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25 worst coaching hires in the history of college basketball

By Joey Loose

LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 21: Head coach Billy Gillispie of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts to the action during the SEC game against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena on January 21, 2009 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 21: Head coach Billy Gillispie of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts to the action during the SEC game against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena on January 21, 2009 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Worst college basketball coach hires
LOS ANGELES – DECEMBER 22: Head coach Tim Floyd of the USC Trojans looks on during the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on December 22, 2008 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California. USC won 76-57. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

7. Tim Floyd – USC (2005-2009)

  • 85-50 record (4 seasons)

Around this time, USC was certainly a superpower in college football, but the basketball program was still lagging a little behind. The Trojans had originally planned to make quite a splash, bringing Rick Majerus aboard to lead the program, but Majerus was still dealing with health issues and backed out of the deal. A few months later, the Trojans managed to hire a former collegiate and NBA head coach, but the hire did not exactly work as planned.

Tim Floyd had already been a head coach for nearly two decades, beginning with decent stints at Idaho and New Orleans, leading those Privateers to a pair of NCAA Tournaments. Floyd had success at Iowa State, leading Iowa State to the Sweet Sixteen in 1997. He then had less success as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and briefly of the New Orleans Hornets. Floyd’s hiring at USC was his return to collegiate hoops.

The return seemed to be successful, as Floyd led USC to three NCAA Tournaments in four years, including a Sweet Sixteen in 2007. However, scandal and disarray plagued Floyd, with most of it stemming from illegal payment to star O. J. Mayo, influencing him to choose USC. The program also dealt with academic issues and as a result of the fallout from the NCAA investigation, Floyd stepped aside from the program. The Trojans vacated a number of Floyd’s wins and didn’t really bounce back as a program until Andy Enfield got things going nearly a decade later.