NORFOLK, VA - Steve Martin, who has led Great Bridge High School  (Chesapeake, VA.) to 12 Virginia High School State Championships in 13  years, has been named the new wrestling head coach at Old Dominion  University, announced Athletic Director Jim Jarrett.    Martin took over the Great Bridge program in 1991 and compiled a  306-15-1 career record. His Wildcat teams won the Virginia High School  League State championship every year but 1997 where they were state  runners-up.    "This is a pivotal time for our wrestling program," said Jarrett. "I  am delighted that Steve Martin has accepted our invitation to become a part  of the Monarch family. He is a proven winner and hard worker who will lead  our program to success in the future."    Martin's squads were ranked in the nation's top 25 all 13 years and  were the top ranked public high school in 2003 and 2004.  He coached 40  State Champions, 98 state place winners, 35 All-Americans, six high school  national champions.    He was named NWCA State and Regional Coach of the Year in 1995 and  2000 and was one of eight finalists for National High School Coach of  the  Year. He was the 2004 Norfolk Sports Club Bob Bates Award winner as the  Outstanding Metropolitan Coach of the Year.    "I want to thank the administration at Old Dominion for giving me  this great opportunity," says Martin. "it has been a personal goal of mine  to coach at the Division I level and what makes this job even more special  is that is in my home town and close to family, friends and supporters of  wrestling."    As a wrestling standout in high school, Martin won three Virginia  High School Championships (1983-85) at Kempsville High in Virginia Beach,  VA., and was also a three-time High School All-American.  He then went to  the University of Iowa where he was a four-year starter, earned NCAA  All-American honors, captured the Midlands Championship and led Iowa to two  NCAA team championships.  He also served as a graduate assistant at the  University of Iowa in 1990-91 where he coached five All-Americans, two NCAA  runners-up and two NCAA champions.    In addition to his high school coaching duties, Martin served as head  coach with Team Virginia against USA Dream Classic; The 2001 USA head coach  in the USA versus Iowa Dream Classic; the 2003 Head Coach of Team Virginia  against the Pennsylvania All-Stars at the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, and  has coached Team Virginia at the Freestyle Nationals the last 13 years in  Fargo, ND.    "Virginia high school wrestling is making a name for itself on the  national level. While we will be recruiting nationally, it will be goal of  our staff to keep these Virginia kids at home in front of their family and  friends," Martin says.    The son of the legendary Granby High School (Norfolk, VA.) coach  Billy Martin, Sr., Martin earned a bachelor of science degree in 1991 from  Iowa, and a master's of arts in education and human development in 1996  from George Washington University.    Martin becomes the fifth head coach in ODU history. He replaces Gray  Simons who retired in March after 17 seasons at ODU.