Known simply as “Eleven” to players and fans alike Coach Mike Martin spent 47 years of his life on the baseball field; many of them at Florida State University – first as a player and later as a coach.  His number eleven jersey has been retired at Florida State.

Coach Martin died February 1, 2024 at the age of 79; just eleven days before his 80th birthday as a result of Lewy Body Dementia.

Michael David Martin Sr was born on February 12, 1944 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  He married wife Carol in 1964 while still in college.

After graduation in 1966, Martin was drafted as an outfielder for the New York Mets.  Playing in the minor leagues, he also played for the Detroit Tigers before moving to Tallahassee to stay.

He began his coaching career at Cobb Junio High School and moved to Godby High School and Tallahassee Community College before taking a job as an assistant baseball coach for the Florida State Seminoles.

Martin became the head coach at Florida State in 1980 and remained there for the next 39 years where he became the winningest baseball coach in collage baseball history with 2,029 wins!  He also holds the record for winningest coach across all collegiate sports.

The baseball stadium at FSU carries the name of Martin’s predecessor Dick Howser; but the field carries Martin’s name.

Martin’s accomplishments include the American Baseball Coaches Association Lefty Gomez Award for his lifetime contributions to baseball, a member of the College Baseball Foundation Hall of Fame, the American Baseball Coaches National Hall of Fame, the FSU Hall of Fame, Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and is a two time National Coach of the Year winner.  The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has been named after Martin.

While at FSU Martin had 40 NCAA tournament appearances and 17 trips to the College World Series.  He has led the Noles to 19 conference titles.

During the course of his coaching career, Martin has had 20 of his players drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft and 60 players make it in the Major Leagues.  Eight of his players have earned National Player of the Year Awards and Mike Martin is the only coach in college baseball to have four Golden Spikes Award winners – Mike Fuentes, Mike Loynd, J.D. Drew and Buster Posey.

Martin is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years; children Mary Beth, Melanie, and Mike Jr; and grandchildren – Hannah, Tyler, T.J. and Alexis – and numerous other family members.