Report: Frank Martin Will Come to UMiami If They Pretend to Care About Basketball

​During former Miami Hurricanes basketball coach Frank Haith's introduction at his new gig Missouri he had cutting words for University of Miami saying, "I know I'm in a different place. I know I'm in a place where they care." We'd be more outraged though if we thought people actually really cared about Hurricanes basketball. Well, according to CBS Sports if the 'Canes want to land potential superstar coach Frank Martin all they have to do is start caring (and spending).

CBS Sports' Gary Parrish reports that Martin, a Miami-born boy who currently coaches Kansas State, and quite successfully at that, would be more than willing to come back to his hometown of Miami with a few conditions:

But multiple sources told CBSSports.com that the Miami native, though happy in Manhattan, wouldn't pass on the opportunity to return to his hometown if Miami wanted him and committed to being a program that can realistically expect to compete in the top half of the ACC -- meaning Miami would have to pay Martin and his assistants competitive salaries and increase its basketball budget. Whether Miami is interested in doing that remains unclear. But all things even close to equal, Martin would definitely leave Kansas State for Miami. Anybody telling you otherwise should not be believed.

A source says he would "walk on coals to get there." It seems that basically Martin wants to continue coaching at a school that regularly makes trips to the NCAA tournament and has a shot at a national championship, but in his home town. The problem is that such a team doesn't currently exist.

So, the question is whether the University of Miami wants to take the effort and money to make their men's basketball program a premier team.

It's an awkward time for the school's athletic department. Former Athletics Director Kirby Hocutt fled the school in February for a chance to return to his home state and take the same job at Texas Tech, so the school is currently with out a permanent head of the department.

The school is also committed to rebuilding its once great football team under brand new coach Al Golden. The school was also reluctant to spend more money to attract bigger name coaches during that search, so why would they want to increase the budget for basketball?

Though, Miami, if you haven't heard, is all the sudden a hot basketball town, and the women's team is coming off a historically successful season and may be heading to establishing itself as a premier women's team in the ACC. Will taking a chance to improve the men's program become a priority?

Whatever they do, hopefully it will work out better than FIU's hiring of Isiah Thomas.

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