Marty Wilson, Pepperdine Men’s Basketball Coach
By Dick Dornan / Special to The Malibu Times
Lamar “Marty” Wilson has returned to his alma mater (1989) to take the position as head coach of the Pepperdine men’s basketball team.
Wilson was introduced in March as the 12th head coach of a program that has won 12 West Coast Conference regular-season titles and made 13 NCAA tournament appearances.
Wilson played guard for Pepperdine from 1985-1989 and has been a member of the program for 14 years as a student-athlete and assistant coach. He spent 21 years total as an assistant coach at Pepperdine, San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and Utah. Wilson succeeds Tom Asbury who retired after this past season.
The Malibu Times caught up with Coach Wilson in his office overlooking the Pacific Ocean to talk about his career and his first months as head coach.
TMT: When did you first want to become a collegiate head coach?
Wilson: “Years ago when I was an assistant here (1991-96). I didn’t realize I wanted to get into coaching initially. Every college athlete wants to go to the pros. Since that didn’t happen for me, I got into coaching and decided to shoot for the stars and ultimately become a head coach. Right when I got into coaching, I learned the business and wanted to make it as far as I can. I’m here!”
How was your first month on the job?
“It hasn’t stopped but it’s been good though. I hired my staff. That was probably the biggest grind I put upon myself. I’m trying to manage so many things and learn the head coach’s role. Once the staff was set, it allowed me to relax a bit and focus on the transition part [recruiting, speaking engagements, alumni events]. Every night I wake up, three or four in the morning, I start thinking ‘Okay, what else needs to get done?’ It will continue like this for a while until we get settled in.”
Talk about your vision of Pepperdine basketball.
“I want to get the program back to where it was when I was a player and as an assistant coach in the ‘90s. The vision is winning championships and regularly getting into post-season play. One thing I tell the staff is that we have to focus on the process. There are steps along the way. We can’t just focus on the end result.
“We need to recruit and we’ve been going one hundred miles per hour. We need to find good kids, good students and good players. Second, we need to make our guys more competitive: on the floor, in their skill workouts, conditioning, lifting. They need to understand the level that we have to consistently play at to be successful.”
How has your 21 years of experience as an assistant coach prepared you for this job?
“For the most part, it has shown me what not to do. Teaching me things that I don’t want to do or don’t want to repeat. But it has allowed me to be among very successful head coaches and assistant coaches who have moved on and done well. I have built relationships and kept in touch with every coach who I have worked for. I can go back to them for ideas or to ask questions how to handle certain things. That’s probably the biggest thing, learning what and what not to do, and how to handle situations along the way.”
What does it mean to be an alumnus of Pepperdine and the caretaker of the program?
“It means everything. I still don’t believe that I am the head coach here because of the steps that I took. The fights, the battles, the struggles growing up. Now I am in a position to help other guys like myself.
“This is an outstanding university with a great reputation. A beautiful city. A great tradition basketball-wise. I want to help guys better their lives as they move on. Pepperdine is home for me. This is where I met my wife [Mayra]. Both of our kids [Jessica and Jalon] were born when I was coaching here before.”
What should we know about Marty Wilson the person and Marty Wilson the head coach?
“Marty Wilson the person loves to fish but rarely gets the time or makes time to do it. I love spending time with the family and spending time with little kids. I love to see them smile, laugh and giggle.
“Marty Wilson the coach is intense, motivated but laid back with very little ego. It’s not about my success but the program’s success. Ultimately, if the program has success, then maybe somebody can point and say one day, ‘Marty Wilson the coach was the reason for it.’”