Frank Martin left USC basketball in better shape than he found it, Shane Beamer says
A day after South Carolina fired men’s basketball coach Frank Martin, one of the school’s other high-profile coaches weighed in on the matter.
Gamecocks football coach Shane Beamer talked about Martin during an interview session with reporters Tuesday. South Carolina held its first spring football practice of the year earlier in the morning.
“He has been great to me since I have been here. Before they left for Tampa last week, I went for a couple hours over there watching them practice. He, like a lot of the coaches at Carolina, have been supportive of me.
“We traded text messages throughout my season and his season. I understand it is part of the business, but he certainly elevated the basketball program here during his time.”
Martin, 55, was hired in 2012 and replaced Darrin Horn.
Martin went 171-147 (79-99 SEC) with the Gamecocks. His win total is the third most in program history. He took the Gamecocks to their first Final Four appearance in 2017 and was .500 or better in conference play in half of his 10 seasons.
“It is a better situation now for the new coach walking in than when Frank got hired,” Beamer said. “I wish he and his family well. ... He’s a good friend, and I’m excited to see where he lands next.”
This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 1:05 PM.
