Kansas State head coach Frank Martin continues to prove that he can win

TEACHING MATH IN MANHATTAN

Feb. 11, 2009

Kansas State's Frank Martin is winning without star power.

Being tied for third place in your league doesn’t ordinarily get you a lot of attention, but in the case of Frank Martin it should. The local media questioned his hiring and many attributed
had Martin’s success last season to Michael Beasley and Bill Walker. But without them the Kansas State head coach has the Wildcats at 6-4 in the Big 12 and 17-7 overall.

So maybe, just maybe he’s a good coach?

Ron Everhart believed that when he kept Martin on his staff at Northeastern. After a successful run at McNeese State, Everhart took over at Northeastern in the March of 2001. Martin had been hired the previous fall by then-coach Rudy Keeling, but it was unclear as to his status with Everhart, until the two spoke.

“We had a great conversation,” says Everhart. “I remember hanging up the phone thinking that he was the type of coach I wanted on my staff.”

Shortly thereafter Everhart was talking with longtime friend Bob Huggins who out of nowhere suggested that Everhart retain Martin. Huggins told Everhart he had seen his practices and was thoroughly impressed with his approach.

Frank Martin was hired.

Martin spent 15 years proving himself in the high school coach in Miami. As an assistant he was part of seven State Championships at Miami Senior (two as the head coach) before finally breaking into the college ranks at Northeastern. Working with head coach Ron Everhart, the Huskies enjoyed a lot of success in the America East Conference.

“I am fly by the seat of my pants type of guy,” laughed Everhart. “Frank is the opposite. He is organized and regimented and that approach really gave us a great balance. He was really a key to our success.”

That success presented opportunities for Everhart, but it was his decision that ultimately led to Martin’s path to becoming a head coach.

Huggins needed to fill the void, on his staff at Cincinnati, left by Dan Peters who had left to join Thad Matta’s staff at Ohio State. His first choice was Everhart. It was a tough decision for Everhart who was on the verge of turning the corner with the program at Northeastern. After much thought, Everhart opted to stay at Northeastern and a year later he would take the position at Duquesne. But Huggins still had a spot to fill on his staff.

“I told Bobby that he needed to hire the guy he recommended to me,” says Everhart. “He immediately called Frank and ten minutes later he was on Bobby’s staff at Cincinnati.”

Everhart was thoroughly impressed by Martin’s attention to detail. In addition to his duties as a high school coach in Miami, Martin was also a math teacher and that gave him an added dimension as a coach. He brings that classroom mentality to the court, making players responsible and holding them accountable.

Everhart describes him as being a cross between a math teacher and marine as a head coach. Demanding, but fair.

“Frank is the kind of person I want to coach my son and to teach my son math,” says Everhart. “He is an outstanding teacher and communicator and his players respond to him. I told Bobby [Huggins] that was the type of guy he was going to have at the University of Cincinnati.”

Martin spent two years Cincinnati, the second with Andy Kennedy, before rejoining Huggins at Kansas State. One year later Huggins left for West Virginia and Frank Martin was hired as head coach.

And yes, he can coach.

MID-MAJOR RANKS

How about the job Ed Conroy has done at The Citadel. It’s been a while since the Bulldogs were in contention this late in the season. Now in his third season at the helm, the 1989 Citadel alum had a plan and it’s working. Knowing how and what it takes to be successful at The Citadel made Conroy the perfect hire.

While Davidson’s Stephen Curry is clearly the best player in the Southern Conference, Cameron Wells can make a case as the league’s second best player. A 6-foot-1 sophomore, Wells can shoot it and a take a defender off the dribble. Along with 6-foot-8 Demetrius Nelson, who gives Conroy good post play, the Bulldogs have a nice inside-outside combination. Sophomores Austin Dahn and Zach Urbanus can really shoot it.

Bobby Braswell has been coaching for 13 years. He has done some good things in his tenure at Cal State Northridge, but this might be his best coaching job to date. The Matadors, which began the season ranked No. 25 in the preseason Mid-Major Top 25, lost their first six games. They entered Big West Conference play with a 2-7 record, but Wednesday’s win over Cal Poly put them in second place, with a 7-3 mark and 11-10 overall.

Braswell’s teams have traditionally played a challenging non-league schedule and this year was no exception and the tough start would have been too much for a lot of team to overcome. Credit the great leadership Tremaine Townsend and Josh Jenkins for keeping the team focused throughout. Despite their horrible stretch, the team never lost its’ swagger. Kenny Daniels has done a nice job since moving into the starting lineup. Rob Haynes has been very good as their designated perimeter threat. Willie Galick has teamed with Townsend to give them excellent inside play and Jenkins has been the igniter.

Portland State may have been handed the Big Sky Championship a little prematurely. While the Vikings are still in the mix, so too are Montana and Weber State. Coach Wayne Tinkle and Montana have survived some early season adversity, which included the loss of point guard Ceylon Elgin-Taylor for ten games. In his absence, Anthony Johnson moved from his off-guard position and has emerged as one of the top players in the Big Sky. That could have made Elgin-Taylor’s return to the lineup a distraction, but the former starting lead guard has accepted his role coming off the bench.

For Weber State it’s all about the backcourt. Damian Lillard and Kellen McCoy are one of the more unheralded backcourt combos in America. McCoy brings senior leadership, while Lillard might be the top freshman in the league. They duo does a great job of controlling tempo. They can push the pace or make it a halfcourt affair and they do a nice job of defending on the perimeter. They don’t have dominating post play, but it’s not a weakness either. 6-foot-6 Kyle Bullinger has good range so he can stretch the defense.

On Dec. 30 Radford was a less than impressive 4-9, but they have lost only once in 2009. Credit Artsiom Parakhouski for a lot of the Highlanders success. The 7-foot JC transfer, who is averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds per game, had a double-double in the first half recently against Coastal Carolina. And Coach Brad Greenberg has the luxury of two legit post players, with 6-foot-8 Joey Lynch-Flohr. Most teams in the Big South are fortunate if they have one excellent post player so Radford has a big advantage.

Greenberg also has very good guard play with Kenny Thomas and Amir Johnson. And perhaps the biggest key to Radford’s success has been the departure of Martell McDuffy. For the Highlanders it’s been addition by subtraction.

North Dakota State's Ben Woodside will probably grab Summit League Player of the Year honors, but teammate Brett Winkelman might be the team's most valuable player. The 6-foot-6 senior is averaging 18.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He's shooting 51% from the field.

It’s nice to see Howard with a little momentum. The Bison. After starting the season with a win over Oregon State, the Bison lost their next 14 games. But they’ve won four straight and six of their last eight to move within one game of second place in the MEAC. Seniors Randy Hampton and Eugene Myatt, whowas just named MEAC Player of the Week, have really helped to hold down the fort through what was a trying non-conference season. Coach Gil Jackson is one of the good cats in the business.

Matt Drake is a senior writer for collegeinsider.com. EMAIL MATT