South Carolina basketball: Frank Martin discusses last week on 107.5

Frank Martin wasn’t particularly surprised when South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner told him the news.

Martin got the text earlier that day asking to meet with Tanner and in it was told he would no longer be the Gamecocks’ head coach.

While disappointed, Martin understood.

“The university gave me 10 years. We didn’t get in the NCAA Tournament enough. That’s the stuff that happens and I sign up for the job. I can’t complain after the fact,” Martin said on 107.5 FM Monday, one of the few interviews he’s done since being fired.

“I didn’t think much from the text and the asking to meet. It’s normal for he and I. But after the way the university came for me last year and the fact nobody ever spoke to me about last year I assumed the short notice for the meeting was because they had it in the plans to move away from me. That’s their prerogative and their right. Was I surprised? No. Was I disappointed? Yes.

“I would have liked to have conversations during the year. After 10 years, I thought I deserved a little better. It’s OK. I’m a big boy. I don’t need people to hug or kiss me and tell me I’m great. I just like people shooting me straight.”

South Carolina fired after his fourth straight year of missing the tournament, which also excludes the COVID canceled 2020.

After making the Final Four in 2017, the Gamecocks went 77-72 as well as 41-46 in the SEC. They only had one losing season in the bunch, though, a six-win season in a COVID-ravaged 2020-21.

South Carolina retooled its roster in the offseason and responded with an 18-win year with nine SEC wins but it wasn’t good enough to make the NCAA Tournament once again.

The Gamecocks opted to move on roughly four days after the season ended with a 20-point loss to Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament, also one of the multiple double-digit losses this season.

“No one mistreated me. No one prevented me from doing my job,” Martin said. “But after last year I would have thought us getting back to a winning place from where we were at some folks would have said, ‘OK, last year was an anomaly.’ But it wasn’t meant to be. It is what it is.”

What’s next for South Carolina

The Gamecocks at this time now enter the second week of their coaching search. At this time there are two public candidates at the moment. First former Gamecock star and Wake Forest assistant BJ McKie as well as UT-Chattanooga’s Lamont Paris.

“It’s a great school. I think we showed you can win here. But every coach before me showed you could win here. I’m not the only one,” Martin said. “The question is sustaining winning. I’m sure they’ll hire a good coach. I’m not here to hope they fail. I don’t live my life that way.”

Martin, when asked about the advice he had for whoever the next South Carolina head coach is, kept it simple.

“Good luck. Good luck. That’s what I’d put down. It’s a great school. Good luck,” he said. “We live in the era of social media. I have to be short and quick with it…It’d be real simple. I’m here. If I can help, call me. I’d be more than happy to guide you with anything I can do. Good luck.”

What’s next for Frank Martin

As for Martin, his next steps are unclear. He was great in-studio during NCAA Tournament coverage. He could opt to stay in media for a year, similar to what his former co-worker Andy Kennedy also did.

Martin still maintains, in his interview with Heath Cline, he would still like to coach and remain in the sport although he doesn’t see himself as an assistant on someone else’s staff.

“When you fail as a coach, that means you lose, and you have to reinvent yourself. We didn’t lose. We just didn’t win enough. It is what it is. I’m pretty comfortable. We didn’t go Final Four, 17 wins, 15 wins, 10 wins, four wins. That’s not what we did. Unfortunately, we didn’t win enough,” he also said. “I’m at peace with who I am. We didn’t fail…right now, I don’t view what we’ve done as a failure. I don’t view me being an assistant coach as the next step in my journey.”

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