While I think there was some initial shock at Tim Floyd's resignation, once it sank in that it really happened it really wasn't a shock at all. Unfortunately, this was a necessary and expected move. We have watched the basketball program implode since Floyd jumped on that plane to Tucson. Once he did that it set off a chain reaction of events that put us where we are today.
Louis Johnson's allegation that Tim Floyd passed an envelope of cash to Rodney Guillory, whether it happened or not, got the intended effect that Johnson wanted. It was the final straw that took a program down, disgraced a coach and set USC basketball back a number of years. It is easy to say that Floyd's resignation is an admission of guilt but that would be misinformed and premature. When compared to the way that Memphis went on the offensive in regards to the recent allegations at their school USC looks like some JUCO in the middle of nowhere.
We heard nothing from the administration let alone Floyd and that silence is being perceived as arrogant or unconcerned. I think Floyd's resignation shows there is plenty to be concerned about and now that he is gone I doubt we will ever know the truth about $1000 dollar handshake. It is just going to hang out there for a long time. Floyd set all the right messages after the death of Ryan Francis. He was gracious and compassionate and set a fine example of how to deal with that sort of tragedy. But expectations to win and win now were so high that it made the temptation to take shortcuts too much to walk away from. It is easy to put it all on Floyd but he is not the only one who should take blame. The sad thing is that Floyd leaves the program almost as he inherited it.
Here is Andy Katz on Floyd's resignation...interesting comments by Katz here(video updated this morning). You be the judge...
So where does that leave us?
The first thing people need to understand is that USC no matter how hard they try USC will not bag a top notch coach until the NCAA hands down their ruling. No coach, like the ones being mentioned, is crazy enough to take this job with as much uncertainty as there is circling the program right now. We are not Indiana...we don't have the track record. There is no Tom Crean beating the door down for this job. SC is officially in basketball purgatory and there is more to come. USC commit Derek Williams is gone and MoMo is sure to follow, the cupboard is bare of any significant talent. All the leadership on this team is off to the NBA and Floyd with his penchant for running off players weakened the foundation of his own house...so who wants come here?
It's pretty apparent that the way Tim Floyd resigned he saw that the school was lining him up for a mortar strike. There no vote of confidence from the school. No attempt to at least deny the allegations...nothing. And the longer that went on the more clear the final outcome became. Maybe Garrett was saying screw off...you went to AZ to try and squeeze us so you are on your own. Floyd saw that and must have decided that he needed an out hence the all the rumors of a buyout over the past few weeks.
No one sacred and that includes AD Mike Garrett. He had to be blind to not know who Guillory was and he did not step in. Floyd's eyes were bigger than his stomach when he got the "chance" to land Mayo he should have known...and if he didn't someone like Garrett who was around for the Guillory show the last time around should have pulled rank and said a resounding NO! I think Garrett is vulnerable here. President Sample is seeing his hard work on the academic side being damaged by a growing bad reputation of the AD. He may be overtly involved with this but you can bet your next paycheck he is all hands on deck behind the scenes and I can see his finger prints on this from a mile away. He may not be working it from the podium but you can rest assured that he is on the case. The money that the athletic program brings in is significant but any damage to the schools academic reputation because of the problems in the AD is even more significant and will directly affect the school going forward. Sample may be happy with the attention with all the success of the football program (even with the Bush Mess) but not to the point of seeing all of his hard work being thrown off a cliff.
I have pretty much read everything there is read on this over the past 12 hours, it is all the same- doom and gloom. I have been on this earth long enough to know that it is never as bad as some say it is. SC is going to take a hit over the next few years but they won't completely disappear, someone will take a chance. There is too much upside at coaching at a place like USC, too much potential...but you have to do it right.
There were some good times while Floyd was here. You would be a fool not to admit that. I had my doubts about Mayo and I said so early on. I guess I always knew in the back of my mind that something like this would probably happen but we sure did see some great basketball. There were some frustrating moments as well but being competitive in a sport we have zero tradition was fun even if it has now blown up in our faces.
This ordeal is far from over, this is the first punch that we are going to take because of all of this so everyone needs to be prepared for more of the same.
Buckle up!