From player to assistant coach: What Brian Steele brings to Frank Martin’s USC staff
Three weeks into the new job, South Carolina men’s basketball assistant Brian Steele still finds himself revved up by the little things — like the fact he has his very own office.
“It’s cloud nine every day for me,” Steele said Wednesday over Zoom, oozing with energy. “... I walk in every day, I put a key in an office, and it’s just so special. And for it to be at South Carolina, this place means the world to me.”
Since stepping on campus as a USC player in 2012, Steele has diligently worked his way into Frank Martin’s circle of trust. He played 50 career games under Martin in 2012-15 before recurring knee injuries pushed him into early retirement and veered him toward a role as a student assistant coach and then a graduate assistant.
After a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Division II school Queens University, Steele re-joined Martin’s staff as a video coordinator last season, and on June 16 the team announced Steele’s promotion to assistant coach. He’s filling the role vacated by five-year assistant Bruce Shingler, who left to coach under Mark Turgeon at Maryland.
Steele said it’s surreal “to be rewarded so quickly” for the effort he put in as a student assistant and video coordinator with the Gamecocks.
Steele’s promotion is another example of Martin’s family-oriented approach in building a coaching staff. Martin stayed in the Gamecocks family for Steele’s replacement as video coordinator, as well, announcing the hiring of former Gamecock John Ragin for that role on Wednesday. Along with those moves, Martin promoted top assistant Chuck Martin to associate head coach.
“As a young person, when you have someone like Frank who you know has status and respect and has won a lot of games and really knows what he’s doing ... his belief has just always meant so much to me,” Steele said. “And just spending so much time around him, he’s always preached loyalty to us, and he lives by it. He’s been incredibly loyal, and he’s always had my back.”
Steele said he takes a similar approach as an assistant, viewing the Gamecock players almost like little brothers and trying to lift them up. A self-described high-energy coach, Steele said he tries to get in the middle of the action as much as he can, even going up against imposing big men like Wildens Leveque and Tre-Vaughn Minott on the court.
“I try to still be like the young coach, and I get out there. Sometimes, I really regret it,” Steele said, laughing. “Like I get out there and deal with guys like Wildens and T.V. who are just gigantic and wrestling around with them. Man, they just beat me up.”
As a Greenville native and former Gamecock himself, Steele’s youthful energy and familiarity with the program could serve USC well on the recruiting trail, especially in the state of South Carolina. Barely a week into the job, Steele helped secure a commitment from 2022 in-state guard Zachary Davis, who said “me and coach Steele just built that bond.”
A former state title winner at Wade Hampton High, Steele said he’s been able to leverage his connections with local coaches — many of whom he once crossed paths with as a player.
“The response on the road, it’s been awesome,” Steele said. “I played my basketball high school basketball in the state, so a lot of my friends are now high school coaches and AAU coaches. And it’s crazy to see them because we’re young still, we just got done playing and we’re all trying to figure coaching out. It’s just special seeing everybody grow and having them be a part of my journey. ... It’s awesome and it brings me a lot of joy.
“I love recruiting in the state. And now that’s going to be one of my priorities, getting after South Carolina kids.”
This story was originally published July 8, 2021 at 8:10 AM.
