Lamont Paris introduced as new Gamecocks coach, sets sights on return to postseason
Standing on the center of the court at Colonial Life Arena on Thursday evening, Lamont Paris cracked a confident, facetious smile.
The brand-new South Carolina men’s basketball coach turned toward athletic director Ray Tanner and thanked the USC administration for “recognizing greatness when they see it.”
Laughter echoed through the arena as Paris continued, laughing, “I mean, what else am I supposed to say?”
With the hiring of Paris, Tanner and USC are betting on the greatness they see in him, betting that the up-and-coming coach from the mid-major ranks is an ascending talent.
South Carolina inked Paris, 47, to a five-year, $12 million dollar contract to replace 10-year head coach Frank Martin, who was fired on March 14 after an 18-13 (9-9 SEC) season. Paris will average $2.4 million per year after making $250,000 at Chattanooga. Martin was making $3.2 million at the time of his firing.
Making his introductory statement Thursday as the 33rd head coach in program history, Paris said it was bittersweet to change jobs after his Mocs team was eliminated in a one-point loss against No. 4-seed Illinois in the NCAA tournament.
“Then I got the call from coach (Tanner) and my feelings all started to change,” Paris said. “It was a roller coaster ride of emotions and it ended on a high. And I’m extremely grateful to be here.”
A former assistant under Bo Ryan and Greg Gard at Wisconsin, Paris took his first head coaching job with Chattanooga in 2017 and compiled an 87-71 record in his five seasons. He led the Mocs to a 27-8 record this season and the first NCAA tournament appearance in his head coaching tenure.
Paris has drawn praise for his recruiting ability at Wisconsin, collecting talent that would help lead the Badgers to two Final Four appearances. The Gamecocks are hungry to get back to the postseason after making one NCAA tournament appearance — a historic 2017 Final Four run — in Martin’s 10 years at the helm.
Talking about his desire to get USC back into the postseason, Paris said he doesn’t view that mission as a “six-year project.”
“The barriers that stand between winning — there aren’t a ton here,” Paris said. “I know we’ve been in nine NCAA Tournaments in the school’s history. I’d like to add to that. That’s my objective. I’d like to add to that at a fast rate. I don’t think it’s a six-year project.
“It’s why I do this. It’s why guys come to practice. It’s why they wake up early. It’s why they run hills. It’s why they lift weights. It’s why they do community service. It’s why they go to classes. It’s why they make sacrifices, why they don’t have the social life that someone else does. It’s why they do all the things they do.”
He described himself as a player’s coach and a lover of a life who likes to keep players loose and lighthearted. That sense of humor came through from his very first words on stage.
“I enjoy life,” Paris said. “I have a lot of personality, and I’m calm on the sidelines. My work is done in the gym. By the time we get to the game, the hay is already in the barn. This is only one man’s opinion, but the crazier you’re going during the game, it just reminds me something during practice wasn’t happening that needed to be happening.
“... Guys like playing for me. I don’t know if it’s because of the jokes I tell or if it’s how I let them play. I think it’s probably more of the latter than the former.”
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 5:55 PM with the headline "Lamont Paris introduced as new Gamecocks coach, sets sights on return to postseason."
