Martin Names Several Staff Members

April 4, 2012

University of South Carolina head men’s basketball coach Frank Martin announced on Wednesday the hiring of several members of his staff. Brad Underwood has been named associate head coach, Matt Figger is an assistant coach and will serve as the recruiting coordinator and Lamont Evans has been named an assistant coach for the Gamecocks. Andy Assaley has been hired as the men’s basketball director of operations, and Scott Greenawalt will serve as the team’s strength and conditioning coach. All five served as part of Martin’s staff at Kansas State over the course of the past five seasons.

Below is a brief bio on each staff member (quotes from Frank Martin in each bio):

Brad Underwood
(Associate Head Coach)

Brad Underwood comes to South Carolina after most recently serving as the associate head coach for Frank Martin at Kansas State during the 2011-12 campaign, while also serving as an assistant for Martin from 2007-11. Underwood is credited with playing a major role in helping to revitalize the Wildcat program, which posted 20-win campaigns and advanced to the postseason, including four trips to the NCAA Tournament, during all six of his seasons at KSU. Underwood brings 25 years of coaching experience in various levels of the college ranks to the South Carolina sidelines.

“Brad has a wealth of experience after serving for 16 years as a Division I assistant and six years as a head coach at the junior college level,” Martin said. “He is a strong recruiter and excellent bench coach.”

Underwood joined the Kansas State staff in May 2006 as the director of operations for then-head coach Bob Huggins. After serving in that capacity for the 2006-07 campaign, Underwood was promoted to assistant coach prior to the 2007-08 season, Martin’s first as the head coach at KSU. At Kansas State, Underwood helped coach several all-conference players and two All-Americans, while during his time as an assistant and associate head coach for Kansas State, the squad won at least 21 games each season, while finishing fifth or higher in the Big 12 each year.

During his first season as an assistant (2007-08), Underwood helped guide the Wildcats to a 21-12 record and third-place finish in the Big 12 with a mark of 10-6 in league contests, which marked the program’s best finish since the inception of the league. The squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and the program earned its first NCAA Tournament victory since the 1988 campaign.

Kansas State earned an at-large bid to the Postseason NIT during the 2008-09 campaign, and the 2009-10 team followed with one of the best seasons in program history, compiling a school-record 29 wins, en route to the program’s first NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance in over two decades. The Wildcats defeated six ranked opponents that season, and concluded the year ranked in the Top 10 in both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll (No. 7) and the Associated Press Top 25 Poll (No. 7).

Kansas State advanced to the third round in the NCAA Tournament during the 2010-11 season, as the squad posted a 23-11 record, including a 10-6 mark in league play to finish third in the Big 12. Underwood received much acclaim during the 2010-11 season, as Martin took his suggestion of adjusting the offensive scheme in early January. The result saw KSU rally, posting nine wins in its last 11 regular-season games to earn the school’s fifth-consecutive 20-win season.

The 2011-12 campaign saw Kansas State once again advance to the NCAA Tournament third round, concluding the season with a 22-11 overall record. The Wildcats posted a 10-8 mark in Big 12 play to finish fifth, which made Kansas State and cross-state rival Kansas as the only Big 12 schools to receive a bye into the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in each of the last six seasons, with Underwood part of the KSU staff each time.

Prior to his time at Kansas State, Underwood served as a head coach at the junior college level at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College (1988-92), and Daytona Beach (Fla.) Community College (2003-06). In between those stints, Underwood served as the top assistant at Western Illinois (1992-2003). Martin began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Hardin-Simmons during the 1986-87 campaign.

Underwood earned his bachelor’s degree in radio and television communications from Kansas State in 1986, where he was a two-year letterman for the Wildcats (1984-86). A native of McPherson, Kan., he and his wife, Susan, have one son, Tyler, and two daughters, Katie and Ashley.

Matt Figger
(Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator)

Matt Figger comes to South Carolina after most recently serving as an assistant coach at Kansas State for Frank Martin for the past five seasons. Figger, who was promoted to KSU’s recruiting coordinator in June 2011, has played a key role in the development of the Kansas State program, as the team has posted 20-win seasons and advanced to the postseason, with four trips to the NCAA Tournament, in each of his five seasons at KSU. Figger brings 20 years of coaching experience in various levels of the college ranks to the South Carolina sidelines.

“It is no surprise that success follows Matt everywhere he goes,” Martin said. “Matt is a tireless worker that brings great energy every day to our student-athletes.”

Figger joined the staff at Kansas State in 2007 as an assistant coach, where he helped coach two All-Americans and numerous all-conference selections. Figger has been a member of Martin’s staff during all five years of Martin’s time as the head coach at Kansas State. The program amassed an impressive 171 victories during that time and the squad won at least 21 games each season, while finishing fifth or higher in the Big 12 each year.

During his first season on staff at KSU, Figger helped the Wildcats post their first NCAA Tournament victory since 1988 after posting a 21-12 overall record, including a third-place finish in the Big 12 with a 10-6 mark. The finish in league play was the highest for the Wildcats since the inception of the league.

The 2008-09 squad posted 22 wins and earned an at-large bid to the Postseason NIT, which set the stage for a record-setting season in 2009-10, when the team posted a school-record 29 wins, en route to the program’s first NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance in over two decades. The Wildcats defeated six ranked opponents that season, and concluded the year ranked in the Top 10 in both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll (No. 7) and the Associated Press Top 25 Poll (No. 7).

Kansas State advanced to the third round in the NCAA Tournament during the 2010-11 season, as the squad posted a 23-11 record, including a 10-6 mark in league play to finish third in the Big 12. Among the team’s 23 wins were six over ranked teams, including the nation’s top-ranked squad (No. 1 Kansas) and its first over a Top 10 team (No. 7 Texas) on the road since 1994. The team finished in the Top 25 of both polls in 2011, including No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll.

The 2011-12 season saw Kansas State once again advance to the NCAA Tournament third round, concluding the season with a 22-11 overall record. The Wildcats posted a 10-8 mark in Big 12 play to finish fifth, which made Kansas State and cross-state rival Kansas as the only Big 12 schools to receive a bye into the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in each of the last six seasons, with Figger on staff for the last five campaigns.

Prior to his time at Kansas State, Figger served a brief stint as the director of operations at Arkansas (April-June 2007), which followed five seasons as an assistant coach at South Alabama for John Pelphrey (2003-07). South Alabama enjoyed some of its greatest success during Figger’s time on staff, especially the final two seasons when the team reached the NCAA Tournament and NIT, respectively. Prior to his time with the Jaguars, Figger spent 10 years as an assistant coach in the junior college ranks, including stints at Wabash Valley (Ill.) (1993-94), Vincennes (1994-99) and Odessa (Texas) College (2000-02). At the junior college level, his teams won 20 or more games eight times, captured six region and four district titles and advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament four times.

Figger, a native of Jenkins, Ky., earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Eastern Kentucky in 1995. He played baseball at Pikeville College in Pikeville, Ky. (1990-91), before completing his education at Eastern Kentucky.

Lamont Evans
(Assistant Coach)

Lamont Evans comes to South Carolina after most recently serving as an assistant coach at Kansas State for Frank Martin during the 2011-12 season. Evans also served as a student assistant (2008-09) and a graduate manager (2009-11) for Martin’s Wildcats.

“Though young in actual experience, Lamont was preparing to coach even during his playing days,” Martin said. “He is very well connected in the world of grassroots basketball and has great knowledge of the game.”

During his four seasons associated with the program, Kansas State complied 96 victories, an average of 24 wins per season, and advanced to the postseason each year, with three trips to the NCAA Tournament. The school also received a bye in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in each of his four seasons with the program.

Evans assisted with the development of several players during his time at Kansas State, including All-Americans Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen.

The 2010-11 squad also advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament after finishing third in the Big 12. During his first season as an assistant at K-State, Evans helped guide the Wildcats to a 22-11 overall record, including a fifth-place finish in the Big 12 with a mark of 10-8, en route to the NCAA Tournament for the third-consecutive season.

Evans, a native of Eleuthera, Bahamas, first came to the United States at the age of five, eventually settling in Deerfield Beach, Fla. He was a standout point guard at Hallandale High School in Hallandale, Fla., where he earned second team Florida Class 5A All-State honors as a junior, before collecting first-team accolades during his senior season in 1995-96.

Evans played his first two years of college basketball at Seminole (Fla.) Junior College in Sanford, Fla., and St. Catharine College in St. Catharine, Ky., before enrolling at Drake in 1999. After a solid season at Seminole during the 1996-97 campaign, when he averaged 19.0 points and 7.1 assists per game, his outstanding play at St. Catharine’s during his sophomore season saw him draw Division I scholarship offers. Averaging 16.2 points and an impressive 10.1 assists per game at St. Catharine’s, Evans was named the most valuable player of Region VII.

Evans played two seasons at Drake where he earned All-MVC and All-Newcomer Team accolades. He followed his time with the Bulldogs playing seven years professionally around the world. His stops included the U.S. Basketball League (USBL), playing for the Lakeland (Fla.) Blue Ducks, and internationally with teams in Slovenia, Germany, Finland, Belgium and Venezuela. He led teams in Slovenia and Belgium to championships, while he was named one of the top international point guards during his time in Germany.

Evans earned his bachelor’s degree in social science from Kansas State in the spring of 2009.

Andy Assaley
(Director of Men’s Basketball Operations)

Andy Assaley joins the men’s staff at South Carolina as the director of basketball operations. Assaley most recently served in the same capacity at Kansas State under Frank Martin for the past five seasons.

“Andy brings an incredible combination of coaching and administrative background to our staff,” Martin said. “He is very helpful in film breakdown and also in creating a great organization of our office’s day-to-day business.”

Assaley has played a key support role in helping to build the Kansas State program during his six seasons on staff with the Wildcats. The program posted at least 20 wins each season and advanced to the postseason every year, including four trips to the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats advanced to the Postseason NIT in 2007, Assaley’s first season on staff where he served as video coordinator, posting an overall record of 23-12, the first of six-consecutive 20-win campaigns by K-State. Assaley was named the director of operations shortly following the conclusion of the season.

Assaley played a role in the Wildcats posting their first NCAA Tournament victory since 1988 after posting a 21-12 overall record, including a third-place finish in the Big 12 with a 10-6 mark during the 2007-08 season. The finish in league play was the highest for the Wildcats since the inception of the league.

Kansas State followed with two more 20-win seasons, compiling a 23-11 mark in 2010-11 and a 22-11 record during the 2011-12 season. The squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament third round both years, and finished third and fifth, respectively in the Big 12 during those seasons.

Assaley joined the K-State staff as video coordinator on April 26, 2006, for then-head coach Bob Huggins. Assaley spent the previous five years at Cincinnati in a number of capacities for both Huggins and Andy Kennedy, first serving as a volunteer, before being promoted to video coordinator and assistant to the head coach. During his tenure, the Bearcats posted 119 victories and advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times.

Assaley received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cincinnati, earning his undergraduate degree in economics in 1996 and his master’s in labor and employee relations in 1998. Assaley and his wife, Sarah, are the parents of three daughters, Cali, Isabella and Payton, and a son, Will.

Scott Greenawalt
(Strength and Conditioning Coach)

Scott Greenawalt has been named the strength and conditioning coach for the Gamecock men’s basketball team. He most recently served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, working with the men’s and women’s basketball programs at Kansas State since 2006.

“Scott is as good as it gets in the world of strength and conditioning,” Martin said. “He brings a commitment to the whole athlete. Strength, conditioning, flexibility and nutrition are just some of the things that he helps our student-athletes excel with every day.”

Greenawalt played a major role in helping revitalize the Wildcat program under Bob Huggins (2006-07) and Frank Martin (2007-12), which has posted six consecutive 20-win seasons and has advanced to the postseason in each of the past six seasons, including four trips to the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats advanced to the Postseason NIT in 2007, Greenawalt’s first season on staff, posting an overall record of 23-12. Greenawalt played a role in the Wildcats posting their first NCAA Tournament victory since 1988 after posting a 21-12 overall record, including a third-place finish in the Big 12 with a 10-6 mark during the 2007-08 season. The finish in league play was the highest for the Wildcats since the inception of the league.

Greenawalt has helped coach more than 10 all-conference players, including unanimous first team selection as well as the 2008 Big 12 Player and Freshman of the Year Michael Beasley, as well as two-time First Team All-Big 12 pick Jacob Pullen.

Greenawalt also trained the women’s basketball team at Kansas State, which captured the Big 12 regular-season championship in 2008 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times in the last five seasons, including the 2011-12 campaign.

Greenawalt joined the staff at Kansas State in April 2006 after spending the previous eight years in the strength and conditioning department at Cincinnati, including seven years as an assistant. During his time with the Bearcats, he helped the men’s basketball program post a 144-54 record with five 20-win seasons and six postseason appearances, including five trips to the NCAA Tournament. He helped train seven professional basketball players, 13 NFL players and current Boston Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkillas during his time with the Bearcats. Additionally, he assisted the women’s basketball team to five trips to the postseason, including two NCAA Tournaments.

Greenawalt earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education and health from Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, in 1998. He was the starting linebacker for four years for the Muskies from 1993-96, earning All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors three times, and serving as team captain as a senior. He spent one season as an assistant football coach at his alma mater (1997-98), working with the inside linebackers and assisting with all aspects of the strength program.

Greenawalt and his wife, Heather, have a daughter, Cora.