I have no idea what to believe anymore but this sort of "maneuvering" does not really surprise me. I don't care what a coach has done or is in the process of doing if the right gig for the coach comes along (read: money, location, family ties security etc.etc.) a coach will listen.
So here is where things APPEAR to be..
"Why wouldn't they want Jamie?" a source close to the 43-year-old Dixon said. "And why wouldn't he want to listen?"
Dixon's family remains in Southern California and his wife grew up in Hawaii, which makes a move west attractive. The downside is Dixon has built Pitt into a national powerhouse, with two Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight appearance.
Sources said USC is not put off that Dixon would probably command a salary of at least $2 million per year or that his Pitt contract includes a $1 million buyout.
"The timing is not perfect but it's not impossible," the source said.
That is different form what Andy Katz said yesterday but that really doesn't bother me as no one could possibly know everything that is going on behind the scenes.
This article also tells me that SC might not be as high on Reggie Theus as we have been reading. I still don't think Dixon will come through but if we are to believe what Wolf has written here (and this actually one of the better pieces he has written in quite a while...some real solid reporting here) it would seem that SC is mulling its options and not jumping at the first guy who shows interest.
Does it concern anyone that Theus openly lobbied for the UA job and still didn't get an interview? Sure, you can say it's UA, but even Miller turned them down before changing his mind. I saw what Pitino said but would we expect Pitino to say anything else? If he wasn't high on Theus he would have said nothing.
On the other hand there are some things in this article that also show me that USC (read Garrett) just doesn't get it. I mean Jeff VanGundy was on the wish list because he "he might excite fans and sell tickets". Now there is a solid reason for going after a guy...obviously VanGundy's basketball background didn't factor into the equation.
Garrett is going to blow this. I realize that SC is not an attractive job with the NCAA still waiting to drop the hammer but I am not sure that a rising star like Dixon will change that. If he comes he has a lot of work to do just to get us out of basketball purgatory, I don't care who you are sometimes the problems are bigger than the guy. Being a relevant force in the Pac-10 is a dream way off in the distance at this point just navigating the NCAA penalties will be a bigger priority and people need to understand that.
If we can land Dixon...Great!
But that is a small piece of the puzzle. Whomever takes this job needs to be in it for the long haul and he needs to be mentally prepared that the rebuilding process will take a few years regardless of who you recruit. There is still a public perception that needs to be changed, the basketball fan base is small as it is and it dwindle even further if USC hires a less than optimum replacement for Floyd. No candidate is perfect, especially with what USC has to choose from because of the mess we are in.
It is going to be interesting to see just which way the chips fall...