COLUMBIA, S.C. — Frank Martin was not out of work for long.
The former South Carolina head coach is the new head basketball coach at UMass, the school confirmed Friday. The news was broken by several news outlets before the school’s announcement. The Minutemen compete in the Atlantic 10.
Martin was fired nearly two weeks ago after 10 years in charge of the Gamecock program. He was 171-147 during his tenure in Columbia, the third highest win total in the history of the South Carolina men’s program. He had two post-season appearances at Carolina, the 2016 NIT and the 2017 Final Four. That magical run to Glendale was the program’s first ever appearance in the national semifinals.
Martin replaces Matt McCall who was 61-82 in five years in Amherst. The Minutemen finished 15-17 this past season. McCall is a former head coach at Chattanooga and when he left for UMass, he was replaced by Lamont Paris who was introduced Thursday as South Carolina’s new men’s head basketball coach.
Martin’s wife Anya is a former track and field standout at UMass.
“We are thrilled to welcome Frank, Anya ’98 and the Martin family back to the Commonwealth to lead our proud basketball program,” said UMass athletics director Ryan Bamford.
“This is an exciting time for Massachusetts basketball, our university and all who follow and support the Minutemen. First and foremost, Frank is a tremendous person. He is a proven winner and a highly respected coach and mentor who has forged deep relationships with the young men in his program, resulting in inspiring competitive success and a rewarding student-athlete experience. Under Coach Martin’s leadership, the future is bright for Massachusetts basketball.”
Martin will go to a school whose football team is currently an independent, making basketball the flagship sport for that Amherst based university
“Anya and I have never been more excited to call a place home like we are with UMass,” said Martin in a statement.
“It is evident that there is tremendous alignment in place to win and do it the right way. We cannot wait to be in Amherst and represent that community and our incredible University. Let’s all get on this ride together, let’s dream big and let’s be relentless at making our dreams a reality. Let’s win! Go UMass!”