Southern California hired Andy Enfield as men's basketball coach on Monday night after he took Florida Gulf Coast to the round of 16 of the NCAA tournament in a post-season run that captivated fans of high-flying and fast-paced basketball.
It's a formula that USC hopes will excite fans at the Galen Center after a season that ended in turmoil on and off the court.
Athletic director Pat Haden confirmed late Monday that Enfield reached an agreement with the Pac-12 school. He will be introduced on Wednesday.
"Those in the basketball world have known of his abilities for a while,'' Haden said.
Those who hadn't heard of Enfield were introduced last month when he led previously unheralded Florida Gulf Coast to a surprise appearance in the NCAA men's basketball tournament's round of 16. The team's spectacular above-the-rim play -- including soaring alley-oop dunks -- earned it the nickname "Dunk City."
FGCU's relentless defense confounded Big East power Georgetown and San Diego State in the Fort Meyers, Fla. school's two tournament upsets.
Haden said Enfield's success at FGCU wasn't just a flash in the pan and that his up-tempo style and stingy defense will be fun for both the Trojans players and fans.
"In meeting with Pat Haden, I was very impressed with his vision for the men's basketball program,'' Enfield said in a statement. "I am looking forward to bringing an exciting, up-tempo style of play to USC and building the men's basketball brand into one that the fans and basketball community will enjoy and respect."
The 43-year-old coach was 41-28 in his only two seasons as a head coach at FGCU. He led the Eagles to a school-record 26 wins this season, including upsets of No. 2 seed Georgetown and No. 7 seed San Diego State as a 15th-seed in the NCAA tourney.
They lost to Florida last Friday.
As for USC, the Trojans' season ended in turmoil on and off the court. USC lost its final three games, including a defeat in their first game of the Pac-12 tournament. Starting center Dewayne Dedmon and backup big man James Blasczyk were suspended indefinitely and missed the league tourney following allegations the pair was involved in a melee in Spokane, Wash., during the team's final Pac-12 road trip of the season.
The move is a step up for Enfield, who coached at a school with about 11,300 students and a 4,500-seat arena. USC has 37,000 students, the Trojans play at 10,258-seat Galen Center, and the school has a long tradition of sports success, especially with its nationally ranked football team.
But USC hasn't made the NCAA tournament since 2011. The Trojans are 12-17 all-time, with their best results coming in 2007 and 2001, when they lost in the regionals, and in 1954, when they lost in the national semifinals.
Before going to FGCU, Enfield was an assistant at Florida State from 2007-11, where the Seminoles made the round of 16 in 2011. He began his coaching career in the NBA as a shooting coach for the Milwaukee Bucks from 1995-96, and was an assistant with Boston from 1999-00.
