Martin says he didn't run away from Kansas State

gchawk 1 year, 1 month ago

"Opportunity at South Carolina was just too good to pass up". Yeah right, Frank, SC is definitely rich in basketball history! Compared to SC, KSU is the holy grail of basketball.

trojanhawk 1 year, 1 month ago

He's a Florida guy, and makes a living off the Sunshine State's recruits. It is a better opportunity for him to be in the SE US. Soon enough he'll be back to his home state when the Miami job opens again.

jhox 1 year, 1 month ago

If we're being honest it will be a lot easier to recruit to SC than to Manhattan. Imagine how tough it must be to bring in urban athletes to Manhattan? To be competitive, that's what it takes. He did a great job there, with a little help from Huggie getting the ball rolling. I believe SC has a much higher upside. I would have made the same choice and I'm a Kansas boy. KSU is the better program right now, but only because they had Huggie and Martin. Roles Will be reversed in 3 years.

jayhawkerjoel 1 year, 1 month ago

I cannot imagine growing up in Miami or NY and then moving to Manhattan KS.
Each state needs its own Moo U, but does anyone blame him for leaving?

HawkitToEm 1 year, 1 month ago

How could anyone blame him? Manhattan, ks sucks. he'll be able to recuit so much more talent now. glad we had him in the conf!!

Sybesma 1 year, 1 month ago

"Convenient for seeing his familiy"? Then why didn't he take the Miami job last year when Haith left? I understand you're trying to take the high road but quit trying to spin it Frank.

LTCUSARet 1 year, 1 month ago

Martin wanted Miami. Miami would not even talk to Martin.

JamesA 1 year, 1 month ago

I don't think anyone would want the miami job after the recent scandal(s).

LTCUSARet 1 year, 1 month ago

I agree, but there were articles in the media last year that Martin was interested in Miami, but Miami wanted nothing to do with Martin. People say it takes all kinds...

memhawk 1 year, 1 month ago

I just find it hard to imagine his family. Do they all look like him? Picture his sister, if he has one. And what about the kids in that family?

notabandwagonfan 1 year, 1 month ago

An obvious lie is an obvious lie. He's happy the AD at USC wont suspend one of his best players for something so minor (sarcasm) as taking money from someone. In the SEC, you simply have to look the other way in terms of this crap.

bayareajhawk 1 year, 1 month ago

Yes, he ran away. And can anyone blame him?

OakvilleJHawk 1 year, 1 month ago

You gotta love a university which has the word "c-o-c-k" in their nickname!!

Parted on good terms...

FM - OK, I won't leave behind a bomb in your office when I'm gone.... JC - OK, I won't shoot you in the back when you are leaving...

Columbia, SC to Manhattan - 13 hour drive Columbia, SC to Miami, FL - 10.5 hour drive. .......yep, just around the corner!!

championhawks 1 year, 1 month ago

Not sure what you are getting at with your last point. He said it was more convenient to see family in those locations, not right next door. A drive from Manhattan, KS to Manhattan, NY is over 22 hours while a drive from Kansas to Miami is over a day. So the move to SC makes it more convenient.

Besides, I doubt that Martin would be driving. A quick search shows no direct flights from Manhattan, KS to NY or Miami while there are direct flights right from Columbia, SC to NY and a 1 stop flight to Miami is less than 4 hours (as opposed to about 5.5 hours from Manhattan, KS).

yovoy 1 year, 1 month ago

I get the point that it's not next door, but Miami to Lawrence was 20 flat, not over a day.

I thought they got some sort of upgrade at their airport in Man-hatin' that allows them to have direct flights to major metros. I wasn't listening to the KSU co-worker as he blathered on.

Hopefully Coach Martin will win and be successful in SC, since he's not longer in our league. I like his style. Oh, hopefully his can be one of the teams that beats up on MU.

kayjku 1 year, 1 month ago

AA has direct flights to Dallas and Chicago from MHK.

1_Jaydoc_1 1 year, 1 month ago

Still, nobody has states this correctly. The comparison is Miami to Manhattan which is a 26 hour drive, vs. Miami to Columbia, SC which is just over 10 hours.

Now just a quick flight from his family and recruiting hotspot. It makes sense.

He also doesn't have to drive hours to find a decent airport to fly out of.

Krohnutz 1 year, 1 month ago

I agree, it all makes sense for him.

Let me ask the detractors of the move this:

Will it be easier to rebuild South Carolina into the third best basketball team in their conference as compared to usurping a national power in your own state while trying to compete for Texas talent against UT and Baylor? What does KSU offer a third tier Texas player that Tech, TCU, OU, and OSU don't? Why go that far north?

Meanwhile, Frank is already the third best coach in the SEC and really only has to compete against two in-conference schools while enjoying a much larger recruiting pool to draw from. For a kid wanting to play in the SEC, but is unable to play at Florida or Kentucky, South Carolina is now a viable option.

rockchalknation 1 year, 1 month ago

"If you ain't cheatin, you ain't tryin". That is assumed in the SEC

JayHawkFanToo 1 year, 1 month ago

I thought the expression was: if you are not cheating, you are only cheating yourself.

ahpersecoachingexperience 1 year, 1 month ago

Didn't "run" he "sprinted"

txrockchalk 1 year, 1 month ago

It would be interesting to see how K-State fans/trolls feel about this.

Squawkhawk?

Hammertoe?

texashawk10 1 year, 1 month ago

Hammertoe's response, "We went 13-1 against you last year"

hawkinator 1 year, 1 month ago

Our water polo team beat your beer pong team :-p

1_Jaydoc_1 1 year, 1 month ago

Their record vs. KU has actually been unacceptable the last few years. Since the '08 season things have been in pretty bad shape around here (thanks Lew I-only-care-about-basketball Perkins).

So far this year we are something like 0-10 against them in non-baskeball sports. Now that Dr. Zenger has football headed in the right direction, its time to start cleaning house in all other sports.

Fortunately Zenger seems like he has the initiative to do just that. Nobody should feel safe at KU because aside from BBall and track and field we woefully underperform.

master16 1 year, 1 month ago

the fact he has to come out and say he didn't run away from KSU, means he ran away from KSU.

raprichard 1 year, 1 month ago

Perfect summation master16.

Yes he ran away.

No, no one blames him.

Yes he has to say he didn't run away.

No, no one blames him.

BadLiberal 1 year, 1 month ago

I wish this had a "like" button. +11ty.

JHAWKNPHX 1 year, 1 month ago

You can't blame him. Once you get to KState, you can't wait to get out of KState!!!

jayhawkinmullen 1 year, 1 month ago

K-State is a joke. Once Synder retires again they will have nothing going for them. If the Big 12 is wants to be a legitimate conference they will kick K-State out.

bb73 1 year, 1 month ago

Little too strong.

BayHawkaholic 1 year, 1 month ago

and replace them with who?

rob4lb 1 year, 1 month ago

What an ignorant comment. There is no guarantee that KU will overtake K-State in football once Snyder leaves and Weber may be just the right BB coach. No one can come up with two additional teams to invite to the conference that would want to join. I would argue that any potential new members are all weaker than K-State. TCU doesn't even compare to K-State when it comes to value.

gchawk 1 year, 1 month ago

Your post defies logic. There's a lot of difference between disliking a particular school, which you make obvious, and actually making a valid point, which isn't as apparent.

1_Jaydoc_1 1 year, 1 month ago

You might refer to my comment a little further up.

K-State might be a joke, but they are cleaning our clocks right now in everything but basketball. If we didn't have basketball, they could very well make the point that athletically WE bring the league down and should be replaced so I wouldn't suggest their removal until we get some wins against them.

Phoghorn 1 year, 1 month ago

+69,000! I was saying this back in the 1990s, but my fellow KU friends just dismissed it. As much as I love KU BB, I hate to see the rest of our sports dwellin' in the cellar.

LTCUSARet 1 year, 1 month ago

I don't blame Martin for leaving, and I wish him well.

Is he covering up his true feelings? Sure, but he got out without any grief, so why make waves? Doesn't help him to do so, so he wisely is not disturbing any sleeping dogs.

Are Martin's chances for success better at SC than at KSU? Can't be sure, but clearly the SEC is nowhere near as competitive in basketball as the Big 12 is these days. Lexington is the only huge program he has to worry about, and he'll have a lot bigger recruiting pool to work with than he ever had or could get at KSU -- and a much better chance to get eastern players in general, and eastern Latino players in particular, to come to Columbia, SC than to Manhattan, KS (see below).

The facts are that whether it is by car or plane, it is a lot closer and easier to get from Columbia, SC to either Miami or NYC than it is to get there from Manhattan, KS.

TRAVEL TIMES FROM COLUMBIA, SC and MANHATTAN, KS* Columbia, SC to Miami: ~640 miles, ~10 hrs by car; 3.5 hrs shortest flight time Manhattan KS to Miami: ~1600 miles, ~26 hrs by car; 5.5 hrs shortest flight time
Columbia, SC to NYC: ~720 miles, ~12 hours by car; 2 hrs shortest flight time Manhattan KS to NYC: ~1350 miles, ~21.5 hrs by car; 5 hrs shortest flight time

Yeah, I actually researched this info on MapQuest and Expedia. * "Shortest flight times" are just that. Most flight plans are actually much longer.

jhawkrulz 1 year, 1 month ago

Except I'm pretty sure college coaches dont' fly commercial flights, they use the unviersity jet to go direct.

LTCUSARet 1 year, 1 month ago

Bottom line up front, whether using car or jet, it is roughly twice the travel time to go to either Miami or NYC from Manhattan, KS as it is to travel to either location from Columbia, SC.

To your point -- of course coaches use the U jet, but that is not the issue. The bigger issue is travel for coaches' families. Do their families get to use the U jet if they are traveling w/o the coach on personal travel, i.e., to see the grandparents? I don't think so.

Regardless of that nit pick, I chose the shortest flight times because they were either non-stop or as close to non-stop as possible, thus approximating a charter flight as far as transit time is concerned.
As to n-s air travel time: Without considering variations in air speed during ascent and descent, or allowing for routine in-flight delays (air traffic, weather, etc.), at an average jet airliner cruising air speed of 540mph, non-stop flight times (wheels up to wheels down air travel times, not counting ground times at all): Columbia, SC to Miami: 1.1 hrs Manhattan KS to Miami: 2.5 hrs Columbia, SC to NYC: 1.1 hrs Manhattan KS to NYC: 2.2 hrs

Again, the bottom line is this -- no matter how you measure it, and whether using ground transportation or jet, it is twice the travel time to go to either Miami or NYC from Manhattan, KS as it is to travel to either location from Columbia, SC. So it is a significant point for Martin and his family.

nuleafjhawk 1 year, 1 month ago

"Martin said it was the passion he felt from Gamecock leaders to compete at the highest levels that influenced his decision."

I kinda liked ol Frank (especially since we beat him on a regular basis), but the above statement tells it all for me. It implies that the K-State "leaders" did not have the same passion to compete at the highest levels, according to Frank.

JayDocMD 1 year, 1 month ago

I like Frank too. His quote left me wondering if he thinks competing at the "highest levels" means sweeping a wire transfer receipt under the rug.

Gig 1 year, 1 month ago

Regarding flight times, I don't think that commercial flight times are really relevant. Frank and/or his family would be flying by charter jet to NYC or Miami, whether from Manhattan, KS or Columbia, SC. Obviously the charter jet times from Columbia, SC would be shorter in length, but the difference in jet time and charter jet cost would be insignificant to someone in Frank's financial condition.

championhawks 1 year, 1 month ago

Agreed... just trying to use the resources that I have available (since I will never be in position to know what goes into having a charter jet at my disposal!)

Just trying to show that being in SC is much more convenient than being in Manhattan, KS (in regards to being closer to family)

BayHawkaholic 1 year, 1 month ago

not to mention that if he's recruiting primarily on the East Coast, that's a lot less time on the trail.

MoonwalkMafia66 1 year, 1 month ago

You guys are insane! I have a big problem with Frank leaving. I don't care if we regularly beat him or that Samuels wasn't allowed to play. He was good for the Big 12, and now he's in the SEC, the very conference that is allowing itself to destroy college sports. He built that program in Manhattan, basically from the ground up, and I don't care if he can do the same thing at SC, it was his in Manhattan. And while I'm a KU student and don't care for K-State, after this past year, I'm still worried about teams stabbing the Big 12 in the back, and K-State being good in both football and basketball is important for KU just as much as it is for K-State or anyone else.

dannyboy4hawks 1 year, 1 month ago

Growing up in Topeka and I did visit Manhattan once before I left for the west coast in the early 70's but now residing in Miami, I can tell you that Manhattan KS is so fricking removed from Miami that I can't blame Frank Martin for getting closer to his roots. Manhattan I'm sure is good for some people but you'd have to be born there to pretty much like it and/or never want to relocate. There is such a large population of Cubans and Latin Americans in Miami that for Frank, it's home and who can blame someone for wanting to go back home especially when home is Miami.

rob4lb 1 year, 1 month ago

Manhattan today is a lot different than Manhattan in 1970. I also grew up in Topeka and Topeka is a lot different than it was in the 70s. Neither are isolated backwaters. The pace is slower but with instantaneous communication and movement throughout the country, the differences are less stark between a Manhattan KS and a Manhattan NY than they were 40 yrs ago.

mvjayhawk 1 year, 1 month ago

he did run....based on the fact that this time he had a real offer. He would have "ran" last year to Miami...but they didn't reach out. So, it is what it is.

He's just trying to not burn all the bridges down in the coaching business....that's all this is. If it gets accepted as the norm, that he can't get along with his AD, even though it may not be his fault, he'll have a tougher time getting gigs, if he flames out in SC.

And I really don't care how good he was or not, in the Big 12. He lived off of Huggins' recruits the whole time he was there....this was the first year it was truly his team....and not bad, but not great by any means. He's definitely more at home on the east coast and in the south.....so it's better for him I believe.

rob4lb 1 year, 1 month ago

FM will get a chance to prove how good of a coach he is at USC. It will be tough to compete with UK and UF. Hopefully, he can beat Missouri twice a year. He also has to compete for recruits with the ACC schools. It's not going to be easy.

MoonwalkMafia66 1 year, 1 month ago

Huh. I didn't even think about that...Mizery that is.

lonestar_jayhawk 1 year, 1 month ago

Given the choice between KSU or South Carolina, I think the correct answer is....who cares? Both are not basketball powers. Both suck if you are the basketball coach. So Frank would rather live in Columbia SC than Manhatten KS. Back to, who cares? Here is the best solution...invite Miami, Clemson, FSU and Georgia Tech to the Big12 and let Frank have his choice of jobs. Frank is back in the Big12 errrr, Big14.

memhawk 1 year, 1 month ago

When he heard there was an opening at USC, he got really excited and went into a stupor. When he came out of it, he found out that he had signed a contract with South Caroliina, not Southern California. Too late to back out, so he had to make all of that stuff up about being close to Florida. Oh well, if you can't be a Trojan, a Cock (Gamecock) is the next best thing, if you're Frank Martin. .

jhawkrulz 1 year, 1 month ago

Trojan, Cock and Frank all in one sentence.

memhawk 1 year, 1 month ago

Watch out now, rulz, the Terms of Use cops are out in force. Don't get caught with your pants down over this subject,

Phoghorn 1 year, 1 month ago

At that point, withdrawal was no longer an option.

ralster 1 year, 1 month ago

Evidently, the news of his coming to SCarolina had already disseminated.

1_Jaydoc_1 1 year, 1 month ago

Translation: "The opportunity to escape from Manhattan, Kansas could not have come any quicker, I mean, have you seen that place?"

gchawk 1 year, 1 month ago

Best post of all, you nailed it!

Krohnutz 1 year, 1 month ago

Well, "didn't run" is a pretty honest term. I mean, he probably walked a lot to the plane and automobiles involved in the move, but I doubt he ran. I believe everything in this article.

I, for one, think everything is peachy with the up-and-coming elite AD at Kansas State University. He is solely responsible for the billions of revenue the athletic department is experiencing.

Wait, sorry, I blacked out. Where are we?

ralster 1 year, 1 month ago

Frank Martin left Manlesshattan because he was tired of being the only man there (once Pullen left). Why would any man stay? Animal husbandry, fatty cheerleaders, purple(!), yes: p-u-r-p-l-e uniforms with alternate g-r-a-y color. Purple+gray, oh yay! The only worse uniforms are Gtown.

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Martin says he didn’t run away from Kansas State

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