Wow. That is all I can say. The University of Arizona is officially more of a circus than a sitcom after word leaked out Wednesday that Tim Floyd will become the team's 15th head coach. While there is no official announcement from the schools, The Arizona Republic, The LA Times or anyone other than ESPN and KTAR...I believe it is true. ESPN has been wrong before, see Les Miles, but Miles also did lie to the Worldwide Leader.
Anyways....Tim Floyd. Interesting pick for a school that's fan base thinks they could have had any coach in America. That is why Rick Pitino and Mark Few both didn't want to come to Tucson. Earlier today it was Jeff Capel that "was in Tucson" ready to lock up a deal, but then Tim Floyd became the man.
Floyd coached at Idaho and New Orleans, but lets start his coaching career at Iowa St., where he really made a name for himself. His first Cyclones team went 23-11, the most wins in school history to date and advanced to the second round of the tournament, led by All-American Fred Hoiberg. They were ousted in the second round the next year, but made the Sweet 16 in his third season. That is where things get interesting in the Tim Floyd story.
After his third year in Ames, Floyd lands his first McDonald's All-American in Marcus Fizer. Lets just say things didn't go according to plan for the pair. Fizer averaged 15 and 7 but Iowa St. stumbled to 12-18. That miserable season only became more miserable when Floyd made the jump to the NBA...
To me, Floyd will always be the guy that succeed Phil Jackson and the Bulls' dynasty. He took over pretty much an expansion team, they had no talent. But the thing that caused Floyd to resign was the disarray his teams were always in. There was bad event after bad event and his teams kept getting worse and worse. The Bulls still haven't recovered from the wrath of Floyd, to this day.
Somehow he got another job in the NBA. The Hornets gave Floyd a job two years later and he went 41-41 that year....but lost Jamal Mashburn mid-year. The Hornets took the Heat to the brink of elminiation in the playoffs, but fell. Once again chemistry problems caused Floyd to lose his job, after just one year. Sense a pattern here?
Then came USC. The Trojans fired Henry Bibby and planned to replace him with former Marquette and Utah coach and a personal favorite of mine Rick Majerus. Majerus finally came to his senses and turned down USC, leading them to Floyd. Ever the pot stirrer, Floyd made headlines right away by offering Dwayne Polee Jr a scholarship before he ever played in a high school game. Polee is still a sophomore in high school and now probably feels betrayed by Floyd.
He took USC to the NCAA Tournament three times and to the Sweet 16 once. But the common theme with Floyd is he struggled in conference play. He has never one a conference, his best finish was 2nd in the Big 8 back in 1995. There were other finishes like a pair of 5th's, 6th and 11th.
People say Tim Floyd can recruit...but really he only could at USC. Who can't recruit to USC? Tucson is certainly no Los Angeles. O.J. Mayo, DeRozan and such probably would not have came to Arizona if Floyd was the coach there and not at USC. Sure he can recruit those players, but they are one and done. You can't win like that. That is why USC never won anything.
Floyd is a coach I can't stand. He constantly berates the refs, throws temper tantrums and has absolutley no standards in his programs. His teams play dirty, it rubs right from their coach. From Marcus Fizer to Daniell Hackett...grabbing and mugging opponents has been Floyd's style.
Now to Arizona...they got their option D or E. Obviously the Wildcat program isn't in the same stratopshere as Kentucky or the other top programs because Jeff Capel wouldn't leave Oklahoma, Rick Pitnio wouldn't leave Louisville or even Mark Few wouldn't leave Gonzaga to take your job. You play Russ Pennell, a well respected coach and gentleman, don't give him a shot to get the job after he works miracles with your team in one year and then hire a guy that probably would have gotten less votes for coach of the year in the same conference? Nice work Cats. This is going to blow up in your face. Floyd is a problem...the guy is psycho and only stays in places short enough so the NCAA can't find his cheating ways.
For USC, you should be angry, but it will be better in the long run. Floyd met with the team yesterday to tell them he was committed to bringing a title to USC and wasn't going to the NBA. Ok, first..who wanted you in the NBA? That 93-235 record is dazzling! The next day he is in Tucson ready to jump to a conference rival. The Trojans will suffer short term..DeRozan now is for sure gone, as is Hackett and Taj Gibson. If SC returned those players...add in Renardo Sidney and Solomon Hill..you could have been talking about a team that could make a serious run at a Final Four. But no...Floyd ruined it.
None of those players will suit up for USC next year. Hill and Sidney both haven't signed, so they are free to go wherever. Hill originally committed to UA and could follow his coach to Tucson. Sidney hasn't even qualified for college yet and will likely not get a high enough SAT score, he's probably headed the Brandon Jennings' route to the NBA.
What a week for coaching in the Pac 10. First, Tony Bennett leaves Wazzu for the ACC...then this. Now two openings in the Pac 10 and it could get interesting before all is said and done. I have a strange feeling that Jamie Dixon will end up leaving Pitt for USC...he is still a Cali guy at heart. Does that open the door for Herb Sendek to go home to Pitt? Wouldn't that be nuts...Arizona's bad hire ends up hurting ASU...stay tuned.
I'll leave you with this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsqdeLOWIpc
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