On the recordApril 4, 2017
I do want to restate that Frank Martin is really an extraordinary person. Much more, Senator Scott and I both had a chance to interact with him on a number of occasions. I don't mean to single them out among all of the other suspicious athletic accomplishments in South Carolina that are certainly worth noting, but I would say, with Frank, one of the things that really impresses me is not what he does with these young men on the court but the kind of influence he is in their lives off the court and the impact he has. He was a high school coach in Miami and won State championships there. He comes from a hard-working family of Cuban exiles who made their home in South Florida. So we are very, very proud of what he has achieved. But what I am most proud of is the way Coach Martin has been able to influence those young men. He did defeat the Florida Gators to make it to the final four, and I was not happy about that. But I would say this--and I have said it to others--if the Florida Gators had to lose, I would want it to be to Frank Martin because of the extraordinary work he does. So I can't wait to see which Florida university hires him away. Thank you.
