I am not really surprised that a couple of names have now been publicly mentioned in the quest to find Tim Floyd's replacement.
Former NBA coaches Reggie Theus and P.J. Carlesimo have emerged as two of the leading candidates for the USC basketball job, independent sources familiar with the situation said.
Another source said Lakers assistant Jim Cleamons has already talked with USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett, whose football and basketball programs are under NCAA investigation.There were no indications that Garrett was close to making a decision. A USC spokesman said Garrett would not comment on the search to replace Tim Floyd, who resigned last week amid mounting pressure due to the NCAA probe.
Of course any discussion on prospective coaching candidates would not be complete without Jamie Dixon being mentioned. Personally, I don't see Dixon coming no matter how much money USC throws out there. From what I have read Dixon is his own man and he is on top of the world at Pitt. Coming to SC would be a step down in its current state. And no coach in his right mind would come to a school that has just gone through what would amount to a nuclear attack...I mean there is virtually nothing left and that is before the NCAA hands down their findings. I also don't think that Dixon would want to come to a program that has a meddling AD...I just don't see it happening.
Sure, I can see where some would see USC as a dream job. Expectations are low, its fertile recruiting territory with a relatively new building etc. etc. But that is all potential and potential is akin to wishing for something, you know...you can wish in one hand and crap in the other, which hand fills up first? Here is an interesting take on it and its not too far off the mark.
I am not going to try and get into Mike Garrett's head. I am not going to comment on potential candidates in the positive or the negative. Some has already put their two cents in. We don't know what is going on behind the scenes and complaining about a candidate that I may not like is pointless. Mike Garrett isn't going to call any of us for advice so we are prisoners of his judgment and we have seen where that has put us in the past.
The only good I can see out this news is that SC is at least in the game to try and find a new head coach. I am not sure that promoting an assitant is best move, though I was pretty sure that would be direction they would take with all the unknowns out there. I know SC really doesn't want to go that way. They want someone who will be in it for the long haul.
So we wait and see...
UPDATE:
It looks like you can scratch Dixon off the list.
Multiple sources confirmed that the Trojans made an attempt to woo Dixon, a native of Los Angeles, but the discussion was only on the surface in nature because Dixon wasn't going to move from Pitt. The Trojans were willing to make Dixon a strong offer to come West, but Dixon's comfort at Pitt made it a moot point.
Dixon has been at Pitt since 1999, the last six as a head coach, winning 163 games with the Panthers during that stretch and taking the Panthers to six NCAAs, one Elite Eight, three Sweet 16s and one Big East regular-season title and one Big East tournament championship.
Not surprising, so I am not all that disappointed. You can't get upset at something you were never going to have.