Mike Martin Position: Head Coach Experience: 33rd Season Alma Mater: Florida State '66

Seven men guided the Florida State baseball program through its first 32 years, each enjoying some measure of success. Entering his 33rd season as the Seminoles' head coach, Mike Martin continues to redefine success by any standard of measure. With 1,673 career victories, a .743 winning percentage that ranks second among all active NCAA Division I coaches, 32 consecutive regional tournament appearances and 14 trips to the College World Series, Martin's place in college baseball history is secure.

Martin was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007. Since then he has eclipsed the 1,500- and 1,600-win milestones, returned to the College World Series twice in the last four seasons and shown no sign of slowing down, while continuing to turn out All-Americans, Major League Draft choices and postseason participants.

Only two men, Texas' Augie Garrido and Wichita State's Gene Stephenson, have won more games than the man whose uniform number - 11 - is universally substituted for his name among players, fans, colleagues, and even family members. There's a reason Martin is treated like family among the Florida State faithful. He has been associated with the Seminoles for 40 of the program's 65 seasons - as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

There have been 3,531 baseball games played in FSU history and Martin has been involved in 2,638 of those in some capacity. Even more impressively, he's been on the field or in the dugout for 1,940 of the Seminoles' 2,573 all-time victories. In a sport where you're immortalized for batting .300, Martin has more than doubled that success rate - and then some - having had a hand in more than 75 percent of the program's victories in numerous capacities.

In 2011, Martin and the Seminoles extended their consecutive NCAA Regional appearances streak to 34 while making their 11th all-time appearance in the Super Regionals. FSU finished the year at 46-19 including 19-11 in the ACC, went on to play in the league championship game for the third straight year and finished atop the ACC's Atlantic Division for the fifth year in a row. The Seminoles season was highlighted by series victories over Florida (3-1) and Miami (2-1) and 11 wins over ranked opponents including a win over the top-ranked Gators in St. Petersburg, Fla., on March 1.

The 2010 season brought more of the same success as the Seminoles made an impressive postseason run culminating with a 14th trip to the College World Series. FSU's 48-20 campaign included a fifth Atlantic Coast Conference championship, which marked the 16th league title for a Martin-coached club. Eleven of those crowns came when the Seminoles were competing in the Metro Conference.

Quite naturally, Martin's accomplishments have been recognized, as he has claimed conference coach of the year honors 12 times; six times each in the Metro and Atlantic Coast conferences. Sean Gilmartin and James Ramsey, stars from the 2011 season, were recognized by earning All-America and All-ACC honors. In all, Martin's Seminoles have collected 80 All-America and 104 All-ACC honors. Furthermore, he has coached six players - Mike Fuentes, Mike Loynd, J.D. Drew, Shane Robinson, Tony Thomas, Jr. and Buster Posey - who were named National Player of the Year. Three of those have been honored over the last seven seasons.

Over the past three decades, Martin hasn't only produced great players. He has developed a program that consistently turns out great teams. FSU baseball is the second-winningest program all-time, trailing only Texas, which has played 115 seasons. That's 51 seasons more than the Seminoles, who along with the Longhorns, are the only programs in college baseball history to have won 73 percent of their games.

Since the start of the 2000 season, Florida State has won more games (598) than any other program. Since 1990, no Division I school has more top 10 finishes, 50-plus win seasons or participated in more NCAA Regionals.

What Martin and the Seminoles have accomplished from 1990 to the present may rank as one of the great feats in college athletics. Beyond their staggering success in the regular season, the Seminoles have flourished in the postseason. From their 22 consecutive NCAA Regional appearances - 18 as the hosts - the Seminoles have finished their season in at the College World Series 10 times. Since the NCAA instituted Super Regional play in 1999, FSU has reached the penultimate postseason round 11 times and played host at Dick Howser Stadium on eight occasions.

The Road to Omaha in 2010 was anything but a smoothly paved super-highway, even though the Seminoles sailed through their first 12 games without a blemish, including a three-game home sweep of Georgia and single wins over Florida, Jacksonville and UNF. FSU promptly dropped its first two ACC games - at home - against top-ranked Virginia, avoiding a sweep with a Sunday triumph.

It would be that kind of season in the ACC, which proved to be the most competitive conference in the nation, with eight of 12 teams registering at least 38 victories and advancing to the NCAA Regionals - a new league standard. As a result, three-game league sweeps were a rarity. The Seminoles managed two - Maryland and Wake Forest - which they sandwiched around a rough patch. FSU dropped two-of-three at home to Virginia Tech, which left them 7-5 after the first weekend in April. After sweeping the Demon Deacons on the road, the `Noles scored 2-1 series records against Duke, Miami, Boston College and NC State down the stretch.

At 18-9 in ACC play, the Seminoles controlled their own destiny in their bid for a fourth consecutive, outright ACC Atlantic Division title as they headed to Clemson. The Tigers promptly swept the Seminoles, who still managed to secure the Atlantic top spot by virtue of a tie-breaker.

The Seminoles suffered their fourth consecutive loss - their longest losing streak of the season - to Miami in the opening game of the ACC Tournament, before turning things around. An 11-4 win over top-seeded Virginia served as the springboard to another remarkable postseason run. The Seminoles routed Boston College, and then turned back NC State 8-3 in the championship game at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, N.C. for their fifth ACC title.

Continuing its momentum in Connecticut, FSU pushed its winning streak to six, sweeping the NCAA Norwich Regional. Consecutive two-run wins over Oregon put the `Noles back in a Super Regional, this time at home against Vanderbilt. McGee's walk-off homer in the opening game kept the ball rolling. Undeterred by a 6-2 loss in the second game, the `Noles used a three-run, eighth inning double by Sherman Johnson and McGee's 12th save of the season to score a 7-6 victory and earn the program's 20th College World Series trip.

Securing a second trip in three years to Omaha, for the final CWS at venerable Rosenblatt Stadium, was a fulfilling experience for Martin and his players. They had dealt with the heartache of falling to Arkansas in the 2009 Super Regional after experiencing a breakthrough campaign in 2008.

The 2008 Seminoles snapped a seven-year drought between CWS appearances - the longest in Martin's tenure - by rolling up a 54-14 record, which included an ACC-record 24-6 league mark. Led by consensus All-American and National Player of the Year Buster Posey, the Seminoles slugged their way back into the national spotlight. With five All-ACC players in the fold, FSU produced a nation-leading and ACC-record .355 batting average to go along with 103 home runs. Along the way the group delivered Martin his 1,500th career victory, fittingly in a 17-8 rout of Georgia Tech.

Posey, who became the 15th first-round draft in Martin's career, served as the catalyst for a team that embodied their coach's persona. Florida State won six consecutive elimination games in the Tallahassee Regional and Super Regional, securing their first CWS berth since the 2000 season.

It was a long time coming for a program which dominated the decade. From 2000-2009, the Seminoles won 500 games, two ACC Tournament titles, authored a rare 60-win season (2002), turned out National Players of the Year (Shane Robinson, Tony Thomas, Jr. and Buster Posey) and four first-round draft picks. No one suspected that the 2000 team - Martin's 19th to reach the 50-win landmark in 22 seasons - would be the last to find its way to Rosenblatt Stadium. After all, the Seminoles had become regular June visitors and seemed poised to break through for its first CWS title after consecutive strong showings in 1999 (second) and 2000 (tied for third).

From 1990-1999, Florida State made seven CWS appearances, including a program-best stretch of three consecutive (1994-96). The '99 Seminoles provided the capper. They came through the ACC schedule with a 22-2 mark - the best in league history - which helped Martin land coach of the year honors. Marshall McDougall, who left the nation buzzing about FSU baseball when he slammed an NCAA record six home runs in a single game at Maryland earlier in the season, helped the `Noles roll through the Regional and Super Regional rounds at home. In Omaha, FSU rallied from a second-round loss to reach the title game by beating Stanford 14-11 in 13 innings. The dream season ended with a heart-breaking, 6-5 loss to Miami with a title on the line.

Beyond the 527 wins in the 10-year stretch, there were plenty of memories. Martin, who would post his 1,000th career victory in '98 against Jacksonville, had a chance to coach his son - catcher Mike Martin, Jr. - for three seasons. He also filled out lineup cards with names like Paul Wilson, Doug Mientkiewicz, Jonathan Johnson and Eduardo Perez. The Seminoles also joined the ACC in 1992, posting the league's best record three times, while winning two tournament titles during the decade.

In short, Martin's Seminoles of the 1990s raised the standard of excellence established under his direction throughout the 1980s. The Seminoles won nine Metro Conference Tournament titles and made three College World Series appearances between 1980 and 1989, thanks to the likes of Mike Fuentes, Jeff Ledbetter, Luis Alicea, Mike Loynd, Paul Sorrento and Richie Lewis.

Winning, however, does not define Martin's brilliant career. The 2001 team got a first-hand reminder of that prior to a series at Stanford. Leaving the San Francisco airport, Martin and then-assistant Chip Baker gained control of the team's charter bus after the driver suffered a fatal heart attack, safely guiding the bus to the side of a busy freeway. Martin and Baker were presented with the university's prestigious Westcott Award for their bravery in saving the lives of players and staff.

Throughout his career, Martin has stressed the importance of developing true student-athletes. The Seminoles must first win and lose with class; a direct reflection on the man who leads the program. In six seasons of presenting the ACC Sportsmanship Award, Martin's Seminoles won the award twice. Academically, Florida State has been a fixture among the top teams in the ACC for overall GPA. The 2010 Seminoles had a league-high six members selected to the All-ACC Academic Baseball Team; the third time in the last five years that they have led the conference. In all, FSU baseball student-athletes have been selected to the academic team of distinction 31 times since its 2006 inception. In 2011, James Ramsey became the second Seminole to garner ACC Baseball Scholar Athlete of the Year accolades joining Buster Posey, who won the award in its inaugural season in 2008. Ramsey was also honored as a first team Academic All-American by Capital One/CoSIDA in 2011 becoming the fifth Seminole baseball player to earn the distinction under Martin and ninth in the program's history. Adding to the academic accolades in 2008, Posey was named the CoSIDA Academic Player of the Year - the first of its kind for the FSU Baseball program. Twice in the last five years Martin's club has been honored with the Golden Torch Award for the highest overall GPA among FSU men's athletic teams.

There's no question that the Seminoles' outstanding character in the most difficult of times stems directly from their head coach. When Martin transferred to FSU from Wingate Junior College in 1965 to play centerfield for the Seminoles, it marked the beginning of a love affair that has never ended. His love for the game of baseball is matched only by the success he has had teaching it to aspiring players.

From the new facilities to the coaching staff to the unmatched community support, Martin has improved an already strong Seminole baseball tradition with every season. Just when it seems that the program can reach no higher plane, something bigger and better comes along. When Martin took over in 1980, it was taboo to mention "Omaha" around the ball club. No one wanted to jinx an FSU team that had made it to the College World Series only three times in the previous 16 seasons. After taking the Seminoles to that hallowed ground in his very first season, Martin would eventually make Omaha not only a household word, but a second home to the Seminoles, leading the program there 14 times.

Martin began his career by whipping off 12 consecutive 50-win seasons. Interrupted by 49- and 46-win campaigns in 1992 and 1993, he followed with another streak of 50 plus wins in seven straight seasons from 1994 to 2000.

To many, Martin seemed the logical successor to Dick Howser as head coach in 1979. After all, he had a significant hand in FSU's ascent to the top ranks in college baseball, beginning as a player with the Seminoles. Martin hit .354 in two seasons as the starting centerfielder, and was a member of the 1965 College World Series team as a senior. He went on to play professionally in the New York Mets and Detroit Tigers organizations for three years before embarking on a coaching career, which brought him back to Tallahassee.

He began coaching junior high baseball and basketball, before taking over as the head basketball coach at Tallahassee Community College. Martin spent four seasons coaching basketball at nearby Godby High School before Woody Woodward was hired as FSU's baseball coach in 1975. Martin joined the Seminoles' staff and served as Woodward's top assistant for four years, then added one more under Howser.

When New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner called Howser to the Bronx in November of 1979, Martin was the obvious replacement.

Martin's dream came true and remains a thrill to this day. The winner of more games than the first seven FSU coaches combined, he has been an NCAA Tournament participant for 34 consecutive years, counting his last two seasons as an assistant. Martin has pulled on the FSU uniform in Omaha for 16 of the program's 20 trips as either a player, assistant or head coach. His passion to produce winners on and off the field was passed down from his FSU coach, Fred Hatfield, to Woodward and Howser.

Over the course of his career he's shared that wisdom with 168 players who have been selected in the Major League Draft, six National Players of the Year and four Golden Spikes Award winners.

Martin's passion for the game and working with young people makes him a popular public speaker throughout the Southeast. His involvement through the years with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes provides another avenue for reaching out to others.

In 2004, Martin was honored by the two schools he attended as an undergraduate. Wingate University, where he spent two years before transferring to FSU, bestowed upon him the honor of Distinguished Alumnus. He was also presented the Bernard F. Sliger Award for Service, named after Florida State's 11th president, which is the highest honor accorded by the Alumni Association.

A 1966 graduate of Florida State, Martin earned his master's degree in 1971. He and wife Carol have three children, Mary Beth, Melanie and Mike, Jr., who is in his 15th season as an assistant coach to his father, and four grandchildren. Mary Beth and husband Tom Buchanan are the parents of Martin's first grandchild Hannah Elizabeth (13) and Lexi, who joined the family in January in 2012. Mike, Jr. and his wife Litzie are the parents of Martin's second and third grandchildren Tyler (10) and T.J. (8).

Mike Martin (1980-Present)
1980		51-12-0		.810
1981		56-23-0		.709
1982		56-17-1		.764
1983		55-18-1		.750
1984		55-29-0		.655
1985		59-23-0		.720
1986		61-13-0		.824
1987		55-18-0		.753
1988		50-18-1		.714
1989		54-18-0		.750
1990		57-15-0		.792
1991		57-14-0		.803
1992		49-21-0		.700
1993		46-19-0		.708
1994		53-22-0		.707
1995		53-16-0		.768
1996		52-17-0		.754
1997		50-17-0		.746
1998		53-20-0		.726
1999		57-14-0		.803
2000		53-19-0		.736
2001		47-19-0		.712
2002		60-14-0		.811
2003		54-13-1		.801
2004		45-23-0		.661
2005		53-20-0		.685
2006		44-21-0		.677
2007		45-13-0		.776
2008		54-14-0		.794
2009            45-18-0         .714
2010            48-20-0         .706
2011            46-19-0         .708
Total        1673-577-4         .743