Taren Martin

Taren Martin enters her 13th season as Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator for the UAB women’s basketball program in 2025-26. Since joining the Blazers in 2013, she has been instrumental in 211 program victories, a Conference USA regular season championship, and five postseason appearances. Martin has played a central role in developing many of the most accomplished players in school history, including Conference USA Freshman of the Year Rachael Childress and multiple first-team all-conference selections such as Karisma Chapman, Janae Smith, Deanna Kuzmanic, Zakyia Weathersby, and Childress. More recently, she has helped guide players to American Athletic Conference honors, including Mia Moore, Denim DeShields, and Jade Weathersby. Her defensive leadership has contributed to national rankings in blocks, three-point field goals per game, and defensive rebounding. Before arriving at UAB, Martin served as head coach at Eureka College from 2010-13, earning 2012 SLIAC Coach of the Year honors after leading the program to a 21-win season and multiple school records. She began her coaching career at Illinois State, her alma mater, where she worked alongside Randy Norton and contributed to three conference titles and five postseason appearances. As a player at Illinois State (2000-04), Martin was a standout guard and one of the most versatile players in program history. A native of Savannah, Missouri, she was inducted into the Savannah Hall of Fame in 2021. Martin and her husband, Patrick, have four children: Ryleigh, Jackson, Tyson, and Treyson.