South Carolina Parts With Frank Martin; What Does That Mean for OSU and Mike Boynton
With college basketball’s regular season in the rearview, we’re officially into coaching carousel season.
On Monday, South Carolina parted ways with long-time head coach Frank Martin, marking the first time there’s been a vacancy at Mike Boynton’s alma mater since he became a head coach. Since the news about Martin broke, Boynton’s name has been mentioned several times regarding the opening.
It wouldn’t be the offseason if a head coach wasn’t mentioned alongside an opening, case and point being Boynton having been mentioned for the opening at LSU. I certainly can’t see Boynton leaving any school for a school mired in NCAA allegations/sanctions after what Oklahoma State went through the past few years.
However, Boynton’s name being mentioned with South Carolina is certainly enough to make one step back and take a look. He played for the Gamecocks from 2000 to 2004, then served on the coaching staff for four seasons.
While it would certainly make sense to connect Boynton to the SC opening, former OSU athletic director Mike Holder signed Boynton to a seven-year contract extension last spring, which pays him $2.1 million a year. According to the Oklahoman, should Boynton leave OSU for another school within three years of signing the contract, he would owe 75% of what’s remaining. A source close to the situation and with knowledge of the contract told Pokes Report the buyout is more than $13 million should he leave this year for South Carolina, or any other school that might come calling.
For comparison, Frank Martin was being paid $3.2 million a year. During his 10-year stint as head coach, Martin amassed a 171-147 overall record, including 79-99 in SEC play.
Sure, SEC schools have loads of money, but that’s a lot of cash to have to pay to then have to turn around and sign Boynton to a multi-million-dollar contract. It’s still very early on in SC’s coaching search, but it appears that Oklahoma State has put itself in a great place to avoid schools from trying to poach Mike Boynton early in his new contract.