How Cuonzo Martin wants to build Missouri State basketball back into Springfield's team

Cuonzo Martin has already counted over 30 different restaurants he's eaten at since he was brought back as Missouri State's head men's basketball coach.

Flame, Char and Jim's Steakhouse sit at the top of his list. The Cauli Fornia Dreamin' burger at Black Sheep "knocked his socks off" and he's enjoyed breakfast trips with recruits to Gailey's. A trip to PaPPo's, along with a first-time visit to I Love Tacos, is in his near future.

Martin goes to the different local establishments with a purpose; not just to refamiliarize himself with the local cuisine after 13 years away. He and his staff are working on building "genuine" relationships with those around town, including with those at the cleaners, pet food stores and other establishments in the community.

"We want people to feel good about our program," Martin said. "This is a great product and this is an arena that should be packed every night because this is our team. I think our community has to take ownership of this team. We have to do a great job at putting forth a great effort on the floor."

Martin, 13 years after helping the Bears sell out Great Southern Bank Arena while winning a conference championship, is making it his mission to rebuild the energy around the program back to where he left it.

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Martin is replicating some things he did during his first three-year stint. He'll add on what he learned during stops at Tennessee, California and Mizzou while leading four different teams to NCAA Tournaments.

Relationship building is also part of who he is. In his two years away from leading a college basketball program, he was in the community trying to lift those in need. He launched a podcast on leadership and topics such as men's health, fatherhood, education, social issues and race. Martin got back into coaching to help develop young men through the game he loves.

Everything Martin does is in pursuit of fulfilling what he believes his calling to be.

"Whether they put us in a casket or ashes, we're all going at some point," Martin said. "When I answer to my father, Lord Jesus Christ and say 'OK, what was your work?' I have to make sure I did everything in my power to be the best version of me and try to complete my mission and my life's purpose."

Cuonzo Martin spent his time away from college coaching by volunteering in various shelters

After being dismissed by Mizzou in 2018, Martin spent two seasons away from the hustle of college athletics. He lived in Orlando where he decided he'd give back to the community every chance he had.

Basketball was still a part of his life. Martin was on different committees and he often spoke at coaching clinics. He did behind-the-scenes consulting while also meeting with NBA teams and USA Basketball. He said he studied the game from an administrative standpoint, knowing he'd eventually get the itch to return.

But basketball wasn't on his mind when he volunteered in different homeless and men's and women's shelters. He found that words of encouragement could help pick someone up whether it was a "keep fighting" or something as small as asking how their days were going.

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"It was just 'How can I help?'" Martin said. "Oftentimes, when we say 'humility,' people think that's weakness. That's strength. That's how I try to move every day."

Martin wants to give everyone the chance to be seen, as he felt like he once was when someone gave him his first chance. Born and raised in East St. Louis, a city that carries the perception of poverty and crime, Martin knows what it takes to come through humble beginnings and to have people pour into him until he becomes successful. He looks back at his days growing up on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River knowing he was surrounded by "beautiful people" in a "beautiful place" that "broken souls" were working to get out of.

Martin's a fighter and he wants others to battle, too. "Keep pushing forward," he'll tell someone less fortunate lying on the ground outside a Kum & Go or walking the Orlando streets.

"It's just natural stuff," Martin said. "This has really been my life since you learned about it as an assistant and then I started doing it here. It's just part of who I am."

Cuonzo Martin wants Springfield to take ownership of Missouri State basketball on opening night

Building a community and spending time in it isn't something Martin had a feel for during his first stint as the Bears' head coach. There were many unknowns and he was consumed by recruiting, building a staff and the rest of the program. Upon his return, he is already familiar with the program and has 14 years of head coaching experience.

Martin's found himself speaking at many rotary clubs, focusing on the relationships he builds with those in the community. He's also talked to incoming students at freshman orientations and plans to continue his outreach to those on campus once the fall semester and season nears.

He's hopeful those relationships will help those in Springfield take ownership of the team. He wants fans to feel like they need to be at Great Southern Bank Arena on opening night rather than when the Bears jump off to a 7-0 start or are in contention late in the season for a Missouri Valley or Conference USA championship.

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"We need them to show up the first day," Martin said. "That's important to show our players, to show the community, to show the state, to show the conference, to show the country that this is Missouri State. This is a great product and we'll do our part as a program. I think our fans need to understand that we need you from day one because we won't win a Missouri Valley Conference championship in March. We started winning when we started practice in June and our fans need to understand that."

More efforts will go into connecting those on the roster with the fanbase. Missouri State only has two returning players from a season ago. Martin isn't oblivious to how difficult it is for a fan to latch themselves onto players who may depart the next year because of the transfer portal and changes in transfer rules.

Martin has made Missouri State basketball's social media a point of emphasis, although he admits he's not too big of a TikTok guy "yet." He said he still has one good leg and could get in on some dances with the players if he's feeling it.

The Bears won't be strangers. Martin said the athletes will be in the community, as he has always been one to do. If fans are going to fill the Great Southern Bank Arena stands once again, Martin, as a part of his calling, will try to develop those on the men's basketball team into men the Springfield community will be proud of.

"We want every student having to fight to get in and get to the point where we can't feel the capacity of how many people need to be in this arena," Martin said. "We have to continue to work diligently."