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 than shoot the underdog."
The underdog kept fighting.
Kansas State had a successful first season under Martin, with Beasley and the gang finishing 21-12 and winning an NCAA tournament game for the first time since 1988.