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Gamecocks will be without two coaches vs. LSU

The good news for South Carolina is the Gamecocks will be back in action this weekend, hitting the road for a SEC tilt against LSU.

The bad news is they'll be down three coaches—including Frank Martin and assistant coach Chuck Martin—as they make the trip to Baton Rouge.

Photo by Chris Gillespie
Photo by Chris Gillespie

"I’m sitting at home frustrated. I’m happy for our players, though. At the end of the day, those kids have worked their tails off and manage their time period in an incredible way," Martin said on his call-in show. "I’m happy we get to send the team to LSU. It’ll be really frustrating to not be there and not share that moment with our players.”

Student-athlete development leader Doug Edwards will also be unavailable for Saturday's game as well.

Assistant head coach Bruce Shingler will serve as acting head coach for the game and will be assisted by assistant Will Bailey, video coordinator Brian Steele and special assistant to the head coach John Reynolds on the trip.

Shingler has been on the Gamecocks' staff for five years now and Martin said Shingler knows the ins and outs of what South Carolina wants to do on the court.

“I have all the confidence in the world in Bruce Shingler and the rest of our staff minus Chuck Martin and Doug Edwards," Martin said. "They’ll lead our players in the right direction and it'll be a great trip.”

The Gamecocks have had three separate COVID pauses which has resulted in seven games either canceled or postponed, including three SEC games.

Saturday's game will be just the second conference game the Gamecocks' have played this season. South Carolina won its conference opener, 78-54 over Texas A&M.

They've done it with a depleted roster, and that won't change against the Tigers.

“We still don’t have a complete team but we have enough guys to go play. It’s just the situation we’re in; obviously I have not been in practice this week because of what’s been announced. Bruce and the rest of the staff and I have been in constant communication. We have enough guys to compete, go play. The guys have been excited. They want to play,” Martin said. “I’m excited they’re going to play and put on that uniform to compete for the Gamecocks.”

Tip off from LSU is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.

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