Being a coach in a lot of ways is like being a father figure, and no coach understood that better than Natchez High School’s Mike Martin.

In the early 1990s, Martin coached a talented player in Javis Johnson. With Johnson’s humble background, he was looking for an avenue to better himself, so he took up basketball. What resulted was a coach taking him under his wing.

“They used to call me Mike Martin’s son,” Johnson said. “I didn’t have a lot of money, so Coach Martin would find me summer jobs and send me to any basketball camp I wanted to attend. He also bought me eyeglasses one time.”

In the community, Martin is known as Natchez High School’s only boys’ basketball coach. To the players he coached, Martin was viewed as a man who did whatever he could to better their lives as young men. Martin taught his players how to look sharp in a suit and tie and how to properly act in hotels across the South. He stood by players’ sides at funerals, aiding them in the darkest moments of their lives. And talented or not, he had every one of his teams mentally and physically prepared to compete.

Martin won a state championship in 1994, and most recently, he took an undersized, superstar-less team to the second round of the playoffs this past season.

And coming off the heels of one of his better coaching jobs in the past decade, Martin apparently learned last week his contract would not be renewed for the 2015-2016 school year.

In what parallel universe does that add up?

Monday morning I received word from several sources that Martin’s contract would not be renewed in 2015. After receiving confirmation from a reliable source, crazy rumor transformed into reality — Martin was out as head coach of the Bulldogs.

The damage is irreparable. Does the school district care at all about high school athletics?

Given no reason as to why Martin’s contract would not be renewed, other than hearing “the school district wants to move in a new direction,” what other assumption are we supposed to draw?

As Johnson’s story suggests, Martin was a player’s coach. But he was so much more than that.

Former athletic director Fred Butcher called Martin a guidance counselor on the floor. Martin was always more invested in the player’s grades than he was in their actual abilities in basketball.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for the man because he was always cooperative and always looked out for the entire school,” Butcher said.

And when it came to the action on the court, Martin’s teams were always physically in great shape. Nook Logan, who played for Martin in 1998 before going on to have a professional baseball career, said Martin was the best strength and conditioning coach he ever had.

“When it came to Coach Martin, you were always ready for any challenge,” Logan said. “And if you ever needed anything, Coach Martin would give kids the shirt right off of his back. He would literally give you everything.”

Stories about Martin’s generosity include him driving an old pickup truck with kids in the back to and from the gym, holding a strong connection with legendary LSU basketball coach Dale Brown and many others on the college scene and working hard to open doors for his student athletes at the next level.

And despite being offered multiple coaching opportunities in the past couple of decades, Martin remained loyal to Natchez High School.

What a sad day it is to see the school district refuse to return the favor.

Unfortunately, we haven’t received a reason as to why Martin’s contract will not be renewed, but I certainly hope it’s not because the school is devaluing athletics.

Athletics helps attendance. Athletics keeps grades up, as athletes know they have to have the grades to compete. But most importantly, athletics tears down walls in the community, tears down walls in families.

Remember the scene in Jackson just a few months ago, when the Natchez High girls’ basketball team won another state championship and united a community while doing so?

Athletics are so much more than point totals and statistics. Martin’s legacy proves that, and that’s something this community will never forget.