Floyd to stay on as USC basketball coach

[April 03, 2009]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- DeMar DeRozan thought his coach's reported interest in a gig at Arizona was an April Fool's joke. It wasn't, but Tim Floyd decided to stay on at Southern California, spurning an offer Thursday to become the Wildcats' basketball coach.

"It came as a shock because we just had our banquet the night before and then we see coach on ESPN. I think it was a big shock. A lot of people were putting emphasis on him leaving. But at the end of the day, he would have talked to us about anything," DeRozan said.

Floyd was offered the job Wednesday to replace Arizona interim coach Russ Pennell, who took over when Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson retired for health reasons before the start of the season.

"I listened, I heard what they had to say," Floyd said at a campus news conference. "But there is something really special about building your own traditions and your own history."

The 55-year-old coach has led the Trojans to the NCAA tournament three consecutive seasons, a first in the program's history, and this year he coached them to the Pac-10 tournament title.

Both Memphis and Arizona spoke to Floyd about vacant coaching positions, but he only visited the Tucson campus. Floyd said the Arizona offer came before he flew there Wednesday. He returned the same night to discuss the offer with his wife and a couple of USC players and recruits.

"I felt like at the age of 55, if I was ever going to look, that I would look now. They are going to attract a fabulous coach at both of those schools, without a doubt," Floyd said. "The institutions are too great, the programs, the histories, the traditions are too great."

Floyd got testy when asked why he looked again. He was offered the Louisiana State job a year ago and turned it down, saying at the time, "This is my last job at SC."

He confirmed that Thursday, saying, "This is still my last job. This will be. It hasn't changed my mind, I'm still here."

Really?

"Where am I coaching now? Nothing changed."

Point guard Daniel Hackett said he wasn't upset about Floyd exploring other options.

"Coach has to look out for his best interest, and if he wanted to listen to what Arizona had to say, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. It's nothing different than what other coaches do," said Hackett, adding that Floyd's return would play a role in his decision on whether to return for his senior year or jump to the NBA.

"I haven't decided on that yet. It's definitely something I have to value for him to turn down probably a lot of money and a great school to keep the legacy going, but we're going to have to talk to our families and make the best decision for ourselves and look at the NBA and look where we stand."

DeRozan, a freshman, also said Floyd's return gave him more to think about.

"He built this program up big and it's nothing but big things that can happen for the school and he proved it. I came here to play for Tim Floyd and he's going to play a big part in my decision. We're just going to have to wait and see."

USC athletic director Mike Garrett had given Arizona officials permission to talk to Floyd, who told Garrett he wanted to hear what the school had to say.

"I viewed it as an elite program in this country and I was really interested in what constituted it as an elite program," Floyd said about the Wildcats, who just made their 25th consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament.

"I looked if I could envision myself being a part of it and in the end I could not. We already have everything in place to do something very, very special here. This will be the last time I look unless the administration gets tired of me."

Garrett called Floyd a "tremendous asset" to USC's basketball program at a school where the nationally ranked football team is a perennial power.

"The future is very bright here under Tim's direction," he said in a statement. "We talked today and we expressed our commitment to each other. We are both excited about our prospects for next season, especially if we have the team we think we'll have."

Floyd has three years remaining on his USC contract.

"Hopefully, they'll add a year or two. That would be great," he said.

Floyd's previous college stints were at Iowa State, New Orleans and Idaho. He coached the NBA's Chicago Bulls from 1999-2002 and the New Orleans Hornets from 2003-04.

[Associated Press; By SOLANGE REYNER]

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