This article was written by Mark J. Burns and published on Sport & State, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation.
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His business card reads Stark Enterprises, and he holds a senior-level title, but our mystery man isn’t a billionaire with superhuman strength.
Wait, who did you think we were actually referencing?
Meet Martin “Marty” Alan Whims II, an Akron alumnus and Chief Financial Officer for the Cleveland-based real estate development company.
Up until three weeks ago, the Akron native might have largely been a regular ol’ die-hard Zips’ football supporter and a nearly 20-year season ticket holder at the Mid-American Conference school.
Now, Whims is the team’s first-ever fan offensive coordinator as part of a viral marketing promotion, which required a season ticket purchase for entry.
The creative initiative, which was designed to generate fan interest and boost season ticket sales for the Zips, culminates on Saturday afternoon with Whims being on the sidelines. He’ll don a headset and team-issued garb as he stands next to head coach Joe Moorhead and helps script the team’s opening drive at home against Robert Morris. You can watch at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
🚨IT’S OFFICIAL…
Martin Allan Whims II is named OC of the Game presented by @Arbys Steak Nuggets‼️#GoZips 🦘 #MakeTheClimb pic.twitter.com/3VHtodEq07
— Akron Football (@ZipsFB) August 25, 2026
“This is my 15 minutes of fame, and it’s been a really cool experience,” Whims said to Sport & State on Wednesday. “You got co-workers, family, and friends, everybody wants to ask me about it. My kids go to Woodridge High School, and we go to the football games on Friday nights. You know some of these people and wave to them. Now, they want to talk about it. People are super excited.”
The Golden Ticket
Whims has club-level season tickets at InfoCision Stadium with his childhood buds Charlie and Jason. When he heard about Akron’s fun initiative, Whims knew he’d automatically be entered into the drawing — he just didn’t have the greatest odds.
“With only one ticket, I didn’t really think there was going to be a ton of opportunity,” said Whims, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2002. “It’s still in the back of your mind, ‘Oh, that’d be cool.’ ”
He even tried to convince his brother-in-law, Justin, to purchase a season ticket. According to Whims, a season ticket referral got you an additional entry in the promotion. “He actually drew up a play,” Whims said of Justin, who ultimately decided not to buy.
With the lone entry in hand, Whims waited for days for a possible call from the Zips. As he sat in his office on Aug. 19 — the date Akron revealed the finalists — he received a phone call on his cell phone, but at first he didn’t pick it up.
OC of the Game Top 9 Candidate…🥁
Martin Alan Whims II#GoZips🦘#MakeTheClimb pic.twitter.com/rTYq5gsRyB— Akron Football (@ZipsFB) August 19, 2026
Whims’ call screening feature let him know via text that it was the Akron Athletic Department … or so he initially thought.
“I’m like, ‘Oh, they probably want a donation or something like that,’ ” he recalled. “I was almost not going to answer, but then I realized it said ‘Akron Athletic Director.’ I’m like, ‘Well, Andrew Goodrich doesn’t normally call me, so there’s got to be a reason.’ ”
And a really good reason at that — Goodrich called to let Whims know he was a finalist for the offensive coordinator fan promotion.
Did I mention it was also Whims’ 46th birthday, too? Quite the present, even if he still had to beat out eight other individuals, which included other relatively unknown Akron fans and football enthusiasts as well as popular Internet personalities such as Barstool Sports podcast host Dan “Big Cat” Katz.
“Congrats to Martin!” wrote Katz, who joked about the contest’s merits, on X Twitter. “Go be great! (Maybe run a shark wheel).”
Almost Go Time
Luckily, ahead of Goodrich’s call on Aug. 25 letting Whims know he was selected as the winner, the athletic department gave him advance warning. He still didn’t know ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if he had been picked before speaking with the athletic director.
With less than 72 hours before kickoff, Whims is already getting into the football spirit, even if he’s not necessarily the biggest football guy. He told me he played two years of offensive tackle at Ellet High School between the freshman and junior varsity teams.
“I got in for about four plays on varsity,” laughed Whims, who is scheduled to finally meet with Moorehead on Friday afternoon to talk ball, game plan for the Zips’ first offensive drive, and review tape of the Colonials.
So, what’s his thinking for the shared play-calling duties? Well, Whims was a bit coy with us in his response.
They talked about Akron’s offensive coordinator stunt on the broadcast of the Akron-Wake Forest game 😂
Season ticket holder Marty Whims won the contest and will be their offensive coordinator for the opening drive vs. Robert Morris next week. pic.twitter.com/O27taSfRy5
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) September 3, 2026
Smart. Gotta keep Robert Morris on its toes.
“I don’t have an offensive philosophy,” Whims said. “I mean, my brother-in-law drew up a play when he heard about it. That’s not me necessarily. I’m a little more of a realist. They have certain personnel, and they have a certain playbook.
“In the end, you’re going to be selecting from 100-something plays that they have in their playbook. It wouldn’t make sense to draw up some random fun play that nobody’s run before that they have to learn the day before.”
But it’d be fun, though, right?
“It is about working with the head coach to script that opening drive. … I’ve been told I’m going to have actual, real say in what type of plays we run for that and how that script works, but I don’t think it’s just drawing up a random play with two quarterbacks out there, something crazy like that.”
Marty Whims II offensive coordinator stock is falling rapidly https://t.co/TjwPjWzXEL
— Nick Wilson (@NickWilsonSays) September 3, 2026
Has it hit him yet, that he’ll be on the sidelines this weekend in a real Div. I college football game?
“In a way, yes, but I’m sure once I’m down there with the headset on, that’s when it’s really going to set in,” he said.
Well, good luck, coach. Might I suggest some trickery.
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