RALEIGH, N.C. – Piedmont softball head coach Terry Martin has been honored as the 2026 recipient of the Beyond the Spotlight Legacy Achievement Award.
The award is given out in partnership with the King and his Court Historical Preservation Foundation and the Triangle Collegiate Softball Classic Foundation.
This award is presented annually to Division III coaches, players, and volunteers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, sportsmanship, and commitment to the sport of softball. Recipients embody the values of dedication and commitment – the two fundamental pillars that led to King & His Court’s legacy status as the “King of Softball” and brought them worldwide recognition. These same pillars serve as the criteria for selecting award recipients, honoring those who have left a lasting positive impact on the sport.
Martin, the longest-serving head coach in Piedmont Athletics history, will begin his 28th season leading the Piedmont softball program this spring. Over nearly three decades, Martin has built one of the most successful programs in Division III, guiding the Lady Lions to more than 600 victories, eight NCAA national tournament appearances, five conference tournament championships and 11 regular-season conference titles.
Across 27 seasons, Martin owns 651 career wins, placing him among the nation’s top 50 active Division III head coaches in total wins. His teams have produced 21 winning seasons, including four with 30 or more victories and a standout 40-plus win campaign in 2014. He has also been recognized seven times as conference Coach of the Year.
Success under Martin has extended well beyond the field. His teams have finished in the NFCA Division III Team Academic Award national top 10 three times, including a runner-up finish in 2009, with more than 20 Lady Lions earning All-American Scholar-Athlete honors. Martin has coached 11 USA South “of the Year” award winners and developed 41 all-conference selections, 15 NFCA All-Region honorees and multiple CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.
A native of Toccoa, Georgia, Martin starred as a catcher at Nyack College, earning All-Conference and All-American honors, and later completed his master’s degree at the United States Sports Academy.
