South Carolina male basketball coach Frank Martin was thought to potentially be in the hot seat after the Gamecocks lost the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive time since reaching the Final Four in 2017. That may no longer be the case, but the decision is not final for Martin, who recently completed his ninth Columbia season since he came from the state of Kansas.
Citing several sources, Mike Gillespie of ABC Columbia said the USC Board of Trustees is in favor of hiring Martin, mainly citing concerns about purchasing Martin’s contract. However, he adds that the decision is now ultimately up to Bob Caslen with the advice of Ray Tanner. Martin owes $ 5.5 million over the next two seasons.
Since that magical race of four finals, Martin has won 17, 16 and 18 games, and Gamecocks have not won 10 games this year, one that has been largely impacted by COVID-19. The Gamecocks could possibly have entered the 68 field last year as a bubble team before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the tournament.
Earlier this year, Tanner acknowledged the team’s difficulties, but seemed to leave the door open for Martin’s future by pointing out the problems with the COVID-19 that the team struggled for.
“I’m not trying to be defensive for them,” said Tanner. “I am just stating the facts that it has been a difficult season. If you’re going to simplify, it’s about the postseason game. You play in a conference that is extremely difficult, but at the end of the year you continue to play or not. … You have to look under the hood (when evaluating a season). It can’t just happen (a spot in the NCAA Tournament) happen or it didn’t. You have to look under the hood. “
Martin himself spoke about job security before the opening of the Gamecocks SEC Tournament, which they lost.
“If anyone thinks I’m looking for jobs, I wouldn’t have been here for nine years,” said Martin. “This is my home. My family loves it here, I love it here. We have lived here for nine years. I said from day one that I don’t want to be known as the basketball coach, but as a member of this community.”
Martin is expected to earn $ 3.2 million in 2021-22 and $ 3.3 million in 2022-23. This will not be the first time that he will be a coach with another two-year contract in South Carolina.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t make contracts in the middle of the season,” said Martin. “At the end of my third year here, I had three years left at the time. Nobody came to me (about contract negotiations). I didn’t go home and worried about it. I entered my fourth year and after that year I met with the administration and two days later I signed a new contract. After that year, I have two more years, like that time.
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“My name has been involved in other work every year that I am here. I never talked to any school other than Cincinnati. I asked for permission, I spoke and a day later I gave up on work. I’ve been here for nine years and everyone should know where I am. Where is the university? It is not for me to answer because I am not them and I am not talking to people right now. I will go when the season is over and anyone who wants to discredit what we did, I’m willing to argue. If I have to explain to people our successes, then these people are not convinced that I need to be the basketball coach here. “
Big Spur contributed to this story.