MARIANNA, Fl. (WTXL) - Last month, Florida State announced that this upcoming baseball season will be Mike Martin's final in Garnet and Gold. A search for his replacement will begin after the season concludes.
Florida State will no doubt do an extensive search. Whoever comes in has big shoes to fill, but for anyone who follows baseball, they know there's a coach with his own impressive resume in Tallahassee's backyard.
Sixty-six miles from Dick Howser Stadium sits Chipola College, a two year Junior College nestled in Marianna, and home of the back to back National Champion baseball team. It's Jeff Johnson who's been leading the charge for the past 21 years.
"We don't have the beaches. We're not in Tallahassee where you have the college atmosphere," he laughed. "We're up here in a place in Marianna with a 20,000 population."
That makes what Johnson's done that much more special. 13 Conference Championships. Five State Champs. Three National titles. Over 90 players drafted, including Major League All-Stars Jose Bautista and Russell Martin.
"As a coach, that's what you do it for. You don't make a ton of money at the Junior College level as far as being a coach, and you just live to see these guys be successful," he added. "When you have the kids that have been successful longtime, it helps your recruiting. It helps legitimize what you do."
For as many jerseys that hang on the wall of former players, Johnson has as many honors for himself. He's a three time National Coach of the Year and five time Coach of the Year in the Gulf Region, and the biq question now is what's next.
"You've got a competitive fire burning inside of you and tou want to go to the next level and prove you can do it at that next level as well," he said. "In saying that, not just every job at the next level is appealing to me where I am right now. I'm a very competitive person, and I'm want to go where I can win. I'm not going to take a job where I don't think I have an opportunity to win."
Johnson, who's also the Athletic Director at Chipola, has spent over two decades in Marianna, and he could wait a little longer for that perfect job to open up.
"I grew up in Liberty County, I grew up in Bristol, 45 minutes from Tallahassee," he said. "I was a dream of mine to go play at Florida State. We all know the type of program that coach Martin's built over at Florida State and what a great job he's done and the respect I have for him, a guy that can win the games consistently year in and year out like he's done. What a great job he's done. If the opportunity arose there, it's be a great situation. You know you can win there. It's happened there. All the resources are there. If that opportunity came, I'd be happy to answer the telephone for sure."
A telephone call Florida State may just be happy to dial.
