South Carolina men’s basketball coach Frank Martin is known as a candid and emotional coach in otherwise regular settings. During a season interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and his job security being a regular conversation topic among Gamecock fans, Martin’s responses went to another level.

That was the case on Thursday when he met with the media to reflect on the season. After a series of videos played from former players congratulating him on his recent contract extension, Martin paused at times and finally said, “That’s why I coach. That’s why I became a schoolteacher in my neighborhood.”

But the Gamecocks also went 6-15 this past season, including 4-12 in the SEC. He said it was his first bad year in 29 years as a head coach.

“Excuse my French, but I can’t use another word: I did a shitty job of coaching this past year,” Martin said. “I didn’t manage things the right way and then some of the personal stuff I went through made it really, really difficult for me to do my job. But all that’s behind me.”

Martin bristled with the media’s coverage of his job security in the last month, and said, “some of you guys need better sources.” But after Martin battled COVID-19, he said he has lost about 25 pounds and his eyebrows are beginning to grow back so he feels better than he has in a long time.