Frank Martin Gets Contract Extension

GAMECOCK BASKETBALL COACH INKED THROUGH 2022

University of South Carolina head basketball coach Frank Martin received a four-year contract extension on Friday – extending his tenure through the 2021-22 season with a base salary of $2.45 million annually.

“During Frank’s tenure, our basketball team has had tremendous growth, not only on the court, but also in the classroom,” South Carolina athletics director Ray Tanner said in a statement. “Frank is passionate about academics and community outreach, and that translates to his team as well. Our program has taken tremendous strides under Frank, and is in position to be an NCAA Tournament team. Frank is building a winning culture and we are very excited to have him as the leader of our men’s basketball program.”

Martin said he was “thankful for all the players that have sacrificed so much in helping us to build our program for us to be given this opportunity.”

Hmmmm … thankful enough to share some of that fat salary?

Wait … never mind. That’s another conversation for another time.

Martin – whose first two years in Columbia, S.C. were an unmitigated disaster – has turned it around since then.  After posting a winning record in 2014-15, his most recent team finished the 2015-16 regular season on the cusp of an NCAA tournament appearance – someplace the Gamecocks haven’t been in twelve years (and someplace they haven’t won in 43 years).

Of course there have been some off-court problems, but the general consensus is that Martin has the Gamecock hoops program on the right track and is deserving of this vote of confidence.

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