New coach Lamont Paris in Greensboro to support Gamecocks WBB team in Sweet 16
A little over 24 hours after being introduced as the new South Carolina men’s basketball coach, Lamont Paris was on the court.
Sort of.
The former Chattanooga head coach was spotted at the Gamecocks women’s basketball team’s Sweet 16 game against UNC on Friday at the Greensboro Coliseum. He was seated with athletics director Ray Tanner and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey a row behind the Gamecocks’ bench.
South Carolina deputy athletic director Chance Miller was also on the scene for the contest.
Paris was officially hired Thursday to replace Frank Martin, who was fired after the Gamecock men’s squad failed to make the postseason. Martin has since been hired at UMass.
Tanner told reporters that a trip to support Dawn Staley’s team was in the works.
“Coach Paris and I, he’s got work to do, but we’re going to Greensboro, too,” Tanner said Thursday.
South Carolina defeated North Carolina 69-61 to advance to Sunday’s Elite Eight game.
Afterward, Staley offered some words of encouragement for her new colleague.
“I just told him he’s going to love this place,” Staley said. “He’s going to love the fans, he’s going to love the people of South Carolina.
“I really hope they give him a chance to succeed. This is a town in which they love winners, they love hard workers, but they’re not very patient. Hoping they’re a little patient. People were patient with me.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 7:16 PM.
