MANHATTAN, Kan. – Florida native Frank Martin says he hasn't heard from the University of Miami about its vacant coaching position and while he and his family are happy at Kansas State he will always listen to other offers.
The 2010 Big 12 coach of the year, who has become wildly popular with Kansas State fans, also said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press that in the last two years he has been approached by several other schools with talk of significant pay boosts.
"I've never had any other options but to be at K-State this year. And I haven't had any desire but to be at K-State this year," Martin said.
When Frank Haith left Miami last week to take the job at Missouri, Martin immediately became the center of speculation in both Kansas and Miami. Martin, born and raised in Miami and the son of a Cuban immigrant, was a successful high school coach there and seemed a natural fit for the job.
But the Hurricanes have not called, Martin said. He said that was not necessarily a disappointment.
"I love it here," said Martin, who is 95-43 in four seasons at Kansas State. "My family loves it here."
He wonders if a misunderstanding about his salary might have discouraged the Hurricanes.
"Everyone's reporting that my salary is $1.55 million (annually). Actually, my salary is $1.1 million," he said. "Now, I'm an old high school teacher who was making 32 grand when I moved to Boston, and I'm extremely grateful and thankful for the salary I make right now.
"If I stayed the length of the (five-year) contract and I collect every bonus on the contract, it will average out to $1.55. And you know what? There is a chance that the University of Miami never called because they think I make $1.5," he said. "There's a chance just because it was released at $1.55 the University of Miami said, 'We can't call him. Why waste our time? We can't pay him.'"
Martin said many people urged him to pursue the Miami job.
"I've had numerous friends call me, countless people in that community begging me to go back home," he said. "The one thing that's unfair to the University of Miami is that all the media people, locally and nationally, are saying it's not a good job. And that's not right. But UM never called. So I have no idea. And I'm not pursuing other jobs. I've never chased a job in my life."
Although he has no desire to leave, Martin says he would always listen to another offer.
"I'm never going to say I'm not listening to anybody. Someone might call and it might be an opportunity, a new challenge, something that intrigues me," he said. "It might be an (athletic director) that I've known my whole life and he says, 'Frank, I need you.' I'm never going to come out and say I'm not going to listen."
The Wildcats won a team-record 29 games and advanced to the Elite Eight in 2009-10 and Martin became a hot coaching commodity then.
"I've had job opportunities here the last two years and I haven't talked much about them," he said. "They've called, they've inquired. They throw numbers at me and I've said no thank you. And for major salary increases."
The Wildcats finished 23-11 this season, ousted in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament by Wisconsin. It was an odd year: Kansas State was ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll and picked as a favorite in the Big 12.
Instead, two post players — Freddy Asprilla and Wally Judge — quit a struggling team and Martin installed a new offense just as league play was getting under way. The Wildcats responded and got hot enough to knock off Kansas and Texas headed into postseason play.
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