South Carolina coach Frank Martin tests positive for COVID-19 a second time
Frank Martin has tested positive for COVID-19, again.
The South Carolina coach, who first tested positive for the coronavirus in May, said Friday that he contracted the virus again last week.
Martin, via The State, said he tested positive on Jan. 7 and is experiencing symptoms like congestion and a cough. He tested positive the first time in May just before he was set to undergo knee-replacement surgery, though was asymptomatic.
“The first time it didn’t kick my tail the way this one kicked my tail,” Martin said, via The State.
Frank Martin sidelined after second COVID diagnosis
The Gamecocks had to halt team activities for two weeks last month due to coronavirus issues within the program, which resulted in the team losing five games. The team has played just twice since Dec. 5, and only had five games so far this season.
Martin has not been with the team this week, and will miss their game at LSU on Saturday night. Assistant coach Bruce Shingler will lead the team in his place. Two other assistants are skipping the trip, too.
Martin, 54, is one of several prominent coaches who has contracted the coronavirus this season, joining Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Baylor’s Scott Drew and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, among others. Georgetown, Michigan State, West Virginia and Oregon all announced this week that they are dealing with new outbreaks, too.
The coronavirus is still raging throughout the United States. The country recorded more than 238,000 new cases on Thursday alone, according to The New York Times, and is averaging more than 3,300 deaths attributed to the virus a day. South Carolina is the fourth-worst state in the country per capita. It is seeing 92 new cases per 100,000 people a day, and is averaging more than 4,700 new cases a day over the past week.
Martin, 54, is in his ninth season at South Carolina. He has compiled a 150-121 overall record there, and has made the NCAA tournament once — though reached the Final Four in 2017. It is unclear when he will be able to rejoin the team, but he did say his symptoms were improving.
“I don’t like to make this about me because it’s not about me … This is not a Frank Martin issue,” Martin said, via The State. “But after thinking along the lines of how I need to manage this moment, I thought transparency’s always been one of my greatest gifts. I’m not trying to hide in a bubble somewhere. And I think it’s so important for many out there to understand that this is the second time I go through this.”
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