Report: South Carolina parts ways with Frank Martin

Another surprising coaching-related move has come out of the SEC. On Monday afternoon, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported that the South Carolina Gamecocks have parted ways with head men’s basketball coach Frank Martin.

South Carolina finished this season 18-13 overall and 9-9 against SEC opponents. The Gamecocks dropped their first game in the SEC Tournament, losing 73-51 to Mississippi State on Thursday.

Martin first came to South Carolina in the 2012-2013 season. He has amassed a 288-201 record as a head coach. With the Gamecocks, he had a 171-147 career record, making one NCAA Tournament appearance. That NCAA Tournament appearance was a pretty memorable one, as the Gamecocks made it all the way to the Final Four. Martin was named the Coach of the Year by Collegeinsider.com that season. South Carolina also made the NIT in the 2015-2016 season under Martin.

Prior to joining the Gamecocks, Martin served as the Kansas State head coach from 2007-2012. He led the Wildcats to a 117-54 record, making four NCAA Tournament appearances. Interestingly, the Kansas State job is now open, as Bruce Weber has resigned from his position.

South Carolina officially announces decision on Martin

Shortly following the Martin decision breaking, South Carolina put out a release with comments from Director of Athletics Ray Tanner. Tanner said that a search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

“After a thorough evaluation of our men’s basketball program, we have decided to make a change,” said Tanner. “We are grateful for the dedication that Coach Martin has made to Gamecock Basketball. We wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future.

“Our expectation is to compete for Southeastern Conference and national championships. We have great facilities, a passionate fan base and we provide our student-athletes an outstanding experience at the University of South Carolina. We will hire someone with a winning coaching history, who has the energy, passion, and commitment to excellence in all areas of the student-athlete experience.”

Martin’s departure isn’t the first move in the SEC. Georgia parted ways with Tom Crean, and the Bulldogs then hired Mike White away from Florida as his replacement.