Report: Former South Carolina head coach Frank Martin formally offered Division I job

Talks are heating up between former South Carolina coach Frank Martin and UMass. It sounds like a deal could be on the horizon.

UMass offered the job to Martin on Thursday, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. ESPN’s Pete Thamel added the meeting went well and a decision could be coming “soon.”

The news comes one day after reports surfaced saying Martin was a favorite for the UMass job. The Minutemen are working to replace Matt McCall, who was fired March 1.

Martin most recently served as the head coach at South Carolina before the two sides parted ways after the Gamecocks’ season. During his 10 years with South Carolina, Martin amassed a 171-147 record, including a 79-99 mark in SEC action. The Gamecocks went 18-13 overall and 9-9 in league play this season, but missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight time.

UMass is coming off a 15-17 overall record in 2021-22, including a 7-11 record in Atlantic 10 play. The Minutemen defeated George Washington in the second round of the A-10 Tournament before falling to Dayton in the quarterfinals.

Frank Martin emerges as favorite for UMass head coaching job

Former South Carolina men’s basketball head coach Frank Martin is now the frontrunner for the head coach opening at UMass. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the two sides have met already to gauge each other’s interest in working together.

“Source: Former South Carolina coach Frank Martin has emerged as the target of the UMass basketball search. Martin met with UMass officials Tuesday and the sides are expected to meet again in person on Thursday,” Thamel tweeted.

Martin spent his last 10 years as the head of the South Carolina men’s basketball program. His best year as the Gamecocks headman came in 2017 when he let them to a Final Four appearance and was named the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year.

St. Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt was rumored to be negotiating with UMass, but the two sides where unable to come to an agreement. That would have been a big move if the Minutemen pulled it off because they’re both in the Atlantic 10 Conference. On top of that, St. Bonaventure is in the NIT semifinals, meaning Schmidt is still coaching the Bonnies.

Those rumors proved to have some validity to them. Shortly after Thamel’s report, MassLive reporter Matt Vautour tweeted Schmidt was no longer a candidate for the job.

”Mark Schmidt has pulled out of UMass search,” Vautour tweeted.