Luck seems like such a surprising thing to call it. Especially
when things like cruel twist of fate, unfair and unjust seem so
much more appropriate. It would appear that there’s nothing
lucky about a career-ending injury, nothing lucky about being
forced against your will to quit doing something that you
absolutely love. But then again, life has a strange way of working
itself out, and for UCLA men’s tennis coach Billy Martin,
that is immeasurably true. “It’s funny how you look
back at some things that you thought were disastrous to you, and
you think, “˜I might have been lucky,'” Martin
said. Had Martin not been afflicted with a rare hip condition
called hip dysplasia, his professional tennis career wouldn’t
have been cut short. He probably wouldn’t have found his way
back to UCLA, and he almost certainly wouldn’t be the Bruin
head coach today. So perhaps things do happen for a reason, and
Martin, now in his 12th season in charge of the UCLA program,
counts himself as fortunate. “Longevity-wise and family-wise,
I couldn’t be happier with the set-up we have,” he
said. Martin’s current set-up, however, was far from a
foregone conclusion. He wasn’t the kind of player in which
one immediately recognized coaching potential. He certainly had
talent, winning the 1975 singles championship and team championship
in his freshman year at UCLA, but coaching never crossed his mind.
“I was so self-centered as a player,” Martin said.
“To give myself to others was probably not a strong
characteristic of mine.” That is, until Martin’s hand,
or hip, was forced.
Leaving what he loved Afflicted with hip dysplasia, a
malformation of the hip joint that causes one’s cartilage to
wear away much more quickly than normal, since birth, Martin was
forced to end his playing career at age 26. What little cartilage
Martin had was essentially worn away, and the one-time Wimbledon
quarterfinalist and Rookie of the Year in his first professional
season could no longer play the game he loved, the game he had
committed his life to from age seven. Forced with the stark reality
of the real world, Martin returned to UCLA, and the rest sort of
fell into place. Glenn Bassett, UCLA’s coach from 1967 to
1993, asked Martin to join his staff as an assistant. The man who
had never thought about coaching became a coach in 1983.
“Everything was going ahead for him,” Bassett said.
“He was a workaholic, and his hip just kind of broke down. He
still tried, but finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Fortunately, he became my assistant.” Martin cites his
years with Bassett, who won seven NCAA team titles during his
tenure, as invaluable in his development as a teacher of the game.
The two men still speak regularly, and Bassett is incredibly proud
of Martin. “He’s such a good guy, No. 1,” Bassett
said. “He puts so much time and energy into it.”
The competitive spirit That seems to be a fact that everyone
associated with UCLA tennis agrees upon. Martin is so competitive,
so intense and so committed to giving his team the best opportunity
it can possibly have to win its matches. “He puts so much
heart into it,” senior Kris Kwinta said. “Every loss
for him is such a disaster, and he’s so down, and when we
win, he’s so up. You can see it throughout the match. If
it’s close, he goes crazy. You can see the intensity in his
eyes.” Tobias Clemens, who graduated last year as one of the
most successful players in the history of the UCLA men’s
tennis program, saw that competitive drive first-hand for five
years. “Billy is so competitive,” Clemens said.
“He tries everything for us to have the best conditions to
win the match. Every little wish that we have, he would get it for
us in order for us to have the best playing field, to bring the
best possible effort we can bring.” Martin’s
competitive spirit undoubtedly stems from his intense dedication to
improving himself as a player, and now as a coach. He began playing
tennis in Chicago, where he spent most of his childhood before
moving to Palos Verdes during the summer before his sophomore year
of high school. “I was the kind of guy that had to work
really hard, was really devoted, trained hard,” Martin said.
“I thought one of my greatest strengths was my mental
attitude and being in there for every point.” Bassett called
Martin the most physically fit player he’d ever coached.
“He loved the game,” Bassett said. “He was very
conscientious about the game. “He was very intense. He went
about his business, and there was no fooling around with
him.” Martin would like to see the qualities he possessed
reflected in all of his players, but through coaching, he’s
realized that it’s simply not possible. “Coaching is so
frustrating because you might think you’re in control, but
you’re so out of control,” Martin said.
Title quest Yet that’s what makes coaching so satisfying
for Martin, that moment when it all comes together. Though Martin
had incredible triumphs in his playing career, perhaps none greater
than his 0-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 come-from-behind win over Southern
Methodist’s George Hardie in the 1975 NCAA championships,
putting a successful team together might mean even more.
“Although we haven’t won an NCAA championship,
we’ve come so doggone close,” Martin said. “When
you look at all the pieces that have to be put in place and just to
get there to have a chance, it’s amazing.” Incredibly,
and almost tragically, Martin has had three chances in 11 years,
but his team has lost in the championship each time, including last
season. Martin has never had a team finish out of the top-five, but
he has never been able to capture that elusive title.
“We’ve been close for so many years,” assistant
coach Jason Sher said. “There’s been a couple of times
where I’ve really felt for him, when we came so close and
didn’t win it. “I’ve got a feeling that once we
win one, it might come in bunches.” Martin said he spent time
reminiscing when he watched Roy Williams finally win a basketball
championship this season at North Carolina, but he certainly
won’t let the lack of a championship define his career.
“To me, it’s the hunt,” said Martin, who is
273-53 all-time as the Bruin coach. “I think I’m old
enough to know the part I really like is the hunt, and the
uncertainty and the butterflies and everything. If we get it, I
know it will be sweet.” Martin is never going to stop trying,
that much is certain. “What makes him special is that
he’s never satisfied,” Sher said. “He’s
always looking to have the guys improve, and that’s what
makes him a great coach. Even if we play an unbelievable match,
he’s always looking toward tomorrow and finding out ways the
team can get better.” For Martin, the team comes first. The
self-centered, super-talented junior has become one of the most
caring, dedicated coaches in the country. And things are continuing
to improve for Martin. In the last two years, he has had both hips
replaced and feels as good as he has felt in 20 years. He’s
no longer in pain, and with time, Martin should be able to play
tennis with his two boys, William and Travis. After his injury,
Martin returned to school, receiving his bachelor’s degree
from Redlands in 1989 and an MBA from USC in 1991. He has touched
the lives of hundreds of players during his years of coaching.
“He’s been one of the biggest influences on my
life,” Clemens said. Without the devastating injury,
it’s quite possible that none of this would have come to
pass, so Martin surely won’t complain. “Anytime you get
to do something that you enjoy doing, you’re pretty fortunate
in life,” he said. Some would call it lucky.