Completing a meteoric two-week coaching rise, Florida Gulf Coast’s Andy Enfield has been selected as USC’s next basketball coach, the school announced Monday night.
Enfield, 43, rose from near-complete anonymity to the national spotlight during the NCAA Tournament in mid-March when he guided the 15th-seeded Eagles to upsets of No. 2 Georgetown and No. 7 San Diego State and a trip to the Sweet 16. The run ended last Friday with a loss to third-seeded Florida.
Florida Gulf Coast’s up-tempo style and its “Dunk City’’ nickname no doubt attracted USC athletic director Pat Haden, who is known to prefer a coach who pushes the pace.
That, apparently, makes up for something of a thin resume. Enfield just completed his second season at Florida Gulf Coast, with a 41-28 overall record. He played at Division III John Hopkins, then worked in private business and as a shooting coach before he spent five years as an assistant at Florida State.
Interim coach Bob Cantu, who guided the team for three months after Kevin O’Neill’s firing, Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins and former coach Tim Floyd were the only other candidates known to have interviewed for the job.
Enfield reportedly made $172,500, including bonuses, at Florida Gulf Coast this season. O’Neill’s contract paid him $1.5 million in 2012-13.
