From his extensive coverage and play-by-play announcing of Marshall to high school sports, Mark Martin, the longtime sports director at WCHS-TV, is a familiar face, voice and name to viewers and readers.
Now Martin, a print and broadcast journalist for four decades, has been selected the winner of the 2022 Morehouse Award by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association, according to a news release from the association.
"I'm totally humbled by the Morehouse Award," Martin said. "It's very special to be recognized by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association."
The award is given for contributions to journalism and named for the late Marshall University sports information director and broadcaster Gene Morehouse, who was killed in the 1970 airplane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall football players, coaches, staff and fans.
On May 1, Martin will be honored at the 75th annual Victory Awards Dinner May 1 at the Embassy Suites in Charleston.
Martin has been involved in state broadcast and print ventures since he graduated from Ripley High School in 1979 and Marietta College with a bachelor of arts in radio/television in 1983.
The Morehouse honoree has served as sports director of WCHS-TV in Charleston since 2000 after an assistant sports director/weekend anchor role from 1997-2000. From 1990-97, he was sports director of WOAY-TV in Oak Hill.
A football color analyst for Marshall University radio and the host of “Marshall Football Today” and “Marshall Basketball Today” television shows, he also has done freelance TV work for West Virginia Public Television, SportsSouth, Big East Network, ESPN Regional, Mountain East Conference Television, West Virginia MetroNews Television and Fox Sports Net.
The play-by-play voice of live streaming West Virginia SSAC high school championship events on the NFHS Network, he also handles live streaming events for West Virginia State University women's and men's basketball produced locally by Video Productions.
His radio play-by-play and sportscasting experience includes stations in Ripley, Huntington, Spencer, Parkersburg and Gallipolis, Ohio.
On the print journalism front, his four-decade career since his college freshman year has included writing sports and human interest features, sports columns and athletic event coverage for the Jackson-Herald in Ripley, the Ravenswood News and the Jackson Star-News in Ravenswood plus contributions to other publications.
In 1996, he authored "An Unfulfilled Dream, My Failure, or His Will?" – a book that details the coaching life of Ripley native Paul Lanham, who worked in professional football for 20 years and was a part of two Super Bowls.
Martin has received numerous honors for his professional work including the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Midwestern Regional Emmy and The Associated Press (West Virginia) Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also been honored by the West Virginia Broadcasters Association, West Virginia Press Association and The Associated Press of West Virginia, The AP of Virginias (West Virginia and Virginia) and Ohio.