Why Frank Martin May Be Similiar To Matt Doherty

Have you ever had a Doberman that responds well to instruction, and is very playful and harmless? However when you have visitors they can’t see past the dog’s size and teeth?

Now I am not saying Frank Martin is a Doberman but his antics have not won him any favours outside Kansas State’s fan base.

His players appear to embrace him and are able to have fun impersonating him during interviews.

On the sidelines he seems to be just a very angry man. Not a trait expected in a leader, unless it is William Wallace from Braveheart.

In an office environment it is important to maintain a professional outlook at all times, or deal with a law suit.

In sports emotion is the fuel that strokes the fire. In order to push the body to the limits, the adrenaline has to flow.

"My job is to lead those kids, to lead our program. And those kids got pride. That's why we recruited them. Those kids knew who we were as coaches. When we recruit kids, we expose them to who we are. We bring guys here and we demand that they do their jobs,” said Martin.

Since his hiring in 2007, Kansas State has yet to finish with less than twenty wins in a season.

“There's a reason we're winning. It's not just because we score more points. It's because the commitment that our kids make to represent our school,” continues Martin. “We've got the best graduation rate in the Big 12.”

“Their numbers are through the roof the last three years. There's a reason success follows that because there's a total commitment to doing things the right way in our program by our kids.”

If his kids are learning, and they are winning, clearly Martin is on to something.

On Sunday CBS showed a clip where Duke assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski appeared to be literally barking in the face of Lance Thomas.

On the ensuing play Thomas grabbed two offensive rebounds that led to a three point shot. This gave Duke a comfortable cushion in the final minutes of their Elite Eight matchup with Baylor.

On the other hand letting your emotions get the best of you might not be ideal for the team.

Coach Knight kicking a basketball to the rafters is one of the reasons he did not have a story book finish at Indiana.

This situation is reminiscent of Matt Doherty at North Carolina.

Matt Doherty like Martin took over the top job at North Carolina, in 2001 with limited experience. He was named national coach of the year, in his first year.

Second season, due to graduation of seniors, they finished 8-20 (worst in Tar Heel history).

Third year they made it to the NIT, like this year, however unlike Roy Williams, Doherty did not have the benefit of bringing a championship to the table, (a championship that was won with Doherty’s players). Doherty was forced to resign.

"If I had that situation at North Carolina again now, I'd be better at managing it," Doherty said. "It's a hard nut to crack anyway, but having been a head coach for only one year made it very difficult."

Prior to North Carolina he was the head coach at Notre Dame for a year.

“But now I delegate better and define roles better on staff,” continues Doherty. “Now I understand that I need some breaks mentally, and I don't feel as guilty about taking those breaks."

Coaching at a program like North Carolina or Kansas State comes with a lot of pressure. However job security is intact as the wins pile up.

In Doherty’s first game he was given a standing ovation after picking up a technical.

Is it a coincidence that Indiana administration stopped putting up with Bob Knight’s antics after he had not been past the second round of play in the tournament in six years?

Or that Doherty’s destructive manner only came to light after he had his second losing season.

Frank Martin just had his best season, but it was tainted when he appeared to strike one of his players on the arm on live TV.

It is worth noting that according to the statistics on foxsports.com, Martin has surprisingly not picked up any technical fouls this year.

West Virginia leads the nation in technical fouls by a coach. They are coached by Martin’s former boss, Bob Huggins.