Conference standings. Courtesy of Dale Eggert

Jack Martin's 1935 first hour physical education class. Courtesy of Dale Eggert

Coach Martin shocks LTHS in announcing his move to Lyons Township after the 1936 school year. Courtesy of Dale Eggert

In 1980, Coach Martin ran into his 1933 All-State football player John Snow where both had retired in Florida, the first time they had seen each other in 46 years. Courtesy of John Snow Jr.

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