Mike Martin obit

Remembering Florida State baseball coaching legend Mike Martin

The iconic former Seminoles head coach died on Thursday

 

He was not on the list.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mike Martin, Florida State’s longtime baseball coach and the winningest coach in college baseball history, died on Thursday. Martin was 79.

Martin had battled Lewy body dementia for three years and had been in hospice care. Martin last coached the Seminoles in 2019, leading Florida State to its 40th consecutive NCAA appearance, his 40th straight winning season and 17th College World Series berth. With a 2,029-736-4 career record, all at Florida State, Martin is the winningest coach in any college sport.

Martin is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Carol, children Mary Beth, Melanie and Mike Martin Jr., and grandchildren, Hannah Elizabeth, Lexi, Thomas Joseph and Tyler.

Today we mourn with the Martin family the passing of a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and baseball coach.

Rest in Peace, 11 pic.twitter.com/5cWLT3hcAj

— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball) February 1, 2024

Affectionately known by his jersey number — 11 — Martin is in a slew of halls of fame, including the Florida Sports and the American Baseball Coaches Association. Martin replaced Dick Howser as Florida State’s head coach in 1979 after Howser took a job with the Yankees. Martin led the Seminoles to the College World Series for the first time in 1980.

The Seminoles won 19 conference titles under Martin and earned National Coach of the Year honors in 2012 and ‘19. The field at Florida State is named in his honor. The school will hold a celebration of life for the public to attend at a later date.

Michael David Martin Sr. was a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. He began his collegiate playing career at Wingate Junior College, 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.

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 the winningest coach in college baseball history. On June 18, 2018, it was announced that Martin would retire following the 2019 season.

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

 

Playing career

1963–1964            Wingate JC

1965–1966            Florida State

1966            Greenville Mets

1967    Winter Haven Mets

1967            Mankato Mets

1968    Rocky Mount Leafs

Position(s)            Centerfielder

Coaching career (HC unless noted)

Basketball

1970–1971            Tallahassee CC

1971–1974            Godby HS (FL)

Baseball

1975–1979            Florida State (assistant)

1980–2019            Florida State

Head coaching record

Overall 2029–736–4

Tournaments            142–83