Tim Floyd to UTEP.....

[Salt City Sooner]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5040891

UTEPhas hired former USC coach Tim Floyd and will introduce him at a news conference in El Paso at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, multiple sources told ESPN.com.

Floyd was the popular choice of UTEP boosters to replace Tony Barbee, who left to take over at Auburn after leading the Miners to a Conference USA regular-season title and a first-round NCAA tournament appearance.

Sources said UTEP officials were on the way to pick up Floyd, a New Orleans Hornets assistant, for Tuesday's news conference.

Floyd was at UTEP as an assistant under the late Don Haskins from 1978-86. He has had a lengthy coaching career as a head coach at Idaho, New Orleans, Iowa State, the post-Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls and the Hornets before going back to college in 2005 with USC. Floyd was 85-50 at USC, going 39-33 in the Pac-10 and winning the conference tournament in 2009.

Floyd resigned in 2009 after four seasons at USC, amid allegations that he committed a violation in the recruitment of O.J. Mayo. It has been alleged that Floyd gave Mayo's handler Rodney Guillory a $1,000 cash payment. Floyd has denied the allegations.

Floyd and USC, which conducted its own probe and imposed its own sanctions on the program, met with the NCAA's Committee on Infractions in February. A decision is due from the committee sometime in the next month.

Multiple sources told ESPN.com that UTEP was assured before hiring Floyd that he would not be individually penalized in connection with the USC allegations.

UTEP would not be prohibited from hiring Floyd, even if he were to receive a show-cause penalty from the NCAA -- in which any school hiring him would have to make its case for hiring him to the NCAA. But UTEP would only have to appear before the Committee on Infractions to see if any other sanctions will be placed upon him.

The Miners (26-7, 15-1 C-USA) lost to Butler in the first round of the NCAA tournament. They are expecting to lose center Derrick Caracter to the NBA draft.

 

[cfin5256]

Wow.

 

[aaron7]

I'm shocked. Did not think anyone would go out on this limb this soon.

 

[qwertyqaz]

I am really shocked by this hire.

 

[coolm]

I like it.

Thats a great hire for UTEP. They get to continue a nice succession of good coaches AND take advantage of Floyd's stock dropping since the debacle. Plus he'll probably try to stay there long enough to rehab his image.

 

[oSuJeff97]

Wow.

With Floyd going to UTEP and Billy Gillespe possibly going to Houston, the overall level of play in C-USA could be increasing significantly.

If it's not already, Doug Wojick's seat should start to warm up over the next year or two if he doesn't get Tulsa to the Dance.

Can you believe it's been 7 years since Tulsa was in the NCAA Tournament?

That's crazy, considering they were a regular fixture from about 1991 through 2003.

 

[stoops4pres]

Wow.

With Floyd going to UTEP and Billy Gillespe possibly going to Houston, the overall level of play in C-USA could be increasing significantly.

Agreed. Think if Calipari still had been at Memphis, as well.

 

[Romulus]

had a good source tell me several years back that Floyd was very very high on Joe C.'s wish list a couple of years back and couldn't get him to make the switch.

 

[Big Old Booger]

had a good source tell me several years back that Floyd was very very high on Joe C.'s wish list a couple of years back and couldn't get him to make the switch.

That would have been a great hire. Too bad we couldn't get him.

 

[billyball]

So what's the over/under on the number of years before Utep is being investigated by the ncaa?

 

[thebigabd]

Wow.

With Floyd going to UTEP and Billy Gillespe possibly going to Houston, the overall level of play in C-USA could be increasing significantly.

If it's not already, Doug Wojick's seat should start to warm up over the next year or two if he doesn't get Tulsa to the Dance.

Can you believe it's been 7 years since Tulsa was in the NCAA Tournament?

That's crazy, considering they were a regular fixture from about 1991 through 2003.

Don't remind me.....

 

[playmakr]

thebigabd would open the door for Wojick after he cleared out of his office.

 

[HoHum]

I've been surprised Eustachy hasn't been more successful. But, I guess basketball players aren't exactly lining up to head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

 

[stoops4pres]

I've been surprised Eustachy hasn't been more successful. But, I guess basketball players aren't exactly lining up to head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

That's a primary reason. Grew up in Miss., and their facilities are pretty bad to say the least.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I've been surprised Eustachy hasn't been more successful. But, I guess basketball players aren't exactly lining up to head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

He's at least made USM competitive in basketball. He's doing a good job considering the cirsumstances.

 

[thegreyghost]

if floyd followed kelvin likely OU would be close to the death penalty

 

[soonerroby]

What is so different from the death penalty and where OU is now? Capel is running the Huff looking for players...

 

[seniorsooner]

Is this a freaking joke?

 

[Mr.B!!!]

Times two.

 

[thegreyghost]

What is so different from the death penalty and where OU is now? Capel is running the Huff looking for players...

uhh like not having a team for 2 years