Martin says he will retire after 2019 season

TALLAHASSEE — Mike Martin will take one more shot at getting Florida State a national championship in baseball.

The university announced Monday that 2019 will be Martin’s 40th and final season as the Seminoles’ coach. The 74-year old Martin, who became college baseball’s career wins leader in May, has a 1,987-713-4 record and .736 win percentage.

“It just got to the point where after a lot of thinking I realized that I am going to be going into next season as a 75-year old baseball coach. There aren’t that many around,” Martin said. “It’s time.”

Athletics director Stan Wilcox said in a statement he has talked with Martin several times over the past couple of years about his plans.

Wilcox added that the school will wait until the conclusion of next season to conduct a search and name Martin’s successor.

“I’m not just going to sit back and watch next season. I am going to approach it just like I have done every year,” Martin said. “I am going to be the same competitor and manage the same.”

Martin, who played at Florida State, was an assistant for five seasons before taking over the program in October of 1979 when Dick Howser was hired to manage the New York Yankees.

Florida State has reached the NCAA Tournament and won at least 40 games for 41 straight seasons, which are the longest streaks in both categories. To put the Seminoles’ run of 40-win seasons in context, Louisville is next with seven.

Florida State has accomplished everything under Martin except win a national championship. His teams have made 16 trips to the College World Series - including last year - but have only reached the finals twice (1986 and99` ).

The Seminoles were 43-19 and won their eighth Atlantic Coast Conference title this season but were eliminated in the Tallahassee Regional. They lost on a walkoff homer by Mississippi State’s Elijah MacNamee after Martin decided to remain with pitcher Drew Parrish despite the sophomore sitting 2 hours for a rain delay after throwing 109 pitches.