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Tim Floyd resigns as USC's basketball coach
LA Times
USC men's basketball coach Tim Floyd resigned today in a one-paragraph letter to Athletic Director Mike Garrett:
"As of 1 p.m. today, I am resigning as head basketball coach at the University of Southern California. I deeply appreciate the opportunity afforded me by the university, as well as the chance to know and work with some of the finest young men in college athletics. Unfortunately, I know longer feel I can offer the level of enthusiasm to my duties that is deserved by the university, my coaching staff, my players, their families, and the supporters of Southern Cal. I always promised my self and my family that if I ever felt I could no longer give my full enthusiasm to a job, that I should leave it to others who could. I intend to contact my coaching staff and my players in coming days and weeks to tell them how much each of them means to me. I wish the best to USC and to my successor."
In a statement this evening, USC announced that Garrett had accepted Floyd's resignation and would quickly begin the search for a new coach. Said Garrett: "I accept Tim's decision and wish him well."
Telephone and text messages to Floyd went unanswered.
Only two months ago, USC's program was at a pinnacle. Floyd, 55, had a record of 85-50 in four seasons at USC, and had just taken the Trojans to their third consecutive NCAA tournament -- a first in program history. He also had a strong nucleus of players who could return and a recruiting class that was shaping up to be among the best in the nation. The University of Arizona even courted him as its coach.
But then came an explosive allegation: That Floyd had made a payment to Rodney Guillory, the man who steered former Trojans star O.J. Mayo to USC. The accusation was made in April by Louis Johnson, a former associate of Guillory and confidant of Mayo, who said Floyd had delivered an envelope containing at least $1,000 to Guillory in February of 2007, a few months before Mayo arrived on campus.
This most recent allegation came at a time when USC's football and basketball programs were already under NCAA investigation -- football because of allegations that star running back Reggie Bush and his family received gifts such as money and free rent from would-be marketers; basketball because Johnson had previously alleged Guillory received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a sports agency that he partially funneled to Mayo.
What followed was a mass exodus of talent, USC losing its top four returning players -- they decided to turn pro -- and at least three top recruits.
"I believe Louis' information was the breaking point to whatever else USC or the NCAA already had on Floyd," Anthony V. Salerno, Johnson's attorney, said tonight. "I bet USC gave him opportunity to quit and save face. Why wouldn't Tim Floyd put up a fight against what Louis said? He didn't even comment."
Floyd and USC officials had been told not to comment about the NCAA investigation by Carol Mauch Amir, USC's general counsel.
"The University is cooperating fully in the continuing investigation with the NCAA and Pac-10 into all allegations of NCAA and Pac-10 rules violations at USC," Todd Dickey, USC senior vice president-administration, said in a statement. "The University, the NCAA and Pac-10 have jointly conducted interviews of approximately 50 witnesses. No conclusions have yet been reached.
"At this point, "it would be both inappropriate and premature to comment further."
The resignation caught USC assistant coaches off guard, as one said, "we're going to be all right," just an hour before the news broke.
Floyd's departure hardly seemed an amiable one. In a statement that appeared first in the Clarion (Miss.) Ledger, Floyd referred to USC as "Southern Cal," an apparent dig at the university as that moniker is loathed by the Athletic Department. In an e-mail confirming Floyd's resignation, USC officials reprinted that statement, but changed "Southern Cal" to "University of Southern California."
Whomever takes over USC's program has a lot of work to do.
Other USC recruits are watching developments closely.
La Mirada High forward Derrick Williams, one of the Trojans remaining recruits, said he was unsure whether he would ask out of his letter of intent.
"I'm just going to go over my options right now," Williams said. "I have to find out what's up."
Calabasas High forward Evan Smith, who has also signed with the Trojans, said he was scheduled to meet with USC assistant Bob Cantu Wednesday.
"It's pretty early to really know what to do now, I just got blindside," Smith said. "I will talk to my family and go to USC tomorrow. We'll see what comes next."
LA Times
USC men's basketball coach Tim Floyd resigned today in a one-paragraph letter to Athletic Director Mike Garrett:
"As of 1 p.m. today, I am resigning as head basketball coach at the University of Southern California. I deeply appreciate the opportunity afforded me by the university, as well as the chance to know and work with some of the finest young men in college athletics. Unfortunately, I know longer feel I can offer the level of enthusiasm to my duties that is deserved by the university, my coaching staff, my players, their families, and the supporters of Southern Cal. I always promised my self and my family that if I ever felt I could no longer give my full enthusiasm to a job, that I should leave it to others who could. I intend to contact my coaching staff and my players in coming days and weeks to tell them how much each of them means to me. I wish the best to USC and to my successor."
In a statement this evening, USC announced that Garrett had accepted Floyd's resignation and would quickly begin the search for a new coach. Said Garrett: "I accept Tim's decision and wish him well."
Telephone and text messages to Floyd went unanswered.
Only two months ago, USC's program was at a pinnacle. Floyd, 55, had a record of 85-50 in four seasons at USC, and had just taken the Trojans to their third consecutive NCAA tournament -- a first in program history. He also had a strong nucleus of players who could return and a recruiting class that was shaping up to be among the best in the nation. The University of Arizona even courted him as its coach.
But then came an explosive allegation: That Floyd had made a payment to Rodney Guillory, the man who steered former Trojans star O.J. Mayo to USC. The accusation was made in April by Louis Johnson, a former associate of Guillory and confidant of Mayo, who said Floyd had delivered an envelope containing at least $1,000 to Guillory in February of 2007, a few months before Mayo arrived on campus.
This most recent allegation came at a time when USC's football and basketball programs were already under NCAA investigation -- football because of allegations that star running back Reggie Bush and his family received gifts such as money and free rent from would-be marketers; basketball because Johnson had previously alleged Guillory received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a sports agency that he partially funneled to Mayo.
What followed was a mass exodus of talent, USC losing its top four returning players -- they decided to turn pro -- and at least three top recruits.
"I believe Louis' information was the breaking point to whatever else USC or the NCAA already had on Floyd," Anthony V. Salerno, Johnson's attorney, said tonight. "I bet USC gave him opportunity to quit and save face. Why wouldn't Tim Floyd put up a fight against what Louis said? He didn't even comment."
Floyd and USC officials had been told not to comment about the NCAA investigation by Carol Mauch Amir, USC's general counsel.
"The University is cooperating fully in the continuing investigation with the NCAA and Pac-10 into all allegations of NCAA and Pac-10 rules violations at USC," Todd Dickey, USC senior vice president-administration, said in a statement. "The University, the NCAA and Pac-10 have jointly conducted interviews of approximately 50 witnesses. No conclusions have yet been reached.
"At this point, "it would be both inappropriate and premature to comment further."
The resignation caught USC assistant coaches off guard, as one said, "we're going to be all right," just an hour before the news broke.
Floyd's departure hardly seemed an amiable one. In a statement that appeared first in the Clarion (Miss.) Ledger, Floyd referred to USC as "Southern Cal," an apparent dig at the university as that moniker is loathed by the Athletic Department. In an e-mail confirming Floyd's resignation, USC officials reprinted that statement, but changed "Southern Cal" to "University of Southern California."
Whomever takes over USC's program has a lot of work to do.
Other USC recruits are watching developments closely.
La Mirada High forward Derrick Williams, one of the Trojans remaining recruits, said he was unsure whether he would ask out of his letter of intent.
"I'm just going to go over my options right now," Williams said. "I have to find out what's up."
Calabasas High forward Evan Smith, who has also signed with the Trojans, said he was scheduled to meet with USC assistant Bob Cantu Wednesday.
"It's pretty early to really know what to do now, I just got blindside," Smith said. "I will talk to my family and go to USC tomorrow. We'll see what comes next."
