Brame Defends Removal of Martin as Northridge Coach

Judith Brame, Cal State Northridge’s associate athletic director, denied charges that she failed to support departed women’s basketball Coach Janet Martin, saying that she simply recommended a coaching change based on the interests of the program and its players.

Martin, a second-year coach whose injury-riddled team opened the season 0-9, resigned Thursday after being called away from a team practice by Brame.

On Friday, Martin said she had no intention of resigning and did so only after being given an ultimatum by Brame and Athletic Director Bob Hiegert to resign or be fired.

Both Brame and Hiegert deny that an ultimatum was given. But Brame, who was traveling with the team in Arizona and could not be reached for comment until late Friday night, admitted that Martin likely would have been removed as coach and reassigned to the student affairs department had she chosen to remain at the university.

Brame expressed surprise at Martin’s resignation when contacted Thursday, but she said Friday that she had expected Martin to choose to be reassigned.

“I was surprised in that I didn’t think (resigning) would be the option she takes,” said Brame, who led the program for eight years after its inception in 1974.

Shannon Boyd-Wright, a Loyola Marymount assistant and a member of Martin’s staff last season, said Martin was in a difficult position because Brame was a former Matador coach. “I think Jan stepped on a lot of toes without realizing it,” Boyd-Wright said.

Martin, who compiled a 10-26 record at CSUN, stated that she never had the support of Brame and the athletic administration and that Brame actively sought to remove her as early as last season.

Brame would not discuss her recommendation for a change in the program but disagreed with Martin’s contention that administrative support was not given.

Brame added that Martin’s win-loss record was not a major factor. “I certainly want to have (the team) be successful, and to have had Jan succeed,” she said.