Molding the program in his own us-against-the-world image, Martin has No. 12 Kansas State off to its best start in years with a foundation to keep it going for many more to come.
This underdog is quite a bulldog.
"That's who I am. I'm used to it," Martin said. "I don't expect it any other way. I expect to have to earn my right. I expect to have to earn my stripes. I expect to have to work extremely hard. It's the way I've been raised. It's the only thing I've known since I was a kid. It's not like it's something new for me."
Fiery and demanding, Martin got his start at Miami-area high schools, spending 15 years there before entering the college ranks as an assistant at Northeastern. He joined Huggins' staff at Cincinnati and followed him to Kansas State in 2006.
When Huggins bolted for his alma mater, West Virginia, after just one season, Martin was tapped as the 23rd head coach in Kansas State history.
That's when the criticism started.
Martin was called overmatched, even hearing one person call his hiring an embarrassment to college basketball. The Martin bashing continued into the season as the Wildcats kept winning, critics attacking his in-your-face style of coaching, the way his players called him Frank instead of Coach, even for his big suits and slick hair.
"I'm a human being," Martin said. "I'd rather people root for the underdog