Tom Martinez

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. It is interesting to note that NFL Alumni John Madden, of the Oakland Raiders & Bill Walsh, of the SF 49ers, both played & coached at the College of San Mateo early in their careers. Bill Walsh was claimed to be the best NFL Coach ever and later retired from the 49ers to became the Athletic Director at Stanford University. (Ref. the College of San Mateo Football & Sports Hall of Fame websites for info on Walsh, Madden & others).

Prior to his death, he conducted private coaching sessions with quarterbacks of all ages from around the country.

Training career

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 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.

Tom Brady

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady considers Martinez his mentor and worked with him every off-season to clean up his mechanics.

JaMarcus Russell

He also worked out JaMarcus Russell prior to the 2007 NFL Draft. Martinez was interviewed by the Oakland Raiders as a candidate for their quarterbacks coach position. Martinez blames the Raiders' coaches for all but ruining Russell. "He was never wanted there by any of the coaches," Martinez told The New York Times. "The only one who wanted him there was Al Davis, he told them to draft him. He was the epitome of an Al Davis quarterback."

John Elway

He also helped John Elway, in his youth.

Declining health

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.

Tom Martinez' good friend Nick Barnes, and Tom's family, dilegently helped Tom on his pursuit of finding him a lifesaving transplant through MatchingDonors.com, and now Brady is spreading the word through a banner he's been circulating online for the four weeks prior to the Super Bowl through MatchingDonor.com, a nonprofit organization that finds altruistic living kidney donors for people needing organ transplants. 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.

Three weeks before his death Tom created the Tom Martinez Goal Line Fund www.TheTomMartinezGoalLineFund.com to help those people needing organ transplants through MatchingDonors.com. Tom said "I’m thrilled that even if I can’t be saved at least the donors and awareness we brought to MatchingDonors.com will save many other lives".