Frank Martin addresses personal health issues throughout COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had major impacts on the sports world, specifically in college. That is especially true for South Carolina head basketball coach Frank Martin. Martin battled COVID and health issues over the past couple of years, and that had serious impacts on him and the Gamecocks program.

Earlier this week, Martin joined The Paul Finebaum Show, where he opened up on his health battles and how hard that was to navigate for South Carolina.

“It was hard,” Martin said about his health battles through COVID. “The first time I had it, I didn’t feel anything. But it attacked my immune system, so I lost my hair. So my energy was good, everything else was good. I just look in the mirror and I get depressed. No pun intended, I just wasn’t used to looking in the mirror and not seeing hair.

“Then the second time I got it, it beat me up pretty bad. And then the same day, my associate head coach got it – Chuck Martin. And it beat him up pretty bad. It was right when conference play started in January. It was hard. Chuck and I both tried to do our jobs last year, we were both beat up pretty good.”

Last season, South Carolina finished the season with an overall record of 6-15, including a 4-12 mark against SEC opponents. This season, the Gamecocks finished 18-13 overall and 9-9 in the SEC, losing in the second round of the SEC Tournament to Mississippi State.

Martin: South Carolina was impacted by COVID more than any other Power 5 team

The second time Martin got COVID, it hit him hard. He said that it hit him pretty hard, but that he is one of the lucky ones. Martin noted that there are a lot of people that weren’t as lucky as he was.

South Carolina’s COVID issues made it hard to practice, which in turn made it hard for Martin to lead his team throughout the season. It is something that had major impacts on last season.

“The only reason I didn’t go to the hospital was because my oxygen levels never got before 90,” said Martin. “But I was beat up. And I don’t say that for anyone to feel sorry for me. I’m still here, I’m one of the lucky ones. A whole lot of people were not as lucky as I was. But it’s hard to win games when you don’t get to practice. It’s hard to win games when your head coach doesn’t have the energy to come lead these young people.

“And, when you also take into consideration that I was trying to manage a team that was impacted by COVID more than any other Power 5 team in the country. We missed more practice time and more games than anybody. Trying to manage a group of kids through that moment was not easy when the world judges us by winning and losing. So it was a complicated year.”