South Carolina’s Martin to chair hoops committee on race

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — South Carolina coach Frank Martin will chair a new committee formed by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to address issues of race and discrimination not only within intercollegiate athletics but society at large.

The NABC’s board of directors announced the new committee Thursday, saying in a statement that “coaches can and should lend their voices to making a difference on the national, regional and local levels.” But the college coaching association also wants to ensure that the concerns of student-athletes are being addressed.

The board also released a set of recommendations for coaches, including holding in-person or virtual meetings to discuss current events and racial injustice; stressing a team’s commitment to diversity and inclusion; establish Election Day as an annual team day off; and encourage meetings with law enforcement leaders and others outside the department.

Martin, who revealed this week that he had recovered from COVID-19, grew up in Miami as the son of Cuban political exiles. He was the first member of his family to be born in the U.S. and remains close with the Latino community.