Martin discusses halt of normal team operations, season thoughts – 247Sports.com
Posted: March 19, 2020 at 12:44 am
Special Offer
50% off Annual VIP Pass first year
50% off Annual VIP Pass
Just like every other college basketball coach in America, Frank Martins job has come to an abrupt halt due to coronavirus concerns and precautions.
On Tuesday evening he joined local sports radio host Heath Cline and guest Carey Rich on 107.5 The Game.With campus closed and athletic facilities shut down at South Carolina, Martin was asked what the last handful of days have been like for him since the Gamecocks returned from a canceled SEC Tournament in Nashville.
Its not what Im used to, Martin said. The way our calendar is laid out, you're programmed. You know you coach, coach, coach and then your season is going to come to an end in March with the exception of one or two teams. Whenever that day is you go right to player meetings and from player meetings you are on the road selling (your program to recruits). All of a sudden Im at home doing all of the stuff my wife has been beating me about for the last five years that I havent done. Its a weird feeling, it really is.
With the doors to the Gamecocks basketball facility closed, Martin has not been able to meet individually with his players yet, something he normally does the week after the season ends. A.J. Lawsons thinking about pursuing the NBA goes hand-in-hand with that. Due to closures, Martin has not able to sit down with his sophomore guard.
I have not spoken to any of our players about (the NBA), Martin said. I have not been able to engage our players in NBA conversations because there is no answer. There is no clarity. What I do know right now is everyone is at a standstill.
Below is more of what Martin had to discuss with Cline and Rich during the uninterrupted 20-minute radio segment. His thoughts on the Gamecocks 2019-20 season and how he is managing his personal life amid coronavirus concerns is included.If accessing this story from Planos Proving Grounds message board, please click the link below to read the entire story.
CLINE: Have you had a chance to do anything with your guys, a group session of anything yet?
When we were traveling to Nashville I was already feeling uncomfortable about everything going on, the fact I had to stay at the hotel not knowing who had slept in those beds before we checked in. I had all kinds of thoughts going on. As soon as I got word that the tournament was being stopped my whole objective was to get the players some clarity as to what was going on and get them home so they could be with their families and I could go about doing my due diligence with my family and my staff and make sure they were ready to go deal with their families. As much as I love basketball, with all due respect to the university and the game of basketball, I love my wife, my mother and my children a little bit more.
RICH: What was your initial reaction when they decided to cancel not only the tournament, but the duration of the college basketball season?
When everything hit I was on scramble mode. I have a responsibility that these parents trust their children with (me) along with being away from my wife and my kids. I have a son in college and two at home with my wife. Im trying to figure out how to do my job and still be there for my family. Over the last 24 hours it has finally hit me.
There is disappointment. Our kids had battled so hard to give us a pretty darn good season that we were right there and had an oppournity to compete, which is the one thing I will always remember this team for. They never gave in to injuries to bad days to a public opinion. They grew up because they believed in each other. We were right there. We were, I thought, two wins away from being right back in the middle of that tournament. It wasnt meant to be. There is disappointment because I knew how much those kids grew up and how much they believed in each other.
A.J. is so much better right now than he was last year. Its not even funny. Hes more prepared as a human being and hes a better player. Jermaine Couisnard, to know what he went through last year and see him go through his journey this year and get to where he is at; then the year Maik Kotsar was having, its just so many things that disappointment is the one word that comes to mind. But I fully understood (to cancel the tournament). Im at peace that what needed to take place took place and I have no resentment whatsoever.
RICH: Have you had the opportunity to step back and reflect on this years season?
Yeah when you are out back working on your yard and cleaning your deck and cleaning your garage by yourself you have a lot of time to think. (The season) was frustrating at times because we were so young. Its not frustrating because we have bad guys. Its just immaturity. Freshmen dont understand how hard they have to work every day to have a successful day. They dont comprehend that until they live it. At times it was a little frustrating.
There are games I wish we could have back, but there are also incredible moments. Just like Clemson gets no credit for playing us, we get no credit for playing them. We went into Clemson and beat Clemson, the same building Duke and Louisville didnt win in. We went in there and won by double digits. We went into Virginia and won. We went into UMass with Keyshawn Bryant just off the injured list and in the lineup and we won when we were continuing to discover ourselves on the road.
Then you carry that over and have that bad loss to Stetson. Then you start league play and were down Couisnard and lose to Florida at home. We go to Tennessee and lose on a bang-bang play. We come home and make a shot to beat Kentucky and go on a run. At the end we had some opportunities against some real good teams; a one possession game at Mississippi State, a one possession game at Alabama, the loss to LSU at home without Justin Minaya and Jalyn McCreary to a concussion and we just didn't play well. We had chances and then lost to Vanderbilt to close out the season. With all of that said I had the time of my life coaching this team.
CLINE: Were all trying to kind of figure this out. For you, what do you do now?
Ive been texting with the players for the last two days. They taught me how to do this group chat deal. Im able to text with them. I text an English paragraph and they text me emojis back. Im trying to figure out of those are good or bad.
Im not big on having individual player meetings the day after the season. I dont believe in that. We both need to take a step back and take a deep breath. I dont like waiting until when we are going to have to wait (this year). These meetings I like to have in person and not on the phone. As of right now the earliest anyone is coming back on campus is April 15th. Thats still up in the air.
Ill continue to communicate the best I can until were given the green light to get them back around and have my usual end-of-year player meetings, which I thoroughly enjoy. Its a great way to communicate with young people, not just them understand me, but me understand them as we go through this together.
Recruiting is going to be unique. Its going to be like it was back in the day, where there is no April recruiting. Everything is going to be on the phone. We have to make sure were happy and in a place from a recruiting standpoint were full and not scrambling, trying to replace somebody.
At the end of the day, basketball and what were ranked and what my record is, all of that stuff to me is irrelevant. My whole thing is everyone is safe and were all making sure were in a good place because were dealing with an unknown.
If you told me to fight a grizzly bear, Ill fight the grizzly bear. If you told me take a bullet, Ill take a bullet. If you tell me to live through a hurricane or tornado, Ive done them both. Dealing with this (virus) unknown, Im not big on dealing with unknown. It drives me nuts. Right now my whole thought process is friends and family and people I care for, our players and their families. Hopefully in the near future this too shall pass and were all healthy and we can worry about basketball again.
Special Offer
50% off Annual VIP Pass first year
50% off Annual VIP Pass
Read more here:
Martin discusses halt of normal team operations, season thoughts - 247Sports.com
- Leo Gura - Growing In Times Of Crisis - January 10th, 2021
- Revere Baseball Leagues Honors the Life of Coach Kevin Cummings - Revere Journal - October 28th, 2020
- Whoop, maker of the fitness tracker that pro athletes love, is now valued at $1.2 billion - CNBC - October 28th, 2020
- Addressing the inefficiencies in the Productivity Tools - EnterpriseTalk - October 28th, 2020
- Parenting coach releasing book to help parents with teens - Your Valley - October 28th, 2020
- Local Event: Debs' Vocalist Showcase & Benefit for the Innocence Project - Patch.com - October 28th, 2020
- Coaches' Corner with Scott Smith - The Stokes News - October 28th, 2020
- Maryland University of Integrative Health's health and wellness coaching program approved by NBHWC Wall Street Call - Reported Times - October 28th, 2020
- A tip of the hat to my old football coach - Gonzales Inquirer - October 28th, 2020
- Little ready to bring the energy: Former Sierra player joins CSU Pueblo women's basketball program as assistant coach - Pueblo Chieftain - October 28th, 2020
- Nebraska had plenty of talent in 1970, but their coaches made the Huskers go the distance - Omaha World-Herald - October 28th, 2020
- Profile of An American Family in 2020: How to Pay Child Care Bills - Fatherly - October 28th, 2020
- Hutchinson High School 2020 Wall of Fame inductees share pride, achievements - Crow River Media - October 28th, 2020
- Another example surfaces of abuse of Black players by white coaches - The Undefeated - October 28th, 2020
- The Top 10 Pinterest Coaches and Strategists to Follow - GlobeNewswire - October 28th, 2020
- A financial coach who's worked with hundreds of clients says 3 things helped her build her own wealth - Business Insider - October 28th, 2020
- What Its *Really* Like to Work with a Life Coach, According to One Advertising Exec and Working Mom - PureWow - October 27th, 2020
- The NFL Head Coach Life Span And What It Means For Zimmer - Vikings Territory - October 27th, 2020
- Former Jackson-area basketball coach remembered as man of character, compassionate leader - MLive.com - October 27th, 2020
- Degrees, business and books, nothing stops this man - Eastern Arizona Courier - October 27th, 2020
- Where to Find Clarity and Relief During Life's Most Troubling Moments - WTMJ-TV - October 27th, 2020
- Robust client relationships focus on wealth and health - InvestmentNews - October 27th, 2020
- I didnt think my vote counted: Why Bradley Beal is voting for the first time - The Undefeated - October 27th, 2020
- 4 Skills that Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra Used to Go from the Dungeon to the Corner Office - Entrepreneur - October 27th, 2020
- The role of a CEO in driving diversity and change - Insurance Business NZ - October 27th, 2020
- MAKING THE JUMP: Rachel Hays set to open coaching business - Columbus Telegram - October 27th, 2020
- Colby College opens athletic and recreation center on its Waterville, Maine, campus - American School & University - October 27th, 2020
- Life coaching with Khabib: Dapper UFC star reveals he is releasing a course to teach people 'how to be a champ in life & business' - RT - September 17th, 2020
- Stroke Survivor Pivots Life Purpose to Empower Others and Embrace Their New Normal - Yahoo Finance - September 17th, 2020
- Cylient Launches Global and Collaborative Digital Learning Version of Coaching in the Moment Training - Daily Record-News - September 17th, 2020
- Remembering the life, legacy of Ed Pepple through those he impacted: SBLive Washington podcast - scorebooklive.com - September 17th, 2020
- Life Without Jimmy, Wolves Coaches Being Interviewed and Draft Talk - Zone Coverage - September 17th, 2020
- Kopping fulfills football dreams by coaching youth teams - Ashland Daily Press - September 17th, 2020
- Looking back on a life filled with basketball games and good times - Greensboro News & Record - September 17th, 2020
- Indianapolis life coach launches first emotional well-being app for and by women of color - IndyStar - September 17th, 2020
- 'It's much bigger than any of the sports we have' | Why some parents and coaches agree with youth sports ban - KSDK.com - September 17th, 2020
- Reaching Out to Others - coastalbreezenews.com - September 17th, 2020
- Mind Your Garden -- The Seeds You Plant Today Become the Realities of Tomorrow - PRNewswire - September 17th, 2020
- REVEALED: Aussie coach Doug Frost's Olympic Relay Plan That Sank The US On A Dramatic Opening Day In Sydney - Swimming World Magazine - September 17th, 2020
- Service goal: 'Improve their overall life' - Pendleton Times-Post - September 17th, 2020
- Ed Pepple, Hall of Fame Mercer Island basketball coach, dies at age 88 - Sports and Weather Right Now - September 17th, 2020
- At the heart of the matter, sister inspires Charlie Weis Jr.'s coaching climb - Notre Dame Insider - September 17th, 2020
- 30 K12 IT Influencers Worth a Follow in 2020 - EdTech Magazine: Focus on Higher Education - September 17th, 2020
- 2 women killed in U.S. 10 crash remembered for their loving ways - mlive.com - September 9th, 2020
- Need a job? Amazon seeks to fill 33,000 openings on Career Day 2020 - pennlive.com - September 9th, 2020
- Living a life of contentment | McFarland Thistle - The Cambridge News - September 9th, 2020
- Shes Using Hypnotherpay to Help Her Clients Create Change in Their Lives - The Story Exchange - September 9th, 2020
- The Remarkable Life and Times of Dr. Tom House - Sports Illustrated - September 9th, 2020
- Billy Martin needed time away after his father's death. Now, he's back coaching at Moore - Courier Journal - September 9th, 2020
- Bucs' Leonard Fournette: For the first time in my life, I really have a quarterback' - ABC Action News - September 9th, 2020
- Alton Dressel - The Daily Iberian - September 9th, 2020
- 4 Questions to Help Women Navigate the Second Half of Their Careers - Harvard Business Review - September 9th, 2020
- A Conversation With the ISU Soccer Coach - ISU Bengal Online - September 9th, 2020
- Former WNBA Player Crystal Robinson Always Wanted To Be A Coach - Sep 8, 2020 - Sports Are From Venus - September 9th, 2020
- How the Raptors 'scout team' is adjusting to life inside the NBA's bubble - The Athletic - September 9th, 2020
- Appraisal and revalidation for UK doctorstime to assess the evidence - The BMJ - September 9th, 2020
- Miller on the spin move: 'One of the best moments of my life' - 247Sports - September 9th, 2020
- We wanted the kids to have a second language so we flew over on a whim - The Irish Times - September 9th, 2020
- The second baseball life of Oliver Prez - The Athletic - September 9th, 2020
- State champ baseball coach Jim Vukovich remembered as first-class all the way - MLive.com - September 3rd, 2020
- Rutherford County Awards Three Employees $500 Scholarship for Continuing Education - Wgnsradio - September 3rd, 2020
- Ohio State coaches new and old navigate unchartered territory - OSU - The Lantern - September 3rd, 2020
- The combination of great scouting and better coaching may provide new life for these Cowboys players - Blogging The Boys - September 3rd, 2020
- Debs' Jazz Vocalist Showcase & Benefit for The Innocence Project - Patch.com - September 3rd, 2020
- Non-Profit To Great Lengths Launches with 1st Annual Silly Walk Competition at Liquid Alchemy Beverages in Wilmington, DE - PR.com - September 3rd, 2020
- Players remember Frankenmuth football coach Budd Tompkins as one of a kind - mlive.com - September 3rd, 2020
- Opinion: There is no such thing as a coaches' hot seat in college football this season - USA TODAY - September 3rd, 2020
- Taking the gloom out of Zoom - The American Genius - September 3rd, 2020
- Coco Gauff eliminated in U.S. Open first round - Home of the Olympic Channel - September 3rd, 2020
- UMD Football Coach Mike Locksley Pleads For Information In Son Meiko Locksleys 2017 Homicide, $20K Reward Offered - CBS Baltimore - September 3rd, 2020
- Coach-turned-author John Barry still loves football but urges caution during pandemic - Mississippi Today - September 3rd, 2020
- Garden Marcus shares gardening tips and positivity on TikTok - Los Angeles Times - June 26th, 2020
- SPORTS BRIEFS: David Nurse to hold camp at The Arena - Sioux City Journal - June 26th, 2020
- Sutton spotlighted in ESPN narrative - Arkansas Online - June 26th, 2020
- John Clayton, Hall of Fame high school basketball coach, remembered as 'very humble' but 'very competitive' - Commercial Appeal - June 26th, 2020
- Thriveworks Counseling Opens New Office in Fairfield, CTOffers In-Person and Online Mental Health Services - PR Web - June 26th, 2020
- How Far Does the Apple Fall From the Tree? - The Atlantic - June 26th, 2020
- Warren Abrahams interview: 'There are highly-qualified black coaches in England I am one of them' - Telegraph.co.uk - June 26th, 2020
- Seeing Past COVID: LifeRamp launches a revolutionary life coaching platform to help students get the most out of their college years and beyond. -... - June 6th, 2020
- Forever my coach - Ryan McGee on how Johnny Majors changed his life - ESPN - June 6th, 2020