South Carolina Reportedly Seeks Kansas State's Frank Martin For Head Coaching Job

The chances of Frank Martin leaving Kansas State for South Carolina have elevated from mere rumors to something that Wildcat fans now need to seriously ponder. According to a story from Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News, officials with South Carolina have indeed requested permission from K-State officials to speak with Martin about their head coaching position.

Simply because they have asked permission does not mean it is a sure thing Martin is a goner from Manhattan. He has long proclaimed his loyalty to the school for giving him his first head coaching position at the major college level. In addition he has constantly re-iterated his love for the fans and the lifestyle he and his family lead in Manhattan. Also the South Carolina job is obviously much closer to his hometown of Miami but it is quite debatable whether the move could even be considered lateral or possibly even a step down on the coaching hierarchy.

The bad news though for K-State fans is the fact that it does not take a genius to figure out there is some level of discord between Martin and Athletic Director John Currie. Following the Wildcats loss to Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament where Jamar Samuels was withheld from playing due to a wire transfer he received, Martin openly mentioned Currie by name in telling who made the decision to sit Samuels down. Even though Martin is an emotional coach and was talking about a player whose career ended in such a way, the tone of his answer when mentioning Currie conveyed to people the fact that the two men are not completely on the same page.

For the time being all K-State fans can do is sit back and watch and see what happens with Martin and their basketball program. The good news for those that do not like drama is that Martin has previously been very open in his comments and does not seem to lie as his comments last year concerning his contract during the Miami coaching search prove.