Kansas State basketball coach Frank Martin appeared on the Tim Brando's radio show and addressed the rumors that he could be headed to Miami (listen to the interview here). Here's the key take-away from Martin: "No one's called me, Tim." Does that mean they also haven't called your agent?
Brando broached the subject almost immediately in the 12-minute interview. Martin did say, "Never say never," which you gotta give him credit for. Mike Anderson could have been that honest, but the now-former Missouri Tigers basketball coach said he wanted to retire at Mizzou before jumping to Arkansas. After the jump, read the key parts of the Brando interview.
Brando: Your name keeps popping up with Vegas. Iit's popping up a little bit with Miami. Frank, are you involved at all with any other jobs, or is K-State where you are going to be for quite some time?Also of note, ESPN's Andy Katz seemed to dismiss the Martin-to-Miami talk because if Martin is going to bolt, it's going to be to a bigger program ... like North Carolina State?
Martin: "No one's called me, Tim. I've got a great job. I work with great people. I look at it like this: Ten years ago, as we speak, I was a Division I unemployed assistant basketball coach collecting no paychecks, having no idea how I was going to pay my rent or my son's day-care bill. Ten years later, I'm at a great place. And if people want to throw our name out there, I look at that as a compliment and I look at that as being lucky and fortunate that I'm in a good place right now and that people out there respect what we've done here.
"But, I haven't talked to anybody. In this business, it's hard to ever sit back and say, 'Never say never,' because then you get called a liar. I have a tough time lying. It's not what I do. But I'm extremely happy. I'm not going to tell you there's never going to be change, but I'm at peace where I'm at right now."
Brando: "You're at a place that gives a damn, and I think that's important to coaches. They work for people who really do care about their program. ... Sometimes the grass isn't always greener, is it?"
Martin: "I'm not one to brag. I rarely speak about myself or opportunities I've had. I'm not at Kansas State right now because I haven't had opportunities to make more money elsewhere. I'm at Kansas State right now because of what you're talking about. We've got an incredible community. It's a great university. I remember getting here five years ago and everyone saying, 'Why are you guys going there? Why would you go there?'
"In my five years here, I continue to learn about the incredible history and tradition of this basketball program. It's our mission to continue to build it and hopefully be able to get back to the level it had been once upon a time. We've gotten better. We're going to continue to fight."
Kansas State coach Frank Martin is from Miami, but he has a better job now than a potential one in Coral Gables. Martin would have to be lured to a big-time gig to leave Kansas State. Would NC State qualify? Certainly, but he doesn't have to chase. Miami has never paid well enough or shown the commitment to men's basketball the way a school like Kansas State has.
H/T: Go K-State.
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I don't think he's lying. But that would have been my follow up question if I were Brando. Then I would have gotten hung up on. But I do appreciate his candor. Not a lot of people would have said "never say never."
NC State just hired someone. What is with you journos and the way you think everyone is a liar. If he says he hasn't been called your first response is to ask "what about your agent"?
Frank is about as honest as it gets, yet the journos think he's always up to something.
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