Print edition: 
OKLAHOMA CITY — The one thing newspaper columnists have in common is that we think we're right. About everything.
I'm no different. Despite what others might think, I can count on one hand the times I've been wrong. And you'll never convince me otherwise because my head is hard.
But I was wrong about Frank Martin. I was dead wrong. I was so wrong that it almost nullifies the countless times I've been right.
In 2007, shortly after Martin was promoted as a Bob Huggins assistant to take over as coach after Huggins bolted for West Virginia after one season, I wrote the following about the decision to hire Martin:
Frank Martin?
Really?
What is going on at Kansas State? Has anybody there taken a deep breath since this whole thing with Bob Huggins hit the fan? What has happened to rational thinking?
I have tremendous respect for Tim Weiser, K-State's athletic director. I consider him to be a thoughtful, deliberate, sensible man who makes decisions, especially big ones, only after mulling over all of the possibilities.
But he's acting like a riverboat gambler.
I thought hiring Martin would be like putting Jay Leno on in prime time. He had no experience as a college head coach. He acted like an emotional loose cannon as an assistant, so I could only imagine what he would be like as the decision- maker.
I wish I could have that column back. I wish my editors had never hit the print button.
Martin not only can coach, he was this season's coach of the year in the Big 12. He has led K-State to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where the Wildcats beat up on North Texas on Thursday at the Ford Center. On a scale of 1 to 10, he's a 346 on the emotional meter. But Martin's players cherish their time with him and play like he's scrutinizing their every move.
Which, of course, he is.
"Frank is the head macho, the El Capitan,'' sophomore forward Jamar Samuels said. "If you want to succeed here, you have to listen to Frank.''
Samuels didn't do a good job of that Thursday and he played only seven minutes.
"I got in a little baby mood and wasn't really paying attention to anybody and trying to do my own thing,'' he said. "That's not good with Frank so he sat me down, probably to prove a point.''
Martin has led two K-State teams to the NCAAs in his three seasons. Previous to his hiring, the Wildcats hadn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 1996.
Everybody (by everybody, I mean me) thought Martin was hired to keep star recruit Michael Beasley from going elsewhere. I didn't think that was reason enough to justify such a risky hire.
Beasley did stay and he and Bill Walker got most of the credit for K-State's run in 2007-08, which ended with a second-round loss to Wisconsin.
Beasley and Walker soon departed for the NBA and Martin was left to pick up the pieces. Turns out he's pretty good at that.
Recruiting has remained strong. Martin has instilled a toughness and work ethic in his team that is as strong as any team in the country. Yes, he scowls and yells and cusses as much as he ever did. That's just Frank being Frank.
I wish he would tone it down some. But, believe it or not, Martin hasn't asked me what I wish. Or even what I think.
He's his own man, valued so much by Kansas State that he recently signed a contract extension that will pay him beaucoup money.
Martin's demeanor isn't fake. He doesn't flash his quick temper to get attention. He does it because he has a quick temper.
From all accounts, he's a teddy bear away from the court, showering his three kids with affection.
In the game against North Texas, Martin coached with intensity from the opening tip. Yes, it was a 2-seed vs. a 15-seed. And yes, 2-seed Villanova needed overtime earlier in the day to beat Robert Morris, a game Martin watched some while K-State was milling in its locker room through a double-overtime game between BYU and Florida.
Watching Martin on the sideline — one of my favorite hobbies — is like waiting for Old Faithful to erupt, except you don't have to wait 90 minutes.
Martin reacts to nearly everything that happens in a game, yet has the discipline to keep his team playing the way he wants it to play.
"It's Frank's way or no way,'' junior forward Dominique Sutton said. "Everybody has bought into his system and his way has gotten us to where we are now.''
Sutton, like most of the K-State players, is thoughtful and well-spoken. They know the score. And while it might seem odd that they take to Martin's style, they do. They 100-percent do.
"The one word I associated with Frank is 'very intense,' " Sutton said.
Never mind he used two words. Martin's range of emotions are too vast for one word.
"You want that coach who is intense and emotional,'' Sutton said. "At times, he gets into the games more than his players. But you can't blame him for that. You want a coach who will battle for you.''
Martin is steadfast in his core beliefs. He's a teacher. He's a leader. He can berate his players, but just let someone else try. Then you'll have a fight on your hands.
"You can love Frank or you can hate him, but he's still going to be there for you,'' Sutton said. "We see each other all day, every day. You're going to disagree with some things he does. At the same time, we're like a family and he's going to continue to stand behind us during good times and bad.''
There's much more good than bad at K-State and that's because of Martin. He will get a lot of attention as long as the Wildcats remain in the tournament, but much of it will be about his demeanor.
People who do that are missing the bigger point. The man might act like a lunatic at times, but he can coach. Hiring him was a stroke of genius. This one, I'm right about.
