The 2014 season will mark the first year for Francisco R. “Paco” Martinez ’04 as head coach of the Wichita Wild indoor pro football team.
Martinez, a WSU sport administration graduate who makes his home in Wichita and first coached football at Wichita Heights High School and later Friends University, where he is still an assistant coach, was the Wild’s offensive coordinator in 2012 and an offensive assistant for the 2011 season.
“I felt a sport administration degree would give me the best chance to work in the sports world,” says Martinez, who grew up in Park City, Kan. and graduated from Valley Center High School.
“My time at WSU opened my eyes to the amount of hard work it takes to set yourself apart from others with similar career goals. My course work gave me exposure and experience in many areas of the sport industry. Without my experience at WSU, I wouldn’t be head coach for the Wichita Wild.”
The team will begin the 2014 season with a championship win on its résumé and a 12-game win streak at home that dates back to March 31, 2012.
Martinez, who is a fan of the New Orleans Saints and admires the work of the team’s executive vice president/general manager Mickey Loomis ’82, hopes – and plans – to see the Wild build on last season’s success. “We are the defending champions,” he says, “and will have to prepare as the hunted with all of the other teams gunning for us.”
