Mike Martin Sr.'s legacy at Florida State more than just the wins

Nobody won more ballgames in college baseball history. And nobody did so with consistency, 40 wins or more for 40 straight seasons.

Mike Martin Sr. was promoted to Florida State’s head coach in 1980 at 36 and it became his vocation for the next four decades. With grace and a warm smile, “11” built FSU’s program into one that annually was among the nation’s best.

Martin died on Thursday, just a few days shy of his 80th birthday on Feb. 12. He battled Lewy body dementia, a disease that affects the brain as well as thinking, mood, behavior. Martin is survived by his wife, Carol, as well as children Mike Jr, Melanie and Mary Beth; and grandchildren Hannah Elizabeth, Tyler, Thomas Joseph and Lexi.

Since his retirement in 2019, Martin Sr. made few public appearances. But last spring he stepped on the field that bears his name when the program honored Buster Posey.

Martin set a national record for wins, one that may not be rivaled for decades to come (his career record is 2,029-736-4). The Seminoles consistently accumulated victories in the regular season and were formidable in the regionals and Super Regionals, and Martin’s teams won 73.6 percent of their games.

At the close of each Super Regional-winning press conference, Martin saw there were no more questions. He would smile and look around the room, telling reporters that he now could say his four favorite words: “See you in Omaha.”

FSU indeed advanced to the College World Series in 17 seasons. FSU never won a CWS under Martin, although the program came a win away in 1986 and 1999.

The Seminoles had very good teams that fell short in the Super Regionals. They had lesser teams make it to Omaha. And then there was “One Last Run.”

In 2019, FSU struggled in the regular season and slipped into the 64-team field as a No. 3 seed and had a spot in the Athens (Ga.) Regional. Had the NCAA Baseball Selection Committee done FSU a favor, knowing this was Martin’s last year? Regardless, few could have expected what would happen.

FSU put away Georgia twice to claim the regional. The Seminoles then traveled to LSU and swept the Tigers. It set up one more opportunity for FSU and Martin in Omaha.

“For me to say that winning a national championship doesn’t mean that much to me, that would be a bunch of bull,” Martin said before the 2019 CWS. “Obviously anybody that’s coaching wants to win a national championship. But I also understand the nuances of baseball. Anything can happen.”

The Seminoles knocked off Arkansas in the opener 1-0. Excitement built but FSU’s bats went quiet, with Michigan taking a 2-0 victory and then Texas Tech eliminating the Seminoles 4-1.

Share your thoughts on Mike Martin Sr. on the Osceola Village

Seminoles players, FSU community remember Mike Martin Sr.

Martin’s press conferences were thoughtful. His words were slow and he enunciated. He wore his love of FSU in many ways beyond the uniform he wore in those 40 years.

“The main thing that I want everyone in this room to know is how proud I am to be a Seminole and be a part of a program that is so important to me,” Martin began as he addressed the media in Omaha. “But yet to see these young men display the leadership that they did when things were not going right for us six, eight weeks ago, I'm just so pleased that they took the bull by the horns and brought us to Omaha. I don't want what they accomplished to go unnoticed.

“What they accomplished is close to unbelievable, but yet they're disappointed, as we all are, with the outcome. But what's the outcome? We finished fifth or sixth in the College World Series? Our season ended in Omaha. There are a whole lot of folks that wish their season ended in Omaha.”

Martin’s retirement was known for a year before the last run. While he cherished the time his wife, Carol, and played golf, there were honors still to come, and he was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame as well as the FSU athletics hall of fame.

After playing baseball at Wingate Junior College and FSU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1966 and later a master’s degree in 1971, Martin gravitated toward coaching. He took on roles at Cobb Middle School and Godby High School, including coaching the boys’ basketball team, as well as Tallahassee Community College.

In 1975, he joined Woody Woodward’s coaching staff at FSU and stayed on for Dick Howser’s season in 1979. When Howser was hired by the New York Yankees, Martin took on the job.

He was a six-time Metro Conference coach of the year and seven-time ACC coach of the year, guiding the Seminoles to 19 league championships (11 Metro, eight ACC). Martin was also the 2012 national coach of the year.

He helped develop 19 MLB first-round picks and 139 All-Americans, including Golden Spikes Award winners like Posey, J.D. Drew and Mike Fuentes. There were so many “Martinisms,” but he often favored words like poise and composure for how pitchers or position players performed in pressure moments.

The coaching philosophy, patient plate approach and propensity to bunt were often questioned. So were the pitching decisions, some after slow walks from the dugout to the mound.

Martin was celebrated by the FSU community during “One Last Run,” but he also acknowledged the losses after his final one. “Y'all never want to talk about L's. I got some L's.”

When asked at his final press conference in Omaha about a variety of topics, including his impact not just on the FSU program but also college baseball’s growth, Martin reflected on his career.

“I want to be remembered as a guy that did it right, that put education first, that made sure that guys understood what's expected of them, that they're coming to Florida State to get a degree first,” Martin said. “We're not a school that just wants baseball players. We're a university that demands that you do what you're supposed to do in the classroom, and that's give it your best shot.”

Follow The Osceola on Facebook

Follow The Osceola on Twitter

Subscribe to the Osceola's YouTube channel

Subscribe to the Osceola's podcasts on Apple