Veteran Martin Methodist AD up for NAIA HOF induction

SM-Tn Sports

Longtime Martin Methodist College senior athletics director Jeff Bain will be among seven individuals inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame during an April ceremony in New Orleans.

Bain, who previously coached football at Giles County, Farragut and Tullahoma, is in his 28th year at the Pulaski school. Under his leadership, Martin Methodist has won more than 30 athletic conference championships and multiple national titles.

“Congratulations to my good friend Jeff Bain upon his selection to the NAIA Hall of Fame,” said former Tennessee athletics director Mike Hamilton. “This is formal recognition of a leader who has been a Hall of Famer for quite some time in my book.

“In Jeff’s tenure at Martin Methodist, he has touched all the bases. He hired great coaches, gave them incredible support and put student-athletes in the best possible scenario to excel in life and, along the way, win championships. Thousands of student-athletes have been directly touched by his and his staff’s work. He has represented his institution with class, regionally and nationally, and has a gift in engaging all of his consistent communities. This honor is beyond well deserved.”

Martin Methodist College senior athletics director Jeff Bain will be inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame during an April ceremony in New Orleans. (Photo courtesy Martin Methodist College Athletic Communications)

The athletic department has increased its visibility and its footprint during Bain’s tenure, instituting an award of excellence named in honor of former Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter, acquiring land and constructing the East Campus Athletic Complex, adding 10 athletic teams and establishing an athletic hall of fame and various programs designed to improve the student-athlete experience — including an advisory committee, a “Champions of Character” program, an enhancement program and a sports management academic and intern program.

Bain has been recognized for his leadership on 10 different occasions by his peers, most recently as the 2014-15 NAIA Under Armour AD of the Year, following his 2013-14 Southern States Athletic Conference AD of the Year honor and five TranSouth conference AD awards.

“Jeff has witnessed and helped lead 27 years of growth and change in Martin Methodist athletics,” MMC president Mark La Branche said. “He began in 1993 and was tasked with leading the college from a two-year program to a four-year program.

“Today, Martin Methodist has 20 competitive teams and some of the finest athletic facilities among NAIA schools. Jeff is known nationally for his leadership and innovation as an athletics director. He has built a tremendous legacy in college sports.”

Bain will be honored at an awards luncheon and ceremony during the NAIA National Convention, which is scheduled for April 15-19. Other Hall of Fame inductees include former athletes Tim Bishop (Black Hills State University), Brian Charles DeRoo (University of Redlands), Hillary Holt (College of Idaho), Scott Morgan (Dakota Wesleyan University) and Bruce Polen (William Penn University), along with Morningside College’s John Reynders, who like Bain will be recognized for meritorious service.

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