Tim Floyd had USC en route to new heights, establishing himself as one of college basketball’s premier coaches. He became one of the most successful recruiting wise, and built a foundation that instituted success in the near future for an inferior basketball program that was in dismay. Miserable times were overshadowed by the legitimate football program, constructed by college football’s most prestigious coach, Pete Carroll. Well, basketball won’t reign supreme over a superb football talent anytime soon.
Because of his deceitfulness and self-indulgence in recruiting a talented star, Floyd not only brought contingency and ambition, but engendered a mess among America’s greatest program, leaving troubles that will take time to fix, needing to rebuild trust and restore prestige. Floyd has sabotaged his image as a coach, wasting a chance to become one of the greatest coaches in USC, if not NCAA, history. What a way to throw away good benefits, by giving someone else benefits, with a desperate attitude and frenzied demands about winning. Anyone at USC realizes how high expectations are of coaches, which is why Floyd was experimenting, and was bold about trying the outrageous.
But he took things too far, violating NCAA rules with his shameful wrongdoings that have now corrupted a successful program. Things unraveled for USC, a hysterical athletic program that forced Floyd to resign as head coach on Tuesday, pending allegations that Floyd provided benefits to the sleaze Rodney Guillory; an event promoter who’s more of a crock and persuaded Floyd to give him at least $1,000 outside a Beverly Hills eatery. Never should Guillory have had as much of a privilege as appearing on campus, let alone have leverage over a coach who failed to take control of his program. Sort of like following the leader, which is exactly what Floyd followed, allowing Guillory’s deceptive ways to seize advantage and power.
Sadly, it unfolded in the hands of USC, badly stuck in turmoil that was caused by Floyd’s mistakes. At the moment, he’s serving his punishment jobless, as USC tries to remove toxic stains and humiliation from tradition. As tradition turns into shame from previous allegations, which have the Trojans's athletic program feeling as if they were the ones bearing a powerful blow from their tough and fierce linebacker corps a year ago, the program is now seeking treatment for painful headaches surrounding the Trojans and looking for a way to bring back the dignity that was lost this past week.
I would have suggested that Floyd had better sense to say no than follow in on Guillory’s manipulating tricks. USC and Floyd are accused of lawful scandals by Louis Johnson, a former associate and friend of Mayo who acknowledged Guillory earned an estimate of $25,000 from Bill Duffy’s agency and shared some of earnings with Mayo.
Floyd should have taken accountability, after Guillory advertised bad vibes. It would have been a felicitous time, rebuffing interest for anything offered, especially knowing what transpired in previous years. In the past, USC hasn’t been saints, with unforeseen infractions that have us unsure if the program is legitimate or not.
I dare say yes, they’re legitimate.
But Floyd, desperate, allowed entrapment, and settled for anything to build a successful program. After giving much to Guillory and violating rules, he must compensate for wrongdoings and live with self-destructing his brilliant future. The University could be used as an example of scorns, suffering from grievance troubles, with investigations pending regarding former running back Reggie Bush; who allegedly accepted gifts and free rent from two agents who tried to sign the former Heisman Trophy winner as a client.
But lately, it’s a scam spreading around, the latest one being Floyd. It’s obvious he couldn’t deal with the allegations, and is finding a way out by running from the problems. Instead, he could have addressed the allegations, and very well could have denied infractions publicly. As of late, it’s not too glorifying in college hoops, becoming the new version of Major League Baseball, like having steroid issues, but the only difference at the college level are troubling recruiting scandals.
There was Derrick Rose, who was named NBA’s Rookie of the Year, and was accused of cheating on his SAT.
Then, there was an immoral Kelvin Sampson, who ruined a positive ritual at Indiana, when caught violating recruiting policies.
So, that’s all the reason to suggest that Floyd would have known better of getting caught in such an entrapment, a situation that helps nothing but damages reputation.
If the allegations have any true sides, Floyd will be remembered as a sham in a program, where it seemed brighter days were ahead, where it seemed the Trojans would finally challenge will in something other than football, where it seemed spirit was lively on the hardwood. But now, it converts back to those soulless times when basketball was so inferior, and now will encourage people, as it usually does, to rush back to football season.
To pay off a college star is absolutely ridiculous, unconfident and stupid. Floyd took a risk that never eased off, instead caught up with him, and now he is paying the price for his slick-minded behavior and unintelligence about winning. With Floyd attracting and demanding a superstar freshman, he made a run at O.J. Mayo, who was the top freshman in the class that year. Mayo was a must have when he should have been a turn down, if anyone had known how costly he could be.
Still, the Trojans played more productively a year before his arrival, and a year after his departure. After all this has surfaced, Arizona should be feeling lucky Mayo rejected their offer, preferring to leave shameful smears and stress on USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett. Sure, Arizona believes they have a good luck charm, hiring former Xavier’s Sean Miller. It beats having infractions preface distractions and tainted results.
Maybe, we saw the last of Floyd, after making placing shame on USC. Or maybe there’s someone else willing to give him chance, only as long as there’s no Guillory or Mayo nearby.
