Tee Martin joins coaching staff at New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Not long after stepping on campus, Tee Martin is delivering a measure of star quality to New Mexico’s football program.

Martin, who led Tennessee to an undefeated national championship in 1998 after two years as Peyton Manning’s backup, was among the assistants introduced Friday by newly hired Lobos coach Mike Locksley.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to coach at New Mexico, to be with coach Locksley and to be a coach in the spread offense,” said Martin, who also interviewed for the same position at Oregon. “It’s a system that I’m excited about seeing developed here at New Mexico.”

Martin will coach quarterbacks, of course, and his name recognition is already making a strong impression.

“The first thing when he got here, I wanted to get his autograph. I haven’t met many national championship-winning quarterbacks,” said Darrell Dickey, the former North Texas coach who will be New Mexico’s offensive coordinator.

The 30-year-old Martin spent the last two years as an assistant at high schools in Georgia. Before that, he was the passing game coordinator for one season at Division II Morehouse College in Atlanta.

But his track to Albuquerque began several years ago with Martin’s involvement as a coach at Nike’s training camps for college prospects, and running his own quarterback camps.

In that role, Martin worked closely with top quarterback prospects like Jacory Harris, now at Miami, Georgia signee Aaron Murray and California star Matt Barkley, who recently enrolled early at USC.

“All the top kids that you guys see in top recruiting services, we’ve had the opportunity to work with them,” Martin said.

It was while running those camps that Martin met Locksley, who introduced himself after seeing Martin at work.

“Man, you need to get into college coaching,” Locksley told Martin. “You’d be a great fit.”

At the time, Locksley was a rising star in the coaching ranks as an assistant at Florida and, later, Illinois. Locksley recalled telling Martin he planned to call after becoming a head coach.

“That was big for me,” Martin said. “Not only was he evaluating players, he was evaluating me as well. A lot of coaches didn’t take that opportunity to do that. It lets you know what kind of an eye he has for the game.”

After that, Martin said he embraced a more professional approach to his coaching, even at the high school level. And in the back of his mind, he considered the prospect of working with Locksley.

“It was something that was talked about and dreamed about several years ago,” Martin said. “Now it has come to fruition.”

Martin told the Register-Guard the decision between New Mexico and Oregon “was just a comfort thing for me, coaching receivers or coaching quarterbacks.”

Martin had a pre-existing relationship with quarterback Tajh Boyd, who is being recruited by Oregon.

Boyd, who committed to Tennessee but was told in Decemember that he didn’t fit in new coach Lane Kiffin’s pro-style offense, has favored Oregon and Ohio State over the last few weeks. He took a visit to Clemson this past week and there were reports that Kelly visited Boyd’s home in Virginia on Tuesday.