Tim Floyd Totally Knew What He Was Getting Into. The Hints Were There in 2006
College Basketball, Shady McShady June 10th. 2009, 1:30pm
The summer of 2006. That’s when it all began to go downhill for USC Trojans basketball coach Tim Floyd. USC hadn’t been to the NCAA tournament since 2002. Floyd was trying to resurrect a coaching career after stumbling badly in the NBA. The beginning of the end was chronicled exquisitely by Lee Jenkins (then at the Times, now at SI).
The man explained that Mayo wanted to market himself before going to the N.B.A., and that Los Angeles would give him the best possible platform.
“Then why aren’t you at U.C.L.A.?†Floyd asked.
The man shook his head. U.C.L.A. had already won 11 national championships. It had already produced many N.B.A. stars. Mayo wanted to be a pioneer for a new era.
“Let me call him,†Floyd said.
The man shook his head again. “O. J. doesn’t give out his cell,†he said. “He’ll call you.€
The man Floyd spoke to was Ronald Guillory. If Floyd and USC had done the necessary homework, it would have been painful obvious how shady this guy was. But stars build programs and make schools money, so USC rolled the dice, and now Floyd’s gone. Guess Arizona’s happy Floyd rejected the Wildcats, huh?
Replacement? Jamie Dixon of Pitt, as we speculated about when Floyd flirted with Arizona, will be mentioned. But this smells like an ‘interim’ job for an assistant coach. And a lost season – or more, if the NCAA feels like dropping the hammer – for the Trojans.
Miss. native Floyd resigns as Southern Cal coach (Clarion Ledger)
20 Responses to “Tim Floyd Totally Knew What He Was Getting Into. The Hints Were There in 2006”
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June 10th, 2009 at 1:33 PM
I’ll still remember Floyd fondly for his UNO days.
June 10th, 2009 at 1:34 PM
Jamie Dixon will not leave a Big East school for USC. I wouldn’t even consider that a lateral move.
Also, I don’t see what the big deal is, the NCAA doesn’t care if USC pays it’s players. Or is that just for football?
June 10th, 2009 at 1:42 PM
I’ll still remember Floyd fondly for his UNO days.
Yeah, but that “I’m going to Iowa State. No…wait…I’m staying at UNO. Okay…now I’m definitely going to Iowa State” act he pulled and I mentioned yesterday really made some people angry.
USC is probably locked in to being the Clippers of college basketball. Every now and then there is a glimmer of hope, but it explodes in their face, while UCLA goes on and on and on and on and on………..
June 10th, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Mayo colored Benz, I push miracle whips
June 10th, 2009 at 1:47 PM
USC’s next coach: Larry Brown
/only half joking
June 10th, 2009 at 1:47 PM
I was already finished my courses there when that happened, Jay. Besides, the real Ervin Johnson was long gone by then.
June 10th, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Best Kayne line ever, Irish.
June 10th, 2009 at 1:54 PM
What about Ladell Eackles?
June 10th, 2009 at 1:56 PM
he was before Ervin, other person named Jay.
June 10th, 2009 at 2:03 PM
go get Carroll!!
June 10th, 2009 at 2:11 PM
or more, if the NCAA feels like dropping the hammer
They haven’t felt like doing it in 23 years, why start now?
June 10th, 2009 at 2:13 PM
They haven’t felt like doing it in 23 years, why start now?
They could possibly drop the hammer on USC basketball:
1. It’ll spare USC football.
2. Both the university and the NCAA would take that tradeoff.
June 10th, 2009 at 2:18 PM
Forgot #3. It will make it look like “special” schools like USC can get hammered too.
June 10th, 2009 at 2:22 PM
They could possibly drop the hammer on USC basketball:
1. It’ll spare USC football.
2. Both the university and the NCAA would take that tradeoff.
That would be ONLY reason they would do it, to distract from the fact that they have done NOTHING about the fact that Reggie Bush and his family was paid to play at USC.
Fuck Pete Carroll for making a mockery of the rules and Fuck Miles Brand for letting him simply because he coaches at a school that provides a good revenue stream.
June 10th, 2009 at 2:24 PM
My comment equals grammar fail. But you get what I mean.
June 10th, 2009 at 3:14 PM
Dan Monson, makes the most sense to me, he is already out in LA coaching and he already rebuilt one program after the scandal (Minnesota).
June 10th, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Why not?
Pac10 easier to win, recruiting should be a breeze, and SoCal vs. Pitt for weather. Sounds like a good deal.
June 10th, 2009 at 3:20 PM
Because successful coaches in BCS conferences do not take on rebuilding jobs at second tier BCS schools, especially if there’s a good chance that the program gets NCAA sanctions. USC is not a great job in the best of times, in the current situation it’s basically a Superfund site in the eyes of most successful coaches.
June 10th, 2009 at 3:50 PM
On Dixon: if Floyd was leaving and there were no sanctions hanging over their heads, maybe Dixon goes.
But as things stand right now, no way in Hades he does it.
And the moment the story broke that Mayo had recruited himself to USC, alarm bells went in my head — and I’m surprised that the NCAA didn’t immediately step in to find out what was what?
What were they waiting for? An invitation?
June 10th, 2009 at 10:42 PM
Sleeper hire for this job is Seth Greenberg from VT. He is a west coast guy having coached at Long Beach St and he is used to coaching at a football school.