BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — The interim tag has been removed and Dwayne Martin has been officially named the head coach of West Virginia Wesleyan football, WVWC Athletic Director Randy Tenney announced on Wednesday (Sept. 15). 

“We are excited about the future of the Wesleyan football program,” Tenney said. “It was a very easy decision. Coach Martin has a long history here as a player and assistant coach. He knows the system here and we feel that it will be a smooth transition. We know he will do an outstanding job.”

A WVWC alumnus, Martin took over as interim head coach on Tuesday, July 6 as he entered his sixth season on the staff of his alma mater. He spent the 2020 season as the Wesleyan assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach. The Akron, Ohio native has also previously served as the Bobcats defensive coordinator.

“Now I can go forward and plan the rest of my career here,” Martin said. “I’m looking forward to the process and steps it will take to get this program to the success it’s had in the past.”

Martin accomplished his first goal of assembling a coaching staff in the offseason.

“I feel like we did a great job of elevating the coaches here and bringing some new coaches aboard,” Martin said.

Prior to joining the West Virginia Wesleyan staff in 2016, Martin made assistant coaching stops at Clarion University, Slippery Rock University, Wesley College and West Virginia Tech.

He graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. Martin resides in Buckhannon with his wife Taylor and their children.

“I want to thank my wife for supporting me,” Martin said. “Jumping from assistant coach to head coach means there is more of a time commitment and she’s done a great job carrying the family while I’m diving into football right now.”

The Bobcats will travel to Concord for a road contest set for a 2 p.m. kickoff on Saturday (Sept. 18).