Frank Martin turns to internal candidate, former Gamecock to fill assistant vacancy

Frank Martin and the South Carolina men’s basketball team have found their replacement for departing assistant coach Bruce Shingler.

The Gamecocks will promote Brian Steele, director of men’s basketball video services, into the role vacated by Shingler, who is joining head coach Mark Turgeon’s coaching staff at Maryland.

South Carolina also announced Wednesday that it will promote Chuck Martin to associate head coach.

“I’m very excited to give Chuck the title of associate head coach and to promote Brian to an assistant Coach for our program,” Martin said in the official release. “... Brian understands what we teach, has a great relationship with players and is a star in the coaching profession. And he is one of us; he is a South Carolinian, he takes pride in this uniform and he is like a young brother to me. I’m excited for this opportunity for Brian and our team.””

After a standout career at Wade Hampton High in Greenville, Steele played 50 career games for the Gamecocks from 2012-2015, earning four starts. Recurrent knee injuries cut Steele’s playing career short, but he served as a student assistant under Martin in 2015-16 and in the Final Four season of 2016-17.

Steele rejoined the staff as director of video services before the 2020-21 season after serving two years as an assistant coach for Division II Queens University in Charlotte.

Steele becomes the second new assistant to join the staff in as many years, after Will Bailey replaced the retiring Perry Clark last offseason.

The Gamecocks are looking to rebound from a difficult 6-15 season that was plagued by multiple COVID-19 shutdowns. Rumors swirled about Martin’s job status for a month after the season before the coach signed a contract extension.

Shingler’s departure represents an opportunity for the five-year assistant to move closer to home.

“I really want to thank Frank and the staff for an amazing and memorable five years,” Shingler said in his social media announcement. “One of the hardest decisions of my life is leaving a mentor and friend; the absolute best human being I’ve been around.”