As everyone knows by now, the University of Miami head coaching job is available and Kansas State Wildcats coach Frank Martin, who is from the area, has been rumored to be a candidate. At the moment, those appear to be just that -- rumors. Miami hasn't called him, he says.
Martin this week conducted an interview with the Associated Press and, maybe it's just me, but it's a little bizarre. The way I interpreted it was that he was almost asking UM to call him and offer him a job.
In the interview, he clarified his contract status indicating his annual salary right now is actually less than the reported $1.55 million:
"Everyone's reporting that my salary is $1.55 million [annually]. Actually, my salary is $1.1 million," he said. "Now, I'm an old high school teacher who was making 32 grand when I moved to Boston, and I'm extremely grateful and thankful for the salary I make right now.
"If I stayed the length of the [five-year] contract and I collect every bonus on the contract, it will average out to $1.55. And you know what? There is a chance that the University of Miami never called because they think I make $1.5," he said. "There's a chance just because it was released at $1.55 the University of Miami said, 'We can't call him. Why waste our time? We can't pay him.' "
That statement -- that his salary is actually than reported -- could prompt UM to give him a call. Why does he even need to set the public record straight on that?
In the interview, he also said he has had numerous people in the University of Miami community urging him to take the Hurricanes job:
"I've had numerous friends call me, countless people in that community begging me to go back home," he said. "The one thing that's unfair to the University of Miami is that all the media people, locally and nationally, are saying it's not a good job. And that's not right. But UM never called. So I have no idea. And I'm not pursuing other jobs. I've never chased a job in my life."
Again, a reasonable person could interpret that as him almost asking UM to call him, despite his "I've never chased a job in my life" statement.
In the interview, he also said he's willing to at least talk about any job.
"I'm never going to say I'm not listening to anybody. Someone might call and it might be an opportunity, a new challenge, something that intrigues me," he said. "It might be an [athletic director] that I've known my whole life and he says, 'Frank, I need you.' I'm never going to come out and say I'm not going to listen."
What I took out of the interview is that UM never called and, if they did, the money involved might actually be less than what some might think, and there are plenty of people close to Martin who are hoping he takes the UM job -- but they haven't called.