Image via Eastern Michigan Athletics
Miami: How’d they get here?
It’s a blessing for Miami that Chuck Martin’s still roaming the sidelines in his sweater vest for this program. Entering his 13th year, Martin’s done exactly what his job asks of him, and some. Last season, Miami played in its third-straight MAC Championship game (last won: 2023), and there are 8-10 million reasons why Miami was picked to go back to Detroit for a rematch against Western Michigan.
When Miami hired Martin, this team was in the toilet. Don Treadwell was fired five games into his third year on the job because his team won four games in 2011, four in 2012, then none in 2013.
Three years into Martin’s tenure, Martin’s RedHawks also started half of the season without a win, but the school didn’t fire him. Instead, after the 2016 team started the year with six straight losses, it turned the season, and the course of Martin’s leadership, around with six wins in a row. Miami rallied hard and miraculously made a bowl game. It only lost to Mississippi State by one point in the St. Petersburg Bowl.
2013 (Don Treadwell): 0-12 (0-8 MAC)
2014 (Chuck Martin): 2-10 (2-6 MAC)
2015 (Chuck Martin): 3-9 (2-6 MAC)
2016 (Chuck Martin): 6-7 (6-2 MAC)
2017 (Chuck Martin): 5-7 (4-4 MAC)
2018 (Chuck Martin): 6-6 (6-2 MAC)
2019 (Chuck Martin): 8-6 (6-2 MAC); MAC Champions
2020 (Chuck Martin): 2-1 (2-1 MAC)
2021 (Chuck Martin): 7-6 (5-3 MAC)
2022 (Chuck Martin): 6-7 (4-4 MAC)
2023 (Chuck Martin): 11-3 (7-1 MAC); MAC Champions
2024 (Chuck Martin): 9-5 (7-1 MAC); MAC Championship runner-up
2025 (Chuck Martin): 7-7 (6-2 MAC); MAC Championship runner-up
Martin’s teams have been surrounded by other teams in the old East division suddenly having good years at different times. Buffalo was in a good place during the Lance Leipold era (Martin record vs. Leipold: 3-3). Then Kent State got pretty difficult with Sean Lewis around (3-1). Ohio took a step forward after Frank Solich (2-4) stepped down and Tim Albin (2-3) became head coach. Even Akron snuck its way into the MAC Championship in 2017 (It should be noted that Miami did beat Akron that year).
Still, Miami has found plenty of success with Martin at the helm (72-74 overall, 57-34 MAC). His team’s tough-nosed identity has helped it grind through some muddy beginnings and would transform Miami into one of the league’s toughest teams.
Miami got out of its own way with a changed attitude and let its beefy offensive linemen and staunch belief in having a tone-setting defense define how the team characterized itself. In 2019, that led to Miami getting its first MAC title since 2010’s worst-to-first season, and it has now been featured in Detroit for each of the last three championship games.
PLAYERS OF NOTE
RB, Rodney Nelson — A dynamic running back compacted into a 5’8”, 195-pound body. As an incoming transfer from Monmouth, Nelson was the CAA’s Offensive Player of the Year (1,802 rush yards, 293 att. (6.2 avg.), 18 TD, 150.2 game avg.; 30 rec., 229 rec. yards, 1 rec. TD, 19.1 game avg.).
WR, Keith Reynolds — Returning, starting receiver and kick returner who spent his first two seasons with Washington. In his first season with Miami, Reynolds caught 36 passes for 352 yards (1 TD), and returned 16 kicks for 456 yards, and scored on a 100-yard return.
OT, Eric Smith — Fifth-year player who had his first season as a starter, and finished the year with Third Team All-MAC honors. He’s one of four returning starters across this offensive line.
LB, Malcolm McCain — Miami’s returning leading tackler, #4 tackler on last year’s unit (73 tackles, 30 solo, 7.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 fumble).
LB, Blayne Myrick — New transfer from South Alabama, where he played in 36 games (24 starts) and picked up Second Team All-Sun Belt honors in 2024 and 2025. Career: 192 tackles made (88 solo, 15 TFL, 2 sacks), 1 INT, 2 PBU, 1 fumble.
