South Carolina basketball coach Frank Martin calls Columbia “home”.
The South Carolina basketball team struggled to find momentum this season, losing two of the first three games before seeing five consecutive games canceled in December. That time off the court forced Gamecocks to waste practice time and an opportunity to gel as a unit.
When the team returned to the ground, they played the first part of the conference list with less than full strength, and ended with the program’s worst show on the SEC since Martin’s first season at Columbia.
The Gamecocks ended the year at 6-14 (4-12), losing eight of their last nine games, including consecutive losses of 28 points at the end of the season.
Chatter has in recent months revolved around Martin’s future with the show, with critics pointing to his lack of post-season appearances and successful recruiting as the main points of discussion. One of the most recent critics was Paul Finebaum, who spoke about the head coach on his show last week.
“I don’t know all the details in terms of how much it would cost. But I vividly remember when he was hired, it was a great hire … It was like a blow. You can’t just shave the look of the Final Four. But if you do, it really has practically nothing to show for it. “
Martin has been on the show for nine seasons, but his teams have only made one appearance in NCAA tournaments. This season ended in a Final Four and saw the Gamecocks win their first tournament game since the 1970s. He also did a NIT and probably would have done another season last year if the year had not been interrupted by COVID.
Martin undertook a major reconstruction. His first two or three seasons cannot really be against him, as he was working with a team shell. In 2015-16, Gamecocks won a program record of 25 games. They broke that record with the incredible race the following year.
But fans wanted to see the show capitalize on that success and, instead, saw a mass exodus of players on the roster. The 2017-18 roster lost a handful of collaborators due to disciplinary reasons and, instead of gaining momentum, the team has rebuilt just a season removed from a Final Four.
This historic race cannot be erased, but it also cannot be the only reason to keep a coach on board, especially for $ 3 million a year.
The South Carolina team then lost several talented candidates in the state on the recruiting trail (Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, Josaiah James, Aaron Nesmith, etc.), which further attracted the ire of the program’s supporters.
The team finally seemed to be returning to the track last season, winning 18 games, but this year was a disaster, considering that Gamecocks were designed by many as a general attempt to play in the postseason.
So, where does Frank Martin see himself next season and what are your expectations for the future of the show?
On Tuesday, he answered some of these questions in a Zoom call to the media.
“I’ve been here for nine years… This is my home. My family loves it here. I love it here … Now, where is the university? It is not for me to answer … Anyone who wants to discredit what we have done, I am willing to argue. If I have to explain to people about our successes, then these are the people who are not convinced that I need to be the basketball coach here. “
He also mentioned that his name is linked to other coaching jobs across the country. This year, Martin was nominated as a candidate in schools like New Mexico and DePaul, according to Yahoo Sports writer Pete Thamel. He has also worked in Miami, Cincinnati and UNLV for the past few years.
“My name is involved in a job every year that I’m here … I’ve never talked to any school other than the one you know, which is the University of Cincinnati. I asked for permission, I spoke and one day later I gave up on work … Everyone should know where I am. “
Martin is adamant about his position to remain on the South Carolina program, which means that the final decision will rest with AD Ray Tanner and the athletic administration. Tanner defended Martin last month amid a skid at the end of the season, pointing to the team’s COVID problems as a major player in the Gamecocks’ inability to fit on the court, and apparently noting that he is inclined to allow the coach main stay on the side lines for at least another year.
If Martin is hired for the 2021-22 season, he will certainly have to prove himself once again to the fan base and management, but he believes he can change this program once again, and quickly overcome that small hiccup. Time will tell about the athletic team’s decision, a decision likely to come after this week’s SEC tournament, but one thing is certain: Frank Martin wants to be the future of South Carolina basketball.
“If I’m wanted, that’s what I want to call home.”