Coach Bios
Marty Smith, Head Baseball Coach
A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Coach Smith played high school baseball at state powerhouse Terry Parker High School for Coach Howard May. He went on to Central Florida Community College where he played for the Patriots long time mentor Dr. Roger "Marty" Martinsen in 1984 and 1985 earning all Mid-Florida Conference Honors in 1985. He finished his college career at St. Thomas University in Miami in 1986 and 1987 playing for Paul Mainieri, who is now the Head Baseball Coach at Louisiana State University. Coach Smith has been a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association for 18 years.
Smith, 42, began his coaching career in 1988 at Miami-Dade Community College-North Campus under the tutelage of NJCAA Hall of Fame Coach Demie Mainieri, and making a trip to the 1988 Florida State Tournament with a team that included Major League All-star Mike Piazza. After a two-year stint at MDCC-North, he returned home to Jacksonville as an assistant coach at Florida Community College at Jacksonville. During this time, the Stars won the 1990 State Junior College baseball tournament under NJCAA Hall of Fame Coach Howard Roey. Coach Smith says, "I've been very fortunate to have played for and coached under some of the best coaches in the game."
Smith came to CFCC in August of 1991 as an assistant coach under Dr. Roger Martinsen, and was a part of the Patriots 1991 Mid-Florida Conference Championship. He was named Head Coach of the Patriots in 1994 after the retirement of Dr. Martinsen. Since then, the Patriots have won the Mid-Florida Conference in 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, and 2007 including the 1997 and 1998 Region VIII-State baseball championship. The Patriots were state runners-up in 2004 and 2007. They also participated in the 1997 and 1998 JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado. Coach Smith has been named Mid-Florida Conference Coach of the Year in 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004 and 2007. In 1997 he received Junior College Coach of the Year honors from The Florida Diamond Club, 1997 and 1998 FCCAA State Coach of the Year, 1997 and 1998 Louisville Slugger NJCAA Region VIII Coach of the Year, 1997 and 1998 Diamond ABCA Regional Coach of the Year, and the 1997 and 1998 Gulf District NJCAA Division I Baseball Coach of the Year. In July of 2004 Smith traveled to Beijing, China as he was named the head coach of the NJCAA National All-Star team in which the NJCAA All-Stars won four out of five games during the NJCAA-China Friendship Series. Coach Smith recently won his 400th game of his career in the semi final win over St. Pete College in the 2007 FCCAA state baseball tournament.
Marty and his wife, Cathy, reside in Ocala and have been married for 16 years. They have a son, Ryan, 14, and a daughter, Raegan, 9.
Garrett Robinson, Assistant Head Baseball Coach # 11
A native of Ocala, Florida, Coach Robinson played high school baseball and football for Belleview High School. He attended Central Florida Community College in 1999 and 2000 and played for Coach Marty Smith and then Assistant Coach Bob O’Brien. He finished his college career at Florida State University where he caught the bullpen for the Seminoles. Robinson also worked Baseball Camps for several years and was mentored by Coach Martin and the rest of his staff.
Robinson, 28, began his coaching career in 2004 as a volunteer assistant coach for the Central Florida CC Patriots in charge of catchers and hitting. He spent the summer of 2004 in Winchester, Virginia as Assistant Head Baseball Coach for the Winchester Royals, in the Valley League. In 2005, he moved to Montgomery, Alabama where he became Assistant Head Coach for NAIA Faulkner University, under Head Coach Brent Barker. Faulkner University baseball under Coach Barker had the best winning percentage of any team in Alabama history. Robinson returned to CFCC in 2006 as the assistant head coach.
Along with coaching the Patriots, Robinson also works private lessons and baseball clinics and feels blessed to have been mentored by three of the best coaches in the game and feels that the experience he is gaining at Central Florida Community College will help set him up to one day become a successful Head Coach. Coach Smith says, “Garrett has become a great hitting coach and his work with the catchers is outstanding.” “He continues to be a huge part of CFCC’s winning ways”.
Lee Bryant, Pitching Coach # 15
Coach Bryant, 25, was born in Gainesville, Florida and raised in High Springs, Florida where he graduated from Alachua Santa Fe High School. Lee played baseball under head coach Dave Majeski at Santa Fe. After high school he signed with Florida Community College at Jacksonville where he played for current FCCJ head coach Chris Blaquiere where he played the 2002-2004 seasons. Lee was an All-Academic team member during 2002-2004 and All Mid Florida Conference selection during the 2004 campaign. Coach Bryant earned his AA degree from Florida Community College at Jacksonville in 2004. He then signed a baseball scholarship with the University of North Alabama where he played for head coach Mike Lane. After one red shirt season at North Alabama he transferred to Bluefield College and played his final two seasons where he broke the single season record for saves in a season. He was named to the All-Academic team 2004-2006 and received a B.S degree from Bluefield College in Interdisciplinary Studies. Lee is currently perusing his Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Phoenix. During the 2007 season he coached at Bishop Snyder High School in Jacksonville, Florida. Head Coach Marty Smith says “ We are very fortunate to have Lee begin his college coaching career at CFCC. Lee has been a great asset to the CFCC staff. He is a hard worker and proves every day that he belongs in the college game helping young pitchers.”
