Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
The scandal-plagued tenure of Tim Floyd at USC is over.
Floyd resigned on Tuesday, according to a report in The Clarion-Ledger of Mississippi.
“As of 1 p.m. today, I am resigning as head basketball coach at the University of Southern California,” Floyd, a Mississippi native, said in a statement obtained by The Clarion-Ledger. “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 no 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.”
After coaching both the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Hornets, Floyd led Southern Cal to the NCAA Tournament three years running, including an appearance in the Sweet 16 this past season. After the season, he turned down job offers from both Memphis and Arizona.
On May 12, Yahoosports.com reported that Louis Johnson , a onetime confidant of former USC guard O.J. Mayo, said Floyd had made a cash payment to Rodney Guillory, a “runner” for sports agent Bill Duffy, who steered Mayo to the Bill Duffy Sports Agency after Mayo left USC.
If proven true, such a payment would be a major violation of NCAA rules.
Both the football and basketball programs at Southern Cal have been under investigation by the NCAA for three years. The football program is under investigation for issues related to Reggie Bush, the 2005 Heisman Trophy Winner from USC now with the New Orleans Saints.
Several USC commits, including Noel Johnson and Solomon Hill, had already asked for their release.
The latest player to seek his release is New York City point guard Lamont “Momo” Jones, who has already decommitted from Louisville (twice) and Virginia Tech.
“He plans on getting his release and taking a couple of visits,” Oak Hill (Va.) Academy coach Steve Smith wrote in a text. Smith declined to say which schools Jones would visit.
One school who could desperately use Jones is Rutgers, which is still awaiting word from point guard James Beatty of Miami Dade College.
The Floyd Scandal is the latest black eye for the college basketball world, which is still reeling from scandals at UConn under head coach Jim Calhoun and Memphis under former head coach John Calipari.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
The scandal-plagued tenure of Tim Floyd at USC is over.
Floyd resigned on Tuesday, according to a report in The Clarion-Ledger of Mississippi.
“As of 1 p.m. today, I am resigning as head basketball coach at the University of Southern California,” Floyd, a Mississippi native, said in a statement obtained by The Clarion-Ledger. “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 no 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.”
After coaching both the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Hornets, Floyd led Southern Cal to the NCAA Tournament three years running, including an appearance in the Sweet 16 this past season. After the season, he turned down job offers from both Memphis and Arizona.
On May 12, Yahoosports.com reported that Louis Johnson , a onetime confidant of former USC guard O.J. Mayo, said Floyd had made a cash payment to Rodney Guillory, a “runner” for sports agent Bill Duffy, who steered Mayo to the Bill Duffy Sports Agency after Mayo left USC.
If proven true, such a payment would be a major violation of NCAA rules.
Both the football and basketball programs at Southern Cal have been under investigation by the NCAA for three years. The football program is under investigation for issues related to Reggie Bush, the 2005 Heisman Trophy Winner from USC now with the New Orleans Saints.
Several USC commits, including Noel Johnson and Solomon Hill, had already asked for their release.
The latest player to seek his release is New York City point guard Lamont “Momo” Jones, who has already decommitted from Louisville (twice) and Virginia Tech.
“He plans on getting his release and taking a couple of visits,” Oak Hill (Va.) Academy coach Steve Smith wrote in a text. Smith declined to say which schools Jones would visit.
One school who could desperately use Jones is Rutgers, which is still awaiting word from point guard James Beatty of Miami Dade College.
The Floyd Scandal is the latest black eye for the college basketball world, which is still reeling from scandals at UConn under head coach Jim Calhoun and Memphis under former head coach John Calipari.
