Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Tim Floyd, Coach at USC, Resigns

Amazing. Truly is.

Floyd, announcing that he has lost enthusiasm for the job, has resigned his position as head coach of the University of Southern California.

It's not an admission of his guilt in the alleged O.J. Mayo recruiting scandal, but it sure looks like it to me. The timing of the resignation could, of course, mean that he is tired of all of the media circus, the loss of recruits and other issues surrounding the NCAA investigation. However, I think most coaches in the game would stick around, if for no other reason, to clear their name.

There's probably a lot of fire underneath all that smoke, some truth to the allegation that Floyd paid a handler in order to get Mayo to commit to Southern Cal. And if Floyd did in fact pay for Mayo, is there any surprise that the rest of his players have jumped ship? Several members of his roster have announced that they are turning pro, and a number of his recruits have chosen to look for other schools.

How many of those players and potential players were paid under the table? Any? All?

What's the impact on the rest of college basketball? It's a wake-up call for coaches who might want to go outside the rules to bag a "one-and-done" superstar. You might win the recruiting battle but lose the war of keeping your career.

Schools have to choose carefully the overseers of their programs. Big-time sanctions are probably on the way for USC.

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