The summer of 2006. That’s when it all began to go downhill for USC Trojans basketball coach Tim Floyd. USC hadn’t been to the NCAA tournament since 2002. Floyd was trying to resurrect a coaching career after stumbling badly in the NBA. The beginning of the end was chronicled exquisitely by Lee Jenkins (then at the Times, now at SI).

The man explained that Mayo wanted to market himself before going to the N.B.A., and that Los Angeles would give him the best possible platform.

“Then why aren’t you at U.C.L.A.?” Floyd asked.

The man shook his head. U.C.L.A. had already won 11 national championships. It had already produced many N.B.A. stars. Mayo wanted to be a pioneer for a new era.

“Let me call him,” Floyd said.

The man shook his head again. “O. J. doesn’t give out his cell,” he said. “He’ll call you.€

The man Floyd spoke to was Ronald Guillory. If Floyd and USC had done the necessary homework, it would have been painful obvious how shady this guy was. But stars build programs and make schools money, so USC rolled the dice, and now Floyd’s gone. Guess Arizona’s happy Floyd rejected the Wildcats, huh?

Replacement? Jamie Dixon of Pitt, as we speculated about when Floyd flirted with Arizona, will be mentioned. But this smells like an ‘interim’ job for an assistant coach. And a lost season – or more, if the NCAA feels like dropping the hammer – for the Trojans.

Miss. native Floyd resigns as Southern Cal coach (Clarion Ledger)