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Mike Martin (baseball coach)

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Mike Martin
Martin in 2014
Biographical details
Born(1944-02-12)February 12, 1944
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedFebruary 1, 2024(2024-02-01) (aged 79)
Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
Playing career
1963–1964Wingate JC
1965–1966Florida State
1966Greenville Mets
1967Winter Haven Mets
1967Mankato Mets
1968Rocky Mount Leafs
Position(s)Centerfielder
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1970–1971Tallahassee CC
1971–1974Godby HS (FL)
Baseball
1975–1979Florida State (assistant)
1980–2019Florida State
Head coaching record
Overall2029–736–4
Tournaments142–83
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
11× Metro Tournament champions (1980, 1981, 1983–1991)

ACC Tournament champions (1995, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018)
Metro Regular season champions (1986, 1989, 1990, 1991)

ACC Regular season champions (1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2012)
Awards
2× Baseball America Coach of the Year (2012, 2019)

6× Metro Conference Coach of the Year

7× ACC Coach of the Year (1996, 1998–1999, 2001, 2007, 2009, 2012)
College Baseball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2019

Michael David Martin Sr. (February 12, 1944 – February 1, 2024) was an American head baseball coach of the Florida State Seminoles baseball team. Martin holds the record for most wins in NCAA Division I college baseball history. Upon the completion of his career, Martin had compiled a record of 2,029 wins, 736 losses and four ties over 40 seasons of collegiate coaching.

Biography

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Michael David Martin Sr. was a native of Charlotte, North Carolina.[1] He began his collegiate playing career at Wingate Junior College,[2] where he was a Junior College All-American. He then transferred to Florida State, where he played from 1965 to 1966 and graduated in 1966. During his years as the center fielder at Florida State, Martin hit .354, and earned all-District honors in his senior season and played in the 1965 College World Series. After his college career was over, Martin played professional baseball in the New York Mets and Detroit Tigers minor league organizations for three seasons before beginning his career in coaching.

Martin began his career in coaching at the junior high school level. His first stint as a college coach, surprisingly, came in a different sport, basketball, when Martin became the head basketball coach at Tallahassee Community College during the 1970–1971 season.[3]

It was in 1975, when Woody Woodward took over the head coaching job at Florida State, that Martin would be reunited with his alma mater. Martin served as an assistant coach under Woodward for four seasons, and then for another season under Dick Howser. Howser would get his chance to manage the New York Yankees and Martin stepped into the head coaching role at Florida State in 1980.

Though Martin's teams did not win a national title, his tenure at Florida State was marked with many honors and feats. Florida State, as of Martin's retirement in 2019, had made 43 straight postseason appearances (41 under Martin), at that time the longest active streak in the country. Martin's Seminoles won eight Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championships and appeared in 17 College World Series.

Martin's players, which include many college and professional standouts such as Deion Sanders, J. D. Drew, Doug Mientkiewicz, Stephen Drew, Paul Wilson, Lincoln R. "Link" Jarrett, and Buster Posey, have excelled as well. More than 70 of Martin's players have been named All-Americans, five have been named national player of the year, four have won the Golden Spikes Award, considered to be the most prestigious individual award in amateur baseball, and two - J.D. Drew and Posey - have won the Dick Howser Trophy, considered to be the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for baseball. Martin won the ACC Coach of the Year award seven times (1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2009, 2012).

On May 5, 2018, Martin reached 1,976 career wins, surpassing legendary coach Augie Garrido to become NCAA Division I college baseball's all-time wins leader. On June 18, 2018, it was announced that Martin would retire following the 2019 season.[4]

Florida State's baseball team plays on Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium, dedicated in 2005.[5]

On March 9, 2019, Martin became the first coach to achieve 2,000 career wins with a 5–2 victory over Virginia Tech in the second game of a doubleheader.[6] In 2019, Martin was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.[7]

Martin died from complications from Lewy body dementia in Tallahassee, Florida, on February 1, 2024, at the age of 79.[8]

Head coaching record

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Mike Martin in 1986
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Florida State Seminoles (Metro Conference) (1980–1991)
1980 Florida State 51–12 5–2 College World Series
1981 Florida State 56–23 10–4 NCAA Regional
1982 Florida State 56–17–1 9–6 NCAA Regional
1983 Florida State 55–18–1 10–4 NCAA Regional
1984 Florida State 55–29 15–3 NCAA Regional
1985 Florida State 59–23 17–6 1st (Southern) NCAA Regional
1986 Florida State 61–13 15–3 1st College World Series Runner-Up
1987 Florida State 55–18 19–4 College World Series
1988 Florida State 50–18–1 17–6 NCAA Regional
1989 Florida State 54–18 14–4 College World Series
1990 Florida State 57–15 17–4 NCAA Regional
1991 Florida State 57–14 15–4 College World Series
Florida State (Metro): 666–218–3 163–50
Florida State Seminoles (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1992–2019)
1992 Florida State 49–21 16–7 2nd College World Series
1993 Florida State 46–19 14–9 3rd NCAA Regional
1994 Florida State 53–22 14–9 4th College World Series
1995 Florida State 53–16 16–7 2nd College World Series
1996 Florida State 52–17 19–5 1st College World Series
1997 Florida State 50–17 18–6 2nd NCAA Regional
1998 Florida State 53–20 18–4 1st College World Series
1999 Florida State 57–14 22–2 1st College World Series Runner-Up
2000 Florida State 53–19 15–9 3rd College World Series
2001 Florida State 47–19 20–4 1st NCAA Super Regional
2002 Florida State 60–14 18–6 1st NCAA Super Regional
2003 Florida State 54–13–1 19–5 1st NCAA Super Regional
2004 Florida State 45–23 16–8 3rd NCAA Super Regional
2005 Florida State 53–20 19–11 4th NCAA Super Regional
2006 Florida State 44–21 16–13 6th (T–2nd Atlantic) NCAA Regional
2007 Florida State 45–13 21–6 1st (1st Atlantic) NCAA Regional
2008 Florida State 54–14 24–6 2nd (1st Atlantic) College World Series
2009 Florida State 45–18 19–9 1st (1st Atlantic) NCAA Super Regional
2010 Florida State 48–20 18–12 5th (T–1st Atlantic) College World Series
2011 Florida State 46–19 19–11 5th (1st Atlantic) NCAA Super Regional
2012 Florida State 50–17 24–6 1st (1st Atlantic) College World Series
2013 Florida State 47–17 20–10 3rd (1st Atlantic) NCAA Super Regional
2014 Florida State 43–17 21–9 3rd (1st Atlantic) NCAA Regional
2015 Florida State 44–21 17–13 4th (2nd Atlantic) NCAA Super Regional
2016 Florida State 41–22 16–10 4th (2nd Atlantic) NCAA Super Regional
2017 Florida State 46–23 14–14 8th (5th Atlantic) College World Series
2018 Florida State 43–19 16–13 T-6th (4th Atlantic) NCAA Regional
2019 Florida State 42–23 17–13 T-5th(3rd Atlantic) College World Series
Florida State (ACC): 1332–518–1 506–237
Total: 2029–736–4

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ensley, Gerald (Spring 2008), "Eleven is No. 1", Vires, vol. 10, no. 1, Florida State University, retrieved June 24, 2019
  2. ^ "Coach Mike Martin To Be Honored By Wingate University Tonight". www.seminoles.com. Florida State University. October 22, 2004. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  3. ^ "Eddie Barnes bio". www.tcceagles.com. Tallahassee Community College. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  4. ^ "Florida State's Mike Martin to retire after 2018-19 season". www.tallahassee.com. Tallahassee Democrat. June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  5. ^ "Mike Martin Field Dedication Set To Take Place Saturday April 2". www.seminoles.com. Florida State University. March 18, 2005. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  6. ^ Mike Martin's Career Wins Total Stands Alone. Baseball America website. Retrieved on April 9, 2019.
  7. ^ "2019 College Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees". National College Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  8. ^ "Farewell, 11: Remembering Florida State baseball coaching legend Mike Martin". News4JAX. February 1, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
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