For over a decade, the name Marty Fine has been synonymous with Bryant University football. In 2016, Fine begins his 13th season at the helm of the Bulldog football team.
In 12 years, Fine has posted seven winning seasons and an overall 75-55 record. His teams have won seven games five times and eight games on three occasions (2006, 2007, 2014).
Coach Fine is also responsible for guiding the Black and Gold through the transition to the Division I level beginning in the 2008 season. In seven seasons at the DI level, Fine’s teams have won seven games four times and have finished with a .500 or better record all seven years as a member of the Northeast Conference.
In 2015, Fine led the Bulldogs to one of their biggest wins in program history, a 20-16 victory over in-state rival Brown. He also took the Black and Gold on their longest trip in school history, a flight to Conway, S.C., to take on nationally-ranked No. 1 Coastal Carolina. Fine guided an offense that featured the top passer and rusher in the NEC and saw Ricardo McCray become the third NEC Offensive Player of the Year in school history.
The Black and Gold enjoyed their best season at the Division I level in 2014 and Fine was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, given to the top coach in the FCS. He guided the Bulldogs to a program record-tying eight wins (8-3) and its first national ranking at the Division I level. The Bulldogs picked up milestone victories over CAA-members Stony Brook and nationally-ranked Maine on their way to an 8-1 start to the season, the best in program history. Bryant cracked the national rankings for the first time in week four at No. 25 in the FCS Coaches' Poll and climbed as high as No. 21 in both the FCS Coaches' Poll and the Sports Network Poll.
Fine's Bulldogs garnered several postseason honors as well. Jeff Covitz became the NEC's all-time sacks leader and became the first player in Bryant history to earn NEC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Covitz also earned three All-American citations and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS.
In 2013, Fine guided the Bulldogs through the first 12-game slate in program history. They went 5-7 overall and finished 3-3 in the NEC. The Bulldogs had five players named to the All-NEC teams led by Jordan Harris, the NEC’s all-time leading receiver. Harris thrived in Fine’s offense, setting program records in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns on the way to becoming the all-time leader in NEC history with 3,735 yards.
Fine took over as the head coach of the Bulldogs prior to the 2004 season. With the program still in its infancy stages, Fine posted a 4-5 record in his first year, bringing the program back on the right track. The next season, the Bulldogs went 7-3 and followed that with back-to-back eight-win seasons and back-to-back Northeast-10 championships.
The 2005 team finished two games out of first place but in 2006 and 2007, the Bulldogs were the NE-10 Regular Season champions and earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.
The 2006 season was a historic one for Bryant football as it represented the first appearance in the NCAA playoffs. The Bulldogs hosted West Chester in front of 5,234 fans at Bulldog Stadium but fell, 31-29. Bryant featured one of the most-feared offenses in the country and one of the greatest running backs in program history in Lorenzo Perry. The Bulldogs finished 10th in the country in total offense and Perry became Bryant’s first football All-American and was a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the best player in the country.
Fine’s team made it back to the NCAA tournament in 2007 behind the right arm of Bryant Hall-of-Famer Charlie Granatell. The four-year starter helped the Bulldogs, who were picked fourth in the preseason poll, win a school-record seven-straight games to start the season and finish 8-1 in NE-10 play. The Bulldogs fell to conference rival Southern Connecticut in the NCAA tournament, while Granatell wrapped up his career with program records in passing yards (6,984) and touchdown passes (56).
The following year, the Bulldogs began their transition to the Division I level. They earned their first-ever DI victory on Sept. 27, 2008 on the road at Wagner, 24-14. Bryant won seven games in its first DI season and competed against one of the nation’s best teams when it traveled to No. 17 Massachusetts on Oct. 25.
In the seven years that have followed, Fine has continued to develop a tradition of excellence on the football field, in the community and in the classroom at Bryant. He has posted a 48-41 record at the Division I level and a 28-23 record in the NEC.
Over 12 years, Fine has coached 70 all-conference selections, 12 All-New England honorees and four All-Americans.
Fine began his coaching career in 1985 as the defensive coordinator at Sonoma State. After two seasons, he was elevated to head coach and led the Cossacks for the 1987 and ’88 seasons. They went 5-6 both years under Fine. He then spent two years (1989-90) as the head coach at Naval Academy Prep.
After two years, Fine returned to the Division I level, serving as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Indiana State from 1991-95. He spent the 1996 season at Colgate before heading to Indiana for five seasons. With the Hoosiers, Fine coached the tight ends, tackles and served as the passing game and special teams coordinator.
Fine then spent 2002 and 2003 as the offensive line and special teams coach at Iowa State, helping the Cyclones earn their highest ranking in school history at No. 9 and an appearance in the Humanitarian Bowl in 2002.
A former linebacker at Union College, Fine is a 1985 graduate of Western New Mexico University. He and his wife, Betsy, have three children, Sarah, Lydia and Joseph.
