Who could replace Mike Martin Jr. atop the Florida State baseball program?
For the second time in three years, Florida State is in the market for a new head baseball coach.
FSU announced Friday that it was letting Mike Martin Jr. go after three seasons atop the program. Over that time, he led the Seminoles to a 77-54 record (.588) and two NCAA Regional appearances, but nothing beyond that in the postseason.
It will definitely take some getting used to seeing someone other than a Martin leading the FSU baseball team in 2023. Mike Martin Sr. and Jr. have combined to lead the Seminoles for the previous 43 seasons.
Original story on Martin being let go: Florida State baseball coach Mike Martin Jr. fired, search for his replacement underway
Reactions to Martin's dismissal: National reaction to Florida State firing head baseball coach Mike Martin Jr.
FSU baseball roster preview for 2023: An early look ahead to the 2023 Florida State baseball roster
Who are some names to know as the search for the next FSU baseball coach gets underway?
Link Jarrett
Jarrett, an FSU alum, was a candidate for the FSU job when the Seminoles replaced Martin Sr. in 2019. However, FSU hired Martin Jr., and he wound up taking the Notre Dame job that July.
Since then, his resume has blown up even more, making him one of the hottest coaching carousel names in this year's cycle. FSU's job opening is the best so far this offseason, and Jarrett's ties to FSU as a former player and assistant coach make him a very viable candidate.
Over three seasons in South Bend, Jarrett has taken the Irish to nearly unprecedented heights. He guided ND to its first ACC regular-season championship in 2021 and has the Irish competing in their second consecutive Super Regional this weekend at Tennessee.
Before Jarrett, ND had won just one NCAA Regional back in 2002. He's posted an 83-29 record with the Irish, and his .741 winning percentage is the best by a Notre Dame coach since the early 20th century.
As a player at FSU, Jarrett went to three College World Series over his four-year career from 1991-94. He was a second-team All-American in each of his final two seasons and posted a career .278 batting average with 275 hits and 122 runs batted in.
Jarrett's 802 career assists as FSU's shortstop remain an NCAA record. He was also an assistant at FSU for one season in 2003, helping lead the Seminoles to a 54-13-1 record.
Mike Bell
After one head coach who focuses on hitting didn't work out, some FSU fans may be clamoring for a change of pace in this regard.
If that's the case, Pitt head coach Mike Bell may be someone who receives consideration.
Like Jarrett, Bell is a former FSU player and assistant coach who has gone on to build a program up elsewhere as a head coach.
Bell was FSU's pitching coach from 2012 through 2018, developing quite a few prominent arms. He left after the 2018 season to take over the Panthers' program and
The Pitt job is no cake walk as the Panthers have not made the NCAA Tournament since 1995. He's led the program to three straight winning seasons, and the Panthers were robbed of what should have been their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 26 years last year.
Over four seasons at Pitt, Bell has posted an 83-87 record.
As a player at FSU, Bell was a part of two CWS trips in as many seasons with the Seminoles in 1994 and 1995. He made 26 appearances, 19 of those starts, and posted a career 3.01 ERA with a 14-4 record.
James Ramsey
It would make sense that some within the fanbase may be hesitant to take a chance on another first-time head coach.
If they were, however, they could be rewarded by former FSU slugger James Ramsey, one of the fastest risers in the coaching world.
Ramsey was a star for the Seminoles from 2009 through 2012, hitting .339 over his career with 265 hits, 34 home runs and 202 RBI. In his final season, he was named a consensus All-American.
He was a first-round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft but never reached the majors, peaking in Triple-A before retiring in 2018. He began his coaching career as FSU's volunteer assistant coach in the fall of 2018, but he never coached a game for the Seminoles. Georgia Tech hired him away with a full-time coaching job in January of 2019.
In his time with the Yellow Jackets, he's made GT's offense perennially one of the best in the ACC as the team's hitting coach. The 2021 season was GT's best under Ramsey as the team hit for a .327 batting average with 115 home runs, fourth and second-best, respectively, in program history.
Like there was with Martin, there's the inherent risk which comes with hiring a first-time head coach at a prominent program like this one.
But there's definitely a chance that risk could be rewarded given what Ramsey's track record says.
Cliff Godwin
It makes sense there are so many strong candidates for the job with FSU ties considering the program's national prominence.
But maybe it makes sense to go in a different direction and break away from the FSU ties after how things ended with Martin.
If the search is truly a national one and turns over every stone, someone like Godwin makes a lot of sense.
Godwin played at East Carolina from 1998 through 2001 as a catcher. After a brief professional career, he wound up back in the college game coaching and made stops at LSU, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and more places before he got the chance to return home when he was named ECU head coach ahead of the 2015 season.
Since taking over at his alma mater, all he's done is win at a consistently high level. In Godwin's seven full seasons, the Pirates have won 40-plus games five times, made six NCAA Tournament appearances and advanced to four Super Regionals.
With Friday's 13-7 win over Texas in the opener of its home Super Regional, ECU is now one win away from its first College World Series appearance in program history.
He may not have head coaching experience in one of the major conferences, but his time as an assistant at a few SEC schools shows he knows what it takes to compete at this level.
It's easy to think his consistent success at ECU could translate to FSU.
Pedro Grifol
After looking at a number of candidates with collegiate experience, it's time to turn to an FSU alum who has spent his coaching career in the professional ranks.
Grifol, a native of Miami, was a catcher for the Seminoles from 1989 through 1991, making a pair of College World Series appearances. He hit .296 in his career with 221 hits and was a first-team All-American in his final season, hitting .344 with 16 home runs and 80 RBI.
He was a sixth-round draft pick in the 1991 MLB Draft, but he never made it to the Majors. He floated through the minor leagues until his retirement during the 1999 season.
Grifol has held a few roles across baseball since his retirement. He's been with the Kansas City Royals since 2013 and has been their bench coach since 2015, winning a World Series ring in his first season in that role.
He may not have the collegiate experience some of the other guys on this list do, but his MLB coaching experience could translate. He was a candidate the last time around and could again receive consideration for the position.
Jody Reed
Reed is another FSU baseball alum with MLB coaching experience who was considered for the job last time and could again be a candidate this time around.
He got just two seasons at FSU in 1983 and 1984 after transferring in from Manatee Community College, but he made the most of them, hitting .323 with 184 hits and 177 runs in 147 games.
He was a seventh-round pick in the 1984 MLB Draft and wound up carving out quite a lengthy career in the Majors. He played 11 seasons with the Red Sox, Dodgers, Brewers, Padres and Tigers, racking up 1,231 hits and a .270 career average.
Currently, he's the infield and baserunning coordinator for the Miami Marlins' organization. He may not appear to be a legitimate candidate, but sources told the Democrat he was considered last time so it's possible he may again get a look should he want the position.
Reach Curt Weiler at cweiler@tallahassee.com or follow him on Twitter @CurtMWeiler.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Names to know as FSU begins search for next head baseball coach
