Hall of Fame
Position: Coach
Years: 1959-1993
Place of Birth: Columbus, OH
Date of Birth: Feb. 15, 1929
Place of Death: Ashland, OH
Date of Death: May 15, 2021
Boasting an impressive .641 winning percentage, Fred Martinelli tallied a 217-119-12 record while coaching Ashland University (OH) from 1959-93, including two undefeated seasons in 1967 and 1972. His teams won 10 conference titles, including five in the Mid-Ohio Conference (1960, 1962-65) and five in the Heartland Conference (1980, 1982, 1984-86). His 217 victories rank 64th on the all-time list of coaching wins among all divisions. His 1986 Eagles were the first in program history to reach the NCAA Division II postseason, and two of Ashland's three undefeated seasons were guided by Martinelli – 1967 (8-0-1) and 1972 (11-0).
He coached 72 All-America Players, including linebacker Bill Royce who played for the Eagles from 1990-93 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. He also coached two NFF National Scholar-Athletes in Jerry Spatny (1993) and Jeff Mowrey (1995).
Martinelli was a five-time MOAC Coach of the Year (1960 and 1962-65), five-time HCC Coach of the Year (1980, 1982 and 1984-86), and earned Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference Coach of the Year laurels in his final season in 1993.
Martinelli's 35-year run included service on the NCAA Nominating Committee and the College Division All-America Committee and as Ashland's athletics director for a near-quarter-century from 1967-91. He also served as the chairman of the NCAA Division II football committee and the the NCAA Midwest football committee, and he served on the NCAA district postgraduate scholarship committee, the NCAA general television committee and the College Division All-America selection committee.
During Martinelli's tenure as athletics director, Ashland moved to NCAA Division II for men's sports in 1979 and for women's sports in 1982, and the athletic program grew from five intercollegiate teams to 18. The school's accolades included more than 350 All-America honors and 45 Eagle teams ranked in the top 10 nationally under his guidance.
Martinelli played football at Otterbein (OH) from 1948-50. In 1994, Martinelli was inducted into the Ashland County Sports Hall of Fame. The Ashland football field at Jack Miller Stadium is named in his honor.
Martinelli passed away May 15, 2021. He was 92 and the second oldest living Hall of Fame Coach at the time.
