Frank Martin’s future in South Carolina is a hot topic this season.
Gamecocks are 6-14, 4-12 at the SEC, Martin’s worst year since his second season with Gamecocks in 2014.
Several media outlets, including Yahoo and ESPN, said that Martin could be on the move this offseason (probably leaving the USC, not the USC sacking Martin), but during his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Martin rejected these rumors.
“This is my home,” said Martin. “I’ve been here for nine years. My family loves it here. I love it here. “
The Carolina coach’s ninth year has two more years left on his current contract, but he made it clear on Tuesday that he will not enter into negotiations or talks with South Carolina administrators until the season ends.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t make contracts in the middle of the season,” he said. “It would be as if our players were talking to people about transfers during the season. I am not a hypocrite. I do not do this. “
Martin took the Gamecocks to their first NCAA tournament in 13 years in 2017, when the team reached its first Final Four. But the team hasn’t been to a postseason since. Their teams have won 17, 16 and 18 games.
“If I’m wanted, that’s what I want to call home. You haven’t lived anywhere for nine years and you invest in the community the way my family has been trying to do, develop the friendships that we have made so we run away from it. If you know anything about me, you know that I fixed this program and I know what is not working this year. But the program did not break. Whenever I can press the reset button, we fix it once in a bad situation and we will fix it again. “