Florida State's long-time skipper Mike Martin hopes the 40th time is the charm.
Martin announced Monday that next season — his 40th — will be his final year at the helm of the Seminoles, . FSU will look for its first national championship under Martin to add to the coaching legend's long list of accolades.
Mike Martin to return for 40th and final season in 2019.
— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball)
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Martin became DI baseball's winningest coach this past season when he passed the late Augie Garrido with his 1,976th career win. The record-setting victory came in dramatic fashion as it took Florida State 13 innings to down No. 9 Clemson 3-2 on May 5. It took Martin nine years less than Garrido to set the mark, and unlike Garrido who did it with five teams, Martin did it all with his alma mater, taking over at FSU in 1980.
At the conclusion of the Seminoles' 2018 season, which ended in a regionals exit, Martin stands at 1,987 career victories.
Though a national championship has long eluded Martin, he has coached Florida State to two national runners-up campaigns in 1986 and 1999.
RELATED: FSU's Mike Martin meets record-setting wins milestone with typical grace
“There is no finer representative of Florida State University and no better champion of college baseball than Mike Martin. His passion, dedication and demand for on-field success are as strong as they were the day he got the job, and I’m eager to watch what he and our team can accomplish next year. We will conduct a national search at the conclusion of the 2019 season.”
-- Stan Wilcox, Vice President & Director of Athletics
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“I’m glad that they want me to continue coaching next season and I thank all our former and current coaches, staff and most importantly our players for the consistent success of our baseball program. You don’t win at our level without student-athletes who dedicate themselves to playing as a team and playing for something more than themselves.”
-- Mike Martin, FSU head baseball coach
