Report: Tim Floyd talking to Arizona
By Joe K
Since Mark Asher of Sports 620 KTAR in Phoenix, reported that USC’s Tim Floyd will be named basketball coach at Arizona, there has been a lot of talk in Los Angeles regarding whether the Trojans’ 55 year-old coach would be leaving for greener pastures in the valley of the sun. While Asher’s report that Floyd would become the next UA coach may have been a little premature, it is clear that both sides are dating seriously.
Yesterday, Floyd, with permission from athletic director Mike Garrett, flew to Tucson to meet met with Arizona AD Jim Livengood and talked about the Wildcats’ vacant coaching position. It is believed that Floyd’s meeting went so well that, Livengood offered him a contract soon after. It’s now being reported from multiple sources that Floyd is now deliberating on whether to accept the offer. It’s believed that he has 24 hours to do so.
While I’m not surprised that Floyd is interested in the Arizona opening, I am rather surprised at how fast this process has moved along. Floyd just met with Livengood for the first time yesterday and now he could be their coach one day later. Talk about moving quickly.
And earlier this week it seemed as if Floyd was intent on making USC the number one team in the country next season and for many years to come. At the team’s awards banquet on Tuesday night, Floyd was telling his players to put the NBA aside and that the Trojans could very well win a national title if they all decided to return. So, it’s certainly confusing that the very next day he is negotiating with Arizona.
As I previously stated, I am not at all surprised that Floyd would be at least interested in the Arizona opening. While there is no question that Floyd has done a great job of elevating the stature of the Trojan hoops program, it’s important to remember that basketball will always play second fiddle to football at USC. At Arizona, Floyd would be their Pete Carroll, the king of the city. Essentially, he would be at the helm of Zona’s premier sport, basketball. Remember, unlike USC, Arizona is first and foremost, a basketball school. The McKale Center with a capacity of over 14,000, the largest in the Pac-10, is sold out and adorned in red for every single home game. The boosters, alumni, and students, all place winning in basketball as the strongest priority for the athletic department.
That isn’t the case at USC, where success in basketball is not demanded. The new on-campus arena, the 10,000 seat Galen Center, is half full for most games with the UCLA game serving as the lone sellout. The majority of the fan base simply uses basketball as something to do and talk about between football seasons. Currently, USC football spring practice is receiving the same amount of coverage from the local press that the hoops team received in season. Yes, there are some die hard hoops fans, but they pale in comparison to the number of football fans.
Even if Floyd does decide to leave ‘SC, there could be a silver lining in the cloud. According to Andy Katz of ESPN.com, Pittsburgh coach and Los Angeles native, Jamie Dixon could be very interested in a potential USC coaching vacancy. Dixon, who was born in North Hollywood and played at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, would be a great fit for the Trojans. Because of his experience at Pitt, he already understands the challenges of winning at a football-first school like USC. His track record is on par with Floyd’s success at USC so there wouldn’t be a big drop off. In some people’s minds, Dixon is actually a better coach than Floyd.
We’ll certainly keep tabs on this story.