Three boys basketball coaches moved up in the history books with their teams’ state championships last week in Macon.
Eddie Martin of Greater Atlanta Christian and Aaron Geter of Wilkinson County became only the third and fourth boys coaches to win seven state titles.
Martin has won four with GAC (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014) and three with Norcross (2006, 2007, 2008).
Geter has won all seven of his since 1999.
Sharman White of Miller Grove won his fifth, all since 2010.
The three are among 14 in state history with five or more boys state titles.
Selby Buck holds the state record of 12 state titles, all at Lanier of Macon, the most recent in 1951. Eric Staples won eight at Perry, the most recent in 1964.
Martin’s ascent to third place has been rapid. He had been a Georgia head coach for 25 years, mostly at Brookwood, before winning his first at Norcross in 2006. Martin was respected locally as a top coach for those two decades at Brookwood and took overachieving teams to the state semifinals in 1989 and 1999.
But Martin concedes that career moves have helped put him in position to gain the national recognition he’s attained the past several years.
‘’Looking back, making the move to Norcross at the time I did was a very wise decision as was coming to GACS when I did,’’ Martin said. “I never in my wildest dreams ever thought this would happen. Just shows you what good players and great assistant coaches can do for you.’’
Georgia coaches with five or more boys basketball state championships:
12
Selby Buck (Lanier 1926, 1927, 1928, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1948, 1950, 1951)
8
Eric Staples (Perry 1947, 1949, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964)
7
Aaron Geter (Wilkinson County boys 1999, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014)
Eddie Martin (Norcross 2006, 2007, 2008, GAC 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014)
6
Willie Boston (Westover 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2001)
David Boyd (Campbell 1982; Tucker 1996; Berkmar 2000, 2001; Milton 2010, 2012)
Anzy Hardman (Woodbury 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985; Taylor County 2001, 2002)
Don Richardson (Southwest Macon 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1989)*
5
David Jones (Southwest Atlanta 1973, 1974, 1979; Southside 1990, Greenforest Christian 2013)
Doug Lipscomb (Wheeler 1994, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009)
Phil McCrary (Columbia 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012)
Rufus McDuffie (Mitchell-Baker 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2000)
Sharman White (Miller Grove 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Joseph Williams (Clay County 1978, Randolph-Clay 1983, 1986, 2004, 2005)
Note: Jones and Richardson won all-classification state tournaments in the 1970s after winning their own class state titles. The all-class championships are not included in these totals.
