Softball: Long Beach City College names Megan Martinez new head coach

Megan Martinez, a member of the 2001 Long Beach City College State Championship Softball team, has been named the new softball head coach at LBCC.

"I am happy to welcome Megan into the Long Beach City College Athletic Department," said LBCC Athletic Director Randy Totorp.  "Coach Martinez has earned much respect among South Coast Conference and California Community College Athletic Association softball programs across the state.  We are excited for this former and accomplished Viking to take the lead of the softball program and work toward future student and program success."

Martinez comes to LBCC after serving as head coach for four seasons at nearby El Camino College, Compton Center. While at Compton, Martinez was in charge of starting the softball program from the ground up and turned the Tartars into a highly competitive squad. Compton went 3-25 under Martinez in her first season in 2012 but for the past two years have turned out winning seasons. Martinez led Compton to a 17-16 overall record in 2014 and in 2015, compiled a 23-16 mark and finished fourth in conference play at 9-12.

Despite her recent success at Compton, Martinez is thrilled to be returning to lead the program she was once a proud member of.

"I'm very excited to be back and humbled to be given the opportunity to lead the Vikings," said Martinez. "There is nothing more rewarding than being able to return home and give back to the college and program that provided me with the experiences of a lifetime, including winning a state championship. LBCC has always held a special place in my heart and to be able to be back on the Viking field is truly an honor."

Martinez, formerly Megan Barranco, was a two-year member of the LBCC softball team that compiled an impressive 87-10-1 record over the 2000 and 2001 seasons. In 2000, the Vikings captured a South Coast Conference title and earned a state championship runner up finish before winning a conference and state title in 2001.

After LBCC, Martinez went on to play at nearby Cal State Dominguez Hills where she was a two-year captain. After closing out her playing career, she joined the coaching staff at CSUDH and helped lead the team to a California Collegiate Athletic Association conference championship in 2005 and three NCAA postseason appearances.

Martinez graduated with honors (cum laude) from LBCC with an AA degree in liberal arts. She received her bachelor's degree in English literature with a minor in communications in 2004. And just recently in July, Martinez earned her master's degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University, Irvine.

Martinez is a native of Lakewood and attended St. Joseph High School. She, her husband Yusef, and two daughters currently reside in Long Beach.

Martinez replaces Melissa Angel, who left the college after serving as head coach at LBCC for the past eight seasons. The Vikings recently compiled a 14-25-1 overall record this past spring and went 7-14 in conference play.