No Room for Tarkanian on Trojan Coaching Staff

USC Coach Henry Bibby acknowledged Tuesday that retired Fresno State Coach Jerry Tarkanian approached him at the Final Four and inquired about the possibility of finding a spot on Bibby’s staff for his son, Danny, who had been an assistant to his father in Fresno since 1995.

“He asked me about it but I don’t have an opening,” Bibby said. “Nobody’s looking to go anywhere.”

Trojan assistants Kurtis Townsend, who is considered USC’s top recruiter, and Damon Archibald, whose focus is on defense, were interested in head coaching vacancies at Long Beach State and Boise State, respectively, but the positions have been filled.

The elder Tarkanian, who won a national championship in 1990 at Nevada Las Vegas, had hoped to leave the Fresno State reins to his son upon retiring. But after seven frustrating and controversy-filled seasons, the school’s administration looked elsewhere and will introduce Oklahoma assistant Ray Lopes as coach today.

Bibby also took issue with a published report that had Bibby asking Tarkanian for help in landing the Fresno State job.

“That’s not a story,” Bibby said. “That’s totally ridiculous.”

Paul Gutierrez

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