In the wake of Florida State's firing of head baseball coach Mike Martin Jr., it's time for a thorough discussion about the Seminoles' program and where it's going.
In this edition of the Warchant 3-2-1 -- where we offer three observations, two questions and a prediction -- we'll take a closer look at the decision to make a change, what FSU fans need to know about the Seminoles' commitment to baseball in the future, and where the search will be focused.
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Three observations
1 -- A quick hook was understandable
When the regular season ended, I was like many people who thought Mike Martin Jr. would get one more year as head coach before a decision was made about his tenure. But when you reflect back on the hiring process from when he was handed the reins, and everything that has happened since, I would say making the move now was warranted.
Even if you supported the decision to hire Martin Jr. three years ago -- and many people did not, including some on the search committee -- you had to acknowledge there were major unknowns about giving him the job.
He had never been a head coach. The only boss he ever worked for as a college assistant coach was his father. And it's not as if the program was trending in a great direction in Mike Martin Sr.'s final seasons (that miraculous trip to Omaha in 2019 notwithstanding).
Given those facts as a backdrop, I think Martin Jr. needed to get out of the gates very strong to make it to a second contract. This wasn't a situation where FSU had hired a proven head coach, who would just need time to get his program in order. Someone where you could point to a track record of success and ask fans to be patient.
So when the play on the field was so ugly at times -- and when FSU finished this regular season ninth in the ACC after being picked by league coaches to win the conference -- there couldn't have been many items listed in the "pros" column when athletics director Michael Alford started weighing the good vs. the bad.
While some are taking this shakeup as a sign that Alford is going to have a quick trigger in all situations -- and that every coach on campus is now on notice -- I really don't think that is the case. Yes, he is going to expect results. Yes, he is going to hold coaches accountable. As he should.
But Martin Jr.'s problem from the jump was that he had no history as a head coach to point to as evidence of why things would get better. So when the play on the field was below expectations -- and there was chatter inside and around the team that the program wasn't being run the right way -- well, there weren't a lot of compelling reasons to keep moving forward.
2 -- Look for FSU to take a big ... or at least kinda big ... swing
I know there's a perception among the fan base, and some media, that FSU isn't the type of school to make a big, splashy hire in baseball. And it's understandable that people feel that way. Mike Martin Sr. was not among the highest-paid coaches in college baseball, and the Seminoles definitely went the affordable route when they promoted his son.
But there are a few things to consider about where FSU is at today, compared to the past.
No. 1 -- I don't think FSU's primary goal when they hired Martin Jr. was to find the cheapest option. That was more of a side benefit to the decision. Like, "Hey, if it doesn't work out, at least we didn't spend a ton of money on him." The lower price tag was definitely attractive at the time because FSU's athletics department was facing a very challenging budget, but I don't think it was the driving force.
No. 2 -- FSU has shown recently with its efforts to retain soccer coach Mark Krikorian and softball coach Lonni Alameda -- one worked out, one didn't -- that it is more than willing to pay top dollar for successful coaches. Even in sports that don't bring in a ton of revenue -- and baseball can bring in much more revenue than those.
No. 3 -- FSU has a new administration in place. Michael Alford is in his first year as A.D., Richard McCullough is in his first year as university president, and Peter Collins is in his first year as chair of the Board of Trustees. And if you've noticed all of the extra money that has been allocated to the football program in recent months -- with greatly expanded resources in many areas, including recruiting -- it's obvious that this administration is committed to winning. That mindset is not limited to football.
No. 4 -- Michael Alford thinks big. Just look at the projects he has been closely involved with in the past year. Helping the university get $20 million from the local Blueprint agency for structural improvements to Doak Campbell Stadium. Pushing to get the standalone football operations center constructed after years of stops and starts. Creating a vision for a newly reconfigured Doak, which will feature more club seating options, luxury suites and a lot more chairbacks. While we can't deem either of those last two projects as rousing successes yet, they give you an idea of his mindset. And when Krikorian left, Alford went out and hired a prominent SEC head coach from Tennessee.
