‘It’s a tough call.’ Gamecocks women’s coach Dawn Staley talks on Frank Martin firing
Dawn Staley said she hasn’t had a conversation with former South Carolina men’s basketball coach Frank Martin, who was fired Monday, though the Gamecock women’s coach has sent Martin and his assistants text messages since the news broke.
“I think the bottom line is, it’s a tough call,” Staley said. “(South Carolina athletic director Ray) Tanner had a tough call, and that is just being in our business.”
South Carolina parted ways with Martin, 55, on Monday after 10 seasons at the helm of the men’s program. Martin’s Gamecocks went 171-147 (79-99 SEC) during that time, making one NCAA tournament appearance and the program’s only Final Four run in 2017.
In Martin’s final season, USC went 18-13 (9-9 SEC) in the 2021-22 and failed to receive an NIT bid.
“There’s a certain look that people want, and if you don’t give it to them, it’s next man up,” Staley said. “That’s the way it is, and I know Frank knows that better than all of us.”
Staley said having Martin around was like wearing an old pair of blue jeans — it’s comfortable. She’d known Martin and his family since he arrived in Columbia 10 years ago.
“We are creatures of habit,” Staley said. “We like the comforts of who we have close to our program. I know Frank. He loves it here. He loves his players. He’s always going to be in their lives.”
Staley has headed up USC’s women’s basketball program since the 2008-09 season, when Darrin Horn was first hired to lead the men’s basketball team. Horn was fired in 2012 after four seasons in Columbia.
Staley has created a powerhouse women’s basketball program in Columbia, including 10 trips to the NCAA tournament, three Final Fours and a national title in 2017.
South Carolina women’s basketball, the top overall seed in the 2022 NCAA tournament, begins its hunt for a second national championship under Staley on Friday with a matchup against No. 16 seed Howard in Colonial Life Arena.
The Gamecocks are seeded in the Greensboro Regional. With round one and round two wins, they play March 25-27 for a chance to advance to the Final Four, held on April 1 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The national championship is scheduled for April 3.
Martin will be in the studio for CBS and Turner Sports for men’s March Madness on Thursday and Friday, though he said he still wanted to coach and had no intention to change his career to the media on Charlotte radio Thursday in his first public comments since being fired.
“I’m at peace with everything,” Martin said on “The Mac Attack” with Charlotte radio station WFNZ. “I gave the job everything I had. The job compensated me and my family in an incredible way … I’ve got no complaints. I live the dream every day. I’m lucky as heck. I learned a lot about the business. I learned a lot about life.”
This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 5:49 PM.
