Dave Martin was an NCAA champion and two-time finalist for Iowa State who helped the Cyclones capture the NCAA team title in 1969 and 1970.

Coached by his father, Leon “Champ” Martin, 2009 inductee into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, he was an Iowa state high school champion in 1965 and 1966 and helped Algona High School win the state team title in 1966.

Dave directly oversaw wrestling during his 34 years as an administrator in the Oklahoma State athletic department.

He was an assistant coach at Oklahoma State from 1975 to 1978, helping the Cowboys win Big Eight titles in 1975 and 1978 while finishing third at the NCAA tournament in 1975 and 1976 and second in 1977.

He was interim head coach for Oklahoma State in 1992 when the Cowboys won the Big Eight title and finished second at the NCAA tournament.

He coached the Stillwater YMCA youth wrestling program and administered Stillwater Youth wrestling tournaments from 1971 to 1974.

From 1971 to 1975, Dave refereed high school matches in Oklahoma and Kansas and Oklahoma State duals and inter-squad matches.

Interim athletic director for Oklahoma State from 1993 to 1995, he was one of 12 athletic directors responsible for the foundation of the Big 12 Conference and served as interim commissioner of the Big 12 in 1998.

He was a member of the National Wrestling Rules and Championship Committee from 1998 to 2002, serving as chairman for three years, and later returned to the committee from 2010 to 2014, again serving as chairman for three years.

He served as the tournament director for the Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championships in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Martin is a member of the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, the Iowa State University Athletics Hall of Fame, the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, and the Iowa High School Wrestling Hall of Fame.