READING, Pa. – Eric Martin has been named the first head coach in school history of the women’s flag football program. Coach Martin will spend the next year recruiting ahead of the season starting in the spring of 2027.
“I am very happy to be here and start the program at Albright. I am excited to continue to grow this sport allowing female student-athletes the opportunity to flourish in the game of football. Go Lions!” Said head coach Eric Martin.
Coach Martin joins the Lions after spending three years at Seminole high school in Florida where he served as schools head flag football coach. Much like here at Albright, coach Martin was the inaugural coach for the program at Seminole high school.
Before his stint at Seminole high school, Martin spent one season as the head flag football coach at Booker T. Washington in Florida. At Booker T. Washington, Martin led the team to a better than .500 record while earning a second-round playoff bid.
In January of 2020, Martin established his own business called “On My Way Recruiting” which helps student-athletes get ready for the next level while also helping them with the process of being recruited to play among the college ranks.
Martin played college football at West Florida, a Division II institution near Pensacola, Florida. Martin was a member of the inaugural team during the 2016 season and would go on to help the team to a runner up finish in the 2018 NCAA Division II playoffs.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in operations and management with a minor in finance from West Florida. Martin would go on to further his education at North Carolina Central University, earning his master’s degree in higher education administration.
The Albright College Athletic Department announced the addition of women's flag football on June 23 of this past summer. Women’s flag football is an emerging sport to be featured in the 2028 Summer Olympics - as a varsity offering beginning in Spring 2027. This addition extends Albright's intercollegiate athletics to 25 teams.
Flag football is played on a field that measures 80 yards with seven players for each team on the field at one time. Scoring is comparable to tackle football, with six points for a touchdown. Extra points are based on yards to gain in a set play (one point for five yards, two for 10) rather than kicking a field goal. Players wear tightly fixed belts with sockets and two pop flags on either side of their hips.
"We are thrilled to add women's flag football to our sport offerings ahead of the spring '27 season," said Albright Athletic Director Rick Ferry. "It is important for us as an institution to ensure athletic opportunities for female student-athletes. Women's flag football is a fast-emerging sport and is another big step in our athletic initiatives at Albright."
At the forefront of the NCAA's Emerging Sports for Women program to expand women's collegiate athletic opportunities, Albright is proud to add women's flag football, which joins the college's new STUNT and women's wrestling teams, added in 2024.
