When Coach Marty Rowe left Brescia University (Owensboro, Kentucky) 16 years ago, it was not an easy decision. He had built a successful program at Brescia and pointed out, "Leaving Kentucky and being 40 minutes from our entire family was definitely difficult for me and my wife Pam, especially with daughter Brittany being a senior in high school. From the day we arrived in Cleveland, it just felt right and when Brittany decided to come to school here, we knew we had found our new home," he explained.

Rowe wasted no time in establishing a winning program at Lee. He has 16 straight winning seasons and his teams have posted 423 wins against just 106 defeats. His Lady Flames quickly earned regular spots in the NAIA National Tournaments and in 2010-11 reached the Final Four. In the 2012-13 season the Lady Flames were 34-3 and lost in the 2012-13 NAIA National Championship game.

About the Rowe Hiring: Lee Athletic Director Larry Carpenter said, "When we were doing the coaching search, I received a call from Marty (Brescia) and Sean Brown (Houston Baptist) both expressing an interest in our head coaching position. Both were ranked in the Top 10 in the NAIA and were scheduled to play in the National Tournament in Jackson, Tennessee. I told my boss (the late) Dale Goff, VP for Operations, that I thought they would be two of our top candidates and I wanted to go watch them coach. He wanted to do the same, so we made the trip to Jackson. We were impressed with both but felt Marty was the kind of coach who would fit in at Lee and would be successful. As you can see, we made the right choice."

Carpenter continued, "Marty does a great job recruiting outstanding student athletes who understand the mission of our school. He spends so much time off the court getting to know his athletes which creates a close-knit group, and that has played a key part in his success. If I could sum up Coach Rowe's career in one word, it would be consistency. Each year, his team vies for a championship while representing our university with class and humility." 

Rowe's Family: During his tenure at Lee, Rowe's daughter graduated from Lee, is married, and has two children. Rowe has become well-known in the community and the future of his basketball team is at an all-time high. "We certainly believe not only in Lee, but overall, Cleveland is a great fit for our family. Being able to see our grandkids almost daily is something we never want to take for granted. We are a very blessed family," he stated.

"I hit the jackpot 33 years ago when I got a wife who loves the game as much as I do. There is no way I could do what I do without her, from keeping the scorebook to going on the road with our team, to just loving our players like she does. She is a great coach's wife!" Rowe said proudly.

John Reilly a Key Factor: Usually one person helps a young coach earn the tools of his or her trade, Rowe says that man is John Reilly. "I have said it many times, but John's belief in me as a coach and his leadership helped mold me as a young coach. He gave me the opportunity to become a head coach (at Brescia) and has been a great mentor throughout my career. He is a great friend!"

Successful Recruiting: Recruiting has always been the key to success in the college ranks. Rowe says he has been fortunate over his career to be able to recruit some great players that have bought into and shaped the culture of programs at both universities. "You cannot develop it overnight, it's something that you have to work and fight for every day," he stressed. "I think the key is recruiting great student-athletes and then demanding excellence on and off the court. When you take great pride in everything you do, it's amazing to see the results."

German (Lowe) was Special: Rowe calls Hollie German (Lowe), Lee's all-time leading scorer and member of the Lee Athletic Hall of Fame, the best he has coached. "There are so many good players that I don't want to leave anyone off but obviously being able to coach Hollie was special."

Describing Relationship: "It is really hard to describe the relationship a former player has with Coach Rowe, but the best way to describe it is genuine. Coach Rowe is one of the most genuine (but tough) coaches out there. During my time at Lee, Coach Rowe pushed me more than I ever thought possible and held me accountable to such a high standard," said Hollie in describing her former coach.

"However, it was his caring nature that really left a lasting impact on my life even to this day. I know if I really need his advice, opinion, or help with something that he is just a phone call away. The way that he cares for not only his current players, but also the players that have graduated and moved on is something that is really to be admired," she proclaimed. "As a player he is the man that yells at you the most and pushes you to perfection, but after basketball he is the man that gives you a call just to check in or to see how your own season is going (at Polk County High School). I think it is more than that; he never fails to check on your family or see if you need anything personally. In my mind, he is a true servant-leader and I think that is what makes the Lee Lady Flames' program so special years after you are done playing. It is about so much more than basketball with him, he really does care about all his players and their families."

Blessed with Great Assistants: "I have been blessed with a great group of assistant coaches that understand the types of players and families we want in our basketball program. I am lucky that I have a lot of people in my life that allow me to get way more credit than I deserve." His goals are simple: "I just think we can continue to grow as a program, when people think about our program I want them to think about how consistent we are and they will always know, we will continue to strive for improvement."

He admits the last eight seasons would have been different without one of his first players at Lee (Jan Dodson Spangler) as his assistant and now associate head coach. "She has developed into such a great asset not only to our team but the entire Lee athletic program. When people think of our program, they immediately think of the impact she has had on our players and the growth we continue to make each year. Basically, I am just keeping her seat warm on the bench waiting for her to take over one day. Honestly, I think she is the best DII assistant in the country, and I have the best coaching staff anyone could ask for," Rowe remarked.
He also took time to praise the Kiser's. "When I took the job 17 years ago, I immediately made the decision to hire Mindy and Kelly. Kelly's been on my right shoulder for 16 years on the bench, and he is invaluable to our success. And now that Mindy (his first full-time assistant) has returned, it is great to have her set of eyes return to the sideline. We have all had the same vision from day one and without the Kiser's none of our success would have been possible," he submitted.

Move to NCAA DII: Lee athletics made the move to NCAA Division II in 2013-14 and while waiting to become eligible for DII and Gulf South Championship tournament play, Rowe and Lady Flames won the university's second NCCAA championship in 2015.

The Lady Flames qualified for their first NCAA DII National Tournament in the 2016-17 season and after three straight appearances were prepared to host their first South Regional Championships when the NCAA ordered all sports halted due to COVID-19 in March.

Most Disappointing Time: "The end of this year's season is the most disappointed I've ever been for a team," Rowe said with pain showing in his face. "Our girls had worked so hard and had positioned themselves as the No.1 seed in the South Regional, not getting a chance to finalize their work is tough. It is something that will take a long time to get over."

He notes that key wins and defeats (NAIA and NCAA DII) are too many to count on both ends of the spectrum. "Winning the GSC Tournament Championship (2018-19) ranks up there along with the NAIA National Tournament semi-final win over Cumberland (Tennessee). Definitely, the loss to Valdosta State in the NCAA South Regional Tournament when we were up nine late in the game was deeply disappointing."

Is Rowe Worried About COVID-19? "Absolutely, I am like everyone else as we try to navigate through the pandemic, not only in athletics but in normal day-to-day living. What's tomorrow going to bring? No one knows, but I have hope and believe our country will be able to recover soon. As for Lee, we are blessed with great leadership and there is no one we would rather have making decisions than Dr. (Paul) Conn and Dr. (Mark) Walker."