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Columbia, S.C. (WACH, AP) - South Carolina has its man.

Kansas State's Frank Martin was introduced as USC's new basketball coach at a Tuesday press conference.  The position became vacant when South Carolina fired Darrin Horn earlier this month.

"We're getting ready to go on a ride, and its going to be a run ride, and we want 18,000 on that roller coaster ride with us," said Martin.

Martin says while "some people run away from challenges," he runs to them, "I always have."

South Carolina has been to the NCAA just once since 1998, but the Gamecocks gave Martin plenty of time to turns things turnaround.

Martin promises "the team will play the hardest of any team in america."

He was given a six-year, $12.3 million deal.

"I don't want our fans to sit and fold their arms, I want our fans to lose their minds and be passionate in the right way," said Martin.

Martin arrived in Manhattan, Kansas in 2006, and took over as head coach in 2007. He was 117-54 in five years with the Wildcats.

They reached the NCAA regional finals in 2010 and lost to Syracuse in the third round this season.

The new coach is not sure about the future of the coaching staff. He plans to meet with the current Gamecock staff as well as his Kansas State staff before making decisions.

He said leaving Kansas State was the hardest decision he had to make, and that his relationship with the school's athletic director had nothing to do with him leaving.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)