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Justin Martin joins Commando dugout





Portland head coach Justin Martin is stepping down after four seasons leading the program to take an assistant coaching position at Hendersonville High School. FILE

Portland head coach Justin Martin is stepping down after four seasons leading the program to take an assistant coaching position at Hendersonville High School. FILE

Portland baseball head coach Justin Martin announced he stepping down as Panther head coach to take an assistant baseball coaching position at Hendersonville High School, where he will also teach physical education.

Martin recently wrapped his fourth season (30-62), with the Panther baseball team, leading them to two wins in the District 9AAA Tournament in May.

“I’ll forever be grateful to Mr. (David) Woods for taking a chance on me,” Martin told Main Street Preps. “It’s been an extreme pleasure to work at Portland High School. I’m leaving a great administration and we finally got the program to a spot where there is a chance to win the district. Everything was perfect minus the drive.”

Martin, who lives in Hendersonville, cited his most significant reason for leaving Portland was to be closer to his family.

“My kids are 10 and 7 and very active and Hendersonville is a two-minute drive from my house,” he said. “By the time you factor in the drive to and from Portland plus field maintenance, I was missing a lot of time at home. This gives me that time back.”

Added Hendersonville skipper Mike Hendrix on the addition to Martin:

“He did a tremendous job at Portland with the amount of talent he had, so adding him to our dugout will only make us better,” he said. “I’m tickled to have him.”

Martin is a two-time head coach, spending time as Springfield’s manager from 2008-2015 before taking a position at East Robertson High School in 2017.

Portland wrapped its best season under Martin in May, finishing the 2021 season 14-18 overall. The TSSAA will expand to four classifications starting in 2021, meaning Portland will stay in Class AAA, competing in District 9, Region 5. The Panthers will be in a five-team district with Creek Wood, Greenbrier, Montgomery Central and White House.

 

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