This Go-Round Hasn’t Been Merry for Trojans

USC has a top-five list of coaching candidates in every sport, which it definitely needs these days.

The Trojans scrolled down the basketball page and highlighted the name of Tim Floyd, whom they targeted to replace Rick Majerus before the ESPN studio analyst officially ended the briefest coaching tenure in school history.

Floyd didn’t top the list, but he’s a top-notch coach whose hiring would provide closure to a confounding process.

It couldn’t end soon enough for the team, which was scheduled to play Hawaii late Thursday night in the championship game of the Rainbow Classic.

It appeared the Trojans and Floyd, as expected, had moved closer to finalizing a multiyear contract that would bring the former college and NBA coach to Los Angeles. Of course, nothing is a done deal with the Trojans unless their next coach actually makes it to next season.

However, longtime friends of Floyd for years have thought he would be a good fit at USC, and the timing is right.

Majerus’ resignation after only five days prompted USC to rush back into the market for a high-profile coach.

Despite a career downturn in the NBA, Floyd, 50, still qualifies.

He had a bad experience with the Chicago Bulls (49-190) and New Orleans Hornets (41-41), but built an impressive resume during stints at Idaho, New Orleans and Iowa State.

Along the way, Floyd developed a reputation as an excellent teacher and tireless recruiter who knows how to build a program.

He might not be in the Xs-and-O’s class of Majerus (few are), but Floyd brings what the Trojans need most now: Stability.

The actions of Athletic Director Mike Garrett and Daryl Gross, a senior associate athletic director and point man in the roller-coaster process, have created major off-court distractions for the coaches and players.

Many in the program thought Garrett might fire Henry Bibby -- but not four games into the season. Garrett acknowledged the move was “unconventional,” but he had a hunch and he’s the boss.

Judging by the speed of Majerus’ hiring and resignation, it seemed Gross went on a hunch as well.

Garrett said Gross did his homework, but those who know Majerus weren’t surprised the former Utah coach backed away from his “dream job.”

Majerus is the highest of high-maintenance coaches, and USC moved too quickly with him, especially considering Majerus had been out of coaching only since last January. As it turned out, he needed a longer break (unless the Indiana job opens soon).

The Majerus situation was another dizzying experience for interim Coach Jim Saia, the other holdovers from Bibby’s staff and the players.

The coaches set aside inevitable concerns about job security, and most players accepted Saia’s challenge to band together and focus on the court. The result has been a surprising performance in the Rainbow Classic.

Gross shouldn’t have been expected to read Majerus’ mind, but it wouldn’t have taken super powers to see something was amiss. Only time.

Judging by their pursuit of Majerus and Floyd, time is something the Trojans don’t have. Gross plans to leave in late January to become athletic director at Syracuse, a factor in the fast-paced negotiations because of his key role.

The main reason for rushing, though, has more to do with trying to stir interest in the program and the 10,258-seat Galen Center, scheduled to open for the 2006-07 season. Having Bibby on the sideline wouldn’t have created much buzz.

Majerus would have because of his personality. Floyd doesn’t have a list of sure-fire one-liners, but he knows how to coach.

The Trojans would be a force in the conference under Floyd, perhaps even faster than with Majerus at the helm. Majerus said he would have been pleased with a .500 record next season because the Trojans lose six seniors, including every inside player.

Floyd maintained a network of recruiting contacts while in the NBA (“He could make eight calls and get eight players,” one of his friends said), and was adept at filling his teams’ needs each season while coaching in college. He’s familiar with the Southland prep scene as well, having scouted the area since he served as an assistant (1977-86) for Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins at Texas El Paso.

Obviously, Floyd struggled in the NBA, having been fired by the Bulls and Hornets, joining a long list of successful college coaches who didn’t love that game.

Floyd was fired May 7 after one season with the Hornets despite leading the team to the playoffs. New Orleans is 2-23 this season under Byron Scott.

Criticism of his performance with the Hornets prompted Floyd to exhibit questionable judgment recently. He phoned in to a sports-talk radio show and engaged in a contentious seven-minute on-air argument with the host, a member of the Hornets’ broadcast team.

The Trojans would be delighted if that were as bad as it gets with Floyd. But if the inaccuracy of sports-talk radio bothers Floyd that much, he should turn off the radio once he arrives in L.A. Other than that, it seems the Trojans have picked a winner.

After all, Pete Carroll wasn’t the first name on a list.

Carrying the Flag

A 68-64 victory over previously unbeaten and then-No. 9-ranked North Carolina State only reinforced the perception that Washington is the team to beat in the Pacific 10 Conference.

The No. 12 Huskies (9-1) have been the Pac-10’s best team in nonconference play under Coach Lorenzo Romar, and they made a strong statement against an opponent from the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference, which has seven teams ranked in the top 25.

“We were excited,” Romar said. “There was a lot of talk before the game that we wanted to represent the Pac-10 and do well in this game. You always want to do well for a number of reasons. But that was definitely among the reasons.”

Following Dad

Georgetown hopes to regain a place among the nation’s elite programs under first-year Coach John Thompson III, whose father led the Hoyas to the 1984 national title and three Final Four appearances in a four-year span from 1981 to 1984. It might take a while.

“We have to increase our talent base,” said Thompson, whose team went 2-1 in the Rainbow Classic and improved to 6-3.

“I can’t say it’s going to take one year, two years, three years or 10 years. But as long as we keep moving in the right direction, as long as we keep improving the talent that we have, we’ll get to where we want to go.”