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Jones: South Carolina's Frank Martin a coach anyone can root for

 
Published March 28, 2017

Frank Martin's life changed late one night in 1992.

He was 26, working as a bouncer at a Miami nightclub, just the latest in a series of odd jobs he held. He got his first at age 12 — at Dairy Queen in Little Havana. He worked in a pool hall. He tended bar. He washed dishes. He cooked in a greasy spoon.

On this particular night, he did what bouncers sometimes do. He broke up a fight and kicked out the troublemakers. At 2:30 in the morning, one returned with a gun and started shooting.

Martin made the decision right then that something had to change.

Look how far he has come. Twenty-five years later, Martin is taking Cinderella to the ball by coaching South Carolina in the Final Four for the first time in school history.

"I'm just out of words," said Martin, 51. "Out of words."

It might be the first time that Martin has had nothing to say. Last weekend in New York City, as the Gamecocks beat Baylor and Florida, his heart was on his sleeve and his emotions were on his face.

Martin is a rare blend — emotional and irrational on the court; thoughtful, introspective, reflective and appreciative off it.

He is a first-generation Cuban-American raised by his mother, Lourdes. After cutting down the nets Sunday in New York, he found his 74-year-old mom.

As he hugged her, he said, "Mommy, please don't cry," as tears streamed down his own face.

She's the reason he is who he is.

"Husband runs out, leaves her, never gives her a penny, she never takes him to court, doesn't make excuses," Martin said.

Lourdes worked as a secretary, raising Frank and his sister. Every other Friday, Lourdes took her children for a family meal at Wendy's or Burger King.

"I made her cry one time when I was a teenager because I made the wrong choice," he said. "I'm never making her cry again for making the wrong choice."

That's why Lourde's tears meant so much to him Sunday.

"I'm watching her cry tears of joy because of all her sacrifices have allowed me and my sister to move forward in life," Martin said. "Those are the tears that are important to me. That's extending her life. When you make your mother cry for joy, it gives her more life."

The road to making her proud was not easy.

Martin, who never played basketball past high school, started his coaching career with the junior varsity team at Miami High.

He got his physical education degree from Florida International in 1993 and became varsity head coach at North Miami. He went back to Miami High and won three consecutive state titles.

But, as with everything in Martin's life, it was complicated and messy. He was fired because of illegal recruiting.

Martin's dream of being a college coach seemed over. He wrote hundreds of letters to college coaches. Only one ever wrote him back, telling him to keep working, to keep his dream alive: Mike Krzyzewski, whose Duke team Martin and the Gamecocks eliminated in the second round.

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Martin got another high school job, then a string of college assistant jobs: at Northwestern, at Cincinnati, at Kansas State. When Bob Huggins left K-State for West Virginia, Martin's dream came true.

On April 6, 2007, the former bouncer became head coach at Kansas State. Now he's in his fifth season at South Carolina.

As he looks forward to the Final Four, Martin can't help but look back.

Last weekend, he talked about still going back to visit his old school.

"I go back and I hug and kiss every single one that held me accountable here and would never let me off the hook," Martin said.'

That's why you're likely to see Martin chewing out a player now instead of hugging him. Last week, he made national news saying that kids haven't changed, that adults' low expectations of kids is the problem.

Martin said here's what he tells kids and parents when he recruits them: "You guys might be mad at me sometimes. I'm okay with that. But the one thing you never have to worry about me is that I'm going to lie or I'm going to cheat your child. Neither of those two things are ever happening. And that's who I am. That's who I am."

He speaks with that kind of passion about everything in his life.

He listens to Sinatra's My Way before every game.

He constantly praises his wife, Anya, who turned him down seven times to go on a date.

"Seven!" Martin said. "The day she made the mistake on going out on a date with me, I never let her go."

Anya will be in Arizona this weekend for the Final Four. So will Lourdes. And so will every memory Martin has getting there — from every former player and coach and teacher. He'll even remember that guy who came back to the club that night in Miami with a gun.

"I've got four core values I live my life by and I run my teams by and I run my family with: Honesty, loyalty, trust and love," Martin said. "And the only way you get to love is if you experience the other three. When you get to love, that gets strong. I don't care what storm comes through, you're not breaking love."

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Head coach Frank Martin of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts after defeating the Duke Blue Devils 88-81 in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2017 in Greenville, South Carolina.

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Head coach Frank Martin of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts after defeating the Duke Blue Devils 88-81 in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2017 in Greenville, South Carolina.

Contact Tom Jones at tjones@tampbabay.com. Follow @tomwjones