South Carolina Basketball: Frank Martin Named One of Top 25 Hires of Last 25 Years

ESPN recently released a list of the top 25 college basketball coaching hires of the last 25 years.  South Carolina head coach Frank Martin cracked the list at No. 23.  Here’s what ESPN Insider John Gasaway had to say about Martin:

"23. Frank Martin, South Carolina Gamecocks (2012)Even if he hadn’t defeated Duke in the 2017 round of 32 and taken his team to the Final Four as a No. 7 seed, Martin would be a strong candidate to make this list. He has elevated the South Carolina program just as he elevated the Kansas State program before arriving in Columbia."

Martin started at South Carolina in 2012, beginning a massive rebuild following the firing of Darrin Horn.  The Gamecocks suffered losing records in Martin’s first two years in Columbia, but have now finished .500 or above in each of the last six seasons.  Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Carolina has posted a 102-65 overall record, including going 51-39 in SEC play.

Many are critical when evaluating Martin’s tenure with the Gamecocks, and they’ll point to roster instability and the fact that he’s led South Carolina to only two postseason appearances in his eight years on campus, but there is no argument that the program is lightyears ahead of the one he inherited in 2012.

Since Martin’s hire, the Gamecocks have put together four seasons of 10+ wins in the SEC, recorded two 25+ win seasons, won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 1978, and made the program’s only run to the Final Four.

Martin hopes to lead the Gamecocks back to the NCAA Tournament in 2021, as he returns the majority of production from a 2020 team that was NIT-bound prior to the Coronavirus abruptly ending the college basketball postseason.