Frank Martin names Perry Clark assistant coach

Men’s basketball head coach Frank Martin has tapped former Tulane and Miami (Fla.) head coach Perry Clark as an assistant coach for the Gamecocks.

Perry fills a spot left open on Martin’s bench after former assistant head coach Brad Underwood was named the head coach at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas, in April. Clark’s hiring was announced Thursday in USC athletics press release.

“We are extremely excited about adding Coach Clark to our staff with the experience and the unbelievable story of success that continues to follow him,” Martin said. “He is someone who understands the land of recruiting as well as anyone in the country. His experience with preparing teams that have been ranked in the top 10 in the country and to play in the ACC and the Metro Conference is something that will serve our players and coaches in tremendous ways.”

Clark comes to USC with 30 years of coaching experience, including 15 years as a head coach at Tulane, Miami (Fla.) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. His teams recorded seven 20-win seasons and made it to the post season 9 times. He owns a 304-270 record as a head coach and was named the National Coach of the year in 1992 after leading Tulane to a Metro Conference championship. This is his first coaching job since being fired by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in 2011.

“I'm very excited to be at South Carolina,” Clark said. “I've known Frank Martin for a long time and I know the hard work and integrity that he brings to a program. For me to be able to come in and add to that, and be a part of that, is something that was very appealing to me.”

Clark coached the Green Wave for 11 seasons, compiling a 185-145 record. His Tulane teams recorded six 20-win seasons and made it to the NCAA Tournament three times. He was the Metro Conference Coach of the year in 1991 and 1992. He was inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Tulane Hall of Fame in 2009.

He was the head coach at Miami from 2000-2004 and recorded a 65-54 record. His teams made the postseason his first two years, including an NCAA Tournament berth after the Hurricanes won 24 games during the 2001-02 season. He was fired after posting losing records in 2003 and 2004.

Clark coached Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for four seasons, posting a 54-71 record with the Islanders.

Before becoming a head coach, Clark served as an assistant at Georgia Tech and Penn State.

This story was originally published June 6, 2013 at 4:11 PM.