Robert Martin, a graduate student at Binghamton and fifth-year goalie for the the Bearcats’ men’s lacrosse team, died by suicide Friday, the Syracuse Post-Standard reported over the weekend.

While the school itself did not provide details surrounding Martin’s death in its announcement Saturday, Martin’s high school coach, Shaun Smith, confirmed with the Post-Standard that the 23-year-old had taken his own life.

Martin appeared in 27 games in five seasons at Binghamton and last suited up Feb. 22 against Princeton. He started nine games in 2019 and was a member of the Bearcats’ leadership council last year. According to his Binghamton bio and Legacy.com obituary, he studied integrative neuroscience.

Martin previously starred at Corcoran High School in Syracuse. He was a three-time all-league goalie and notably scored five goals during his high school career.

Smith, now the head coach at Jordan-Elbridge, decried the lack of awareness and services for young athletes struggling with mental health.

“I look back and ask could I have done something,” he told the Post-Standard. “I don’t know. There needs to be more education. More outreach. More help and understanding and resources. There just needs to be more.”

Martin is survived by his parents, Nathan and Peggy Martin, and his siblings, Libby and Jonathan “JJ” Martin. He also leaves behind the Syracuse family, Walt and Kim Eccles, who took him in so he could finish his high school career at Corcoran when his grandmother became ill and the rest of the family moved away. Services were Sunday in Binghamton.

Suicide Prevention

If you’re in crisis, there are options available to help you cope. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at any time to speak to someone and get support. For confidential support available 24/7 for everyone in the United States, call 1-800-273-8255. More resources are available here.