WATCH: Martin family reflects on father-son dynamic at UCLA
Things are looking much brighter these days for UCLA’s father-son pair.
Defensive back Cole Martin and father Demetrice, the team’s secondary coach, reunited this past offseason when the eldest left Michigan State and the youngest decided to follow and leave Arizona State in the winter. The two were previously together when Cole entered the collegiate ranks two seasons ago and signed with Oregon, where Demetrice was in a similar role.
It was a return home, as Demetrice, a John Muir High School and Pasadena City College product, was previously on staff in Westwood from 2012 to 2017. Cole, who was born in Pasadena, remembers attending games as a youngster and hanging around the likes of UCLA defensive backs Jaleel Wadood, Fabian Moreau and Darnay Holmes.
“I’ve always been a fan of the UCLA Bruins, so opportunity to come here was huge,” Cole said, reflecting on the decision after Tuesday’s practice.
But the homecoming was anything but an instant fairytale. UCLA opened the season 0-4, losing its head coach and both coordinators along the way.
Now, under the direction of interim head coach Tim Skipper and fill-in playcallers Kevin Coyle and Jerry Neuheisel, the Bruins are the talk of college football. UCLA is riding a three-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s contest at second-ranked Indiana.
The Bruins are in search of a second top-10 victory in four weeks.
Most recently against Maryland this past weekend, Cole played a significant role as part of a secondary that accounted for 10 of the team’s 13 pass break-ups. He also made six tackles.
Also during the streak, Cole has successfully executed a pair of fake punts.
Demetrice, who picks his moments between dad and coach mode, said he avoids getting caught up in his son’s performance during any particular game while on the sidelines. It’s usually afterward, reviewing film on Sundays, when there’s moments he allows himself to be a proud father.
“It’s like, ‘Well, that’s a good play!’ But then, I’m also — the dad part takes over, too. It’s never good enough,” Demetrice said.
Watch the full press conferences after Tuesday’s practice below:
