Kansas State Wildcats Will Watch Frank Martin In Elite Eight

The Kansas State Wildcats made an early exit from the NCAA Tournament. However, former coach Frank Martin has advanced to the Elite Eight with his new team.

It was an up and down season for the Kansas State Wildcats men’s basketball season. A strong year that wasn’t quite as good as it should have been ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Overall, it was a disappointing result for KSU fans, pundits, and the team. However, that would gets a little salt from the fact that former K-State coach Frank Martin is still in the tournament.

Frank Martin coached the Wildcats from 2007 to 2012. During that time, he led K State to the NCAA Tournament in four of his five seasons as head coach. Prior to Martin taking over, the Wildcats hadn’t been to the Tournament since 1996. Martin also got the KSU team to the Elite Eight in 2010, the first time since 1988. That earned Martin Big 12 Coach of the Year honors.

Frank Martin’s success was enough to earn him a second contract through the  2014-2015 season. However, despite the new contract, Martin would leave Kansas State to take the head coach job with the South Carolina Gamecocks. Since then, neither team had made it to the NCAA Tournament since. That is, until this year.

While K State fans are lamenting the end of what had been a promising season. Some are even calling for coach Bruce Weber to be fired. Meanwhile, the team’s former coach has taken another down and out program into a deep postseason run. Frank Martin and his Gamecocks will take on the Florida Gators in the Elite Eight.

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Things aren’t all bad for the Kansas State Wildcats. Ultimately, the team took an important step forward by getting to the tournament. Realistically, that should be validation of the job Bruce Weber is doing. It’s just disappointing to see a former coach having more success. Some folks go through similar feelings with their exes.