Lamont Paris Makes First Public Comments On Reported New Contract

The leader of South Carolina's men's basketball program had a chance to discuss his pending contract after his team's win over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The leader of South Carolina's men's basketball program had a chance to discuss his pending contract after his team's win over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Not long after his team's second-round win over the Arkansas Razorbacks, South Carolina head men's basketball coach Lamont Paris joined the SEC Network's postgame crew to discuss the victory. Paris eventually was asked about agreeing to a new contract with the school pending approval from its board of trustees. Paris indicated it was the end result he desired.

"This is where I'm supposed to be - You know, people talk about a lot of other opportunities that are there or might be out there, but this is where I'm supposed to be. I love where I am; I love this group."

In his official postgame presser, Lamont was asked what the new deal meant to him personally. For him, it all goes back to what the program has accomplished to this point in his tenure.

"I've got a lot of pride in what we've done and what we've built, and so I'm incredibly excited about being able to be the coach represent this university and this athletic department and, more specifically, this basketball team. It's a it's a real thrill for me to be able to coach these guys. I love where I am, and they like me too," Paris jokingly said. "I'm really fortunate and blessed that one, I get to do this as a profession. I get to hang around guys, like the two guys that were out here, and have some sort of small impact on what their college experience is going to turn out to be. And I take a lot of pride in that, and I'm even more blessed to be able to do it at this institution and around the people in the state that I am [in]," Lamont passionately stated. "This was a no-brainer, at least on my part. I mean, I think we had to nudge Coach Tanner a little bit, maybe; nah, I'm just kidding. But it's such a great match. Just me, the fit, the community, the other coaches, and I'm very grateful to our board, to Ray Tanner, to our president, and hopefully we can continue to grow for a long time."

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