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Pete ThamelESPN
Former South Carolina men’s basketball coach Frank Martin has an opportunity to coach at a new address.
Martin was formally offered the head-coaching job at UMass on Thursday after the two sides met in person in South Carolina, a source told ESPN. Martin’s decision on whether to take the job is expected soon.
Martin, 56, led South Carolina to the Final Four in 2017 and would bring 15 years of high-major coaching experience to UMass. Martin has a 288-201 record as a major college head coach at Kansas State and South Carolina.
Martin would replace Matt McCall, who went 58-81 and 28-52 in Atlantic 10 play. UMass has gone to just one NCAA tournament since 1998.
Martin was fired by South Carolina earlier this month after 10 seasons there. The Final Four run was his lone NCAA tournament appearance, and he finished with a record of 171-147. He reached the NCAA tournament four times in five seasons at Kansas State.
Martin has ties to Massachusetts. His wife, Anya, is a former track star at UMass. Martin also worked at Northeastern in Boston — where he recruited J.J. Barea — from 2000 to ’04.
Since reaching the Final Four in 1996, UMass has struggled to recapture those heights. The school has attempted to revive basketball’s competitiveness, including building a practice facility in 2015 that cost nearly $30 million.
UMass first met with Martin on Tuesday. The school also had discussions with St. Bonaventure’s Mark Schmidt, who ultimately decided to stay in Olean, New York.
Martin would be the second high-profile hire in the Atlantic 10 this offseason. Rhode Island introduced former Indiana coach Archie Miller as its new head coach earlier this week.