Tom Martinez College of San Mateo-Tom Martinez (February 21, 1946 – February 21, 2012) was an American football coach. He coached at the College of San Mateo until 2005, when he retired due to health concerns. He coached at the College of San Mateo after Bill Walsh and John Madden. The College of San Mateo Football program traditionally has a very high ranking team and draws players from all around the country. Prior to his death, he conducted private coaching sessions with quarterbacks of all ages from around the country. With more than 1,400 career victories, Martinez was the most successful community college coach in the history of California and perhaps the nation. At College of San Mateo he served as Head Football Coach for five years and Offensive Coordinator many years after. He was the 1995 California Community Coach of the Year, San Mateo Hall of Fame and a member of the State Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. He also holds many numerous other honorary posts. On June 12, 2011, on his Facebook page, Martinez announced that he was given roughly one month to live, due to diabetes and cancer. He was seeking an organ donor up until his death.
January 27, 2012, Patriots' Tom Brady on Mission to Help Mentor by Sending Potential Organ Donors to MatchingDonors.com resulted in over 300 potential organ donors to step forward to be tested to see if they were a match to save Tom Martinez' life. Retired football coach Tom Martinez, 66, says if there's ever a key to success on the field, it's this: Don't quit. "I tell the kids I don't care who it is, I don't care where we go, I don't care where we play, we don't whine about officials' calls, we don't whine about weather conditions," said Martinez. "You play hard and you play right to the end." He's credited with grooming many successful athletes, including New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Now Martinez, who coached at the College of San Mateo until 2005, when he retired for health reasons, is putting his own words to play. Martinez, who suffered from kidney failure, found himself in need of a kidney transplant. For two years, the search for a donor has not been successful. Three months ago, Martinez's doctors told him he had only a few more months to live. "I've been told I'm out of here, and I don't accept that," said Martinez. "I'm going to fight to the end." That's why Brady has adopted that no-quit attitude to help his mentor Martinez connect with a match. Brady is spreading the word through a banner he's been circulating online for the past four weeks through MatchingDonor.com, a nonprofit organization that can help interested living donors communicate their options. said Paul Dooley - CEO of MatchingDonors.com.
Death, On February 21, 2012, Martinez died after suffering a heart attack during dialysis on his 66th Birthday. read more
