USC basketball coach Andy Enfield leaves for same job at SMU
Thuc Nhi Nguyen April 1, 2024
After 11 years at USC, mens basketball head coach Andy Enfield has left for the same position at Southern Methodist, the Mustangs announced Monday.
Enfield led the Trojans to rarely seen success on the court, including their first Elite Eight in 20 years in 2021. The teams 95 wins in the previous four years were a school record before an injury-riddled 15-18 campaign ended USCs streak of four consecutive 20-win seasons. Enfield ranks third on USCs all-time wins list with a 220-147 record.
USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen thanked Enfield for his tenure and announced that a national search for a new head coach is under way. “There is no ceiling to what our program can achieve, and I look forward to introducing our next head coach,” Cohen wrote. USC’s NCAA tournament dreams shattered in season-ending loss to Arizona
Since rocketing to national prominence as the architect of 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coasts Dunk City Sweet 16 run in 2013, Enfield built USC into a consistent conference threat and grew its influence on the recruiting trail after the program had become an afterthought for many top prospects. Enfield signed local stars including Chimezie Metu, Onyeka Okongwu and Isaiah Mobley. In 2019, Evan Mobley became the first No. 1 national recruit to sign with the Trojans. Three years later, Isaiah Collier joined the exclusive list.
The No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class headlined the nations top-ranked recruiting class, but the Trojans failed to capitalize on their talent as Collier suffered a broken hand that kept him out for four weeks. Guard Bronny James helped fuel an uptick in attendance at Galen Center as home crowds grew by 56.7% from last season, but the son of Lakers star LeBron James made an inconsistent impact on the court after returning from a sudden cardiac arrest suffered during the summer. James averaged 4.8 points, 2.1 assists and 19.6 minutes in his 25 games.
If Collier opts for the NBA, where he is projected as a first-round pick this summer, the Trojans could lose their top five scorers. Boogie Ellis, DJ Rodman and Joshua Morgan have all exhausted their eligibility while junior Kobe Johnson, who averaged 10.9 points and 4.6 rebounds with 68 steals as a two-time Pac-12 all-defensive player, announced his intention to test the NBA waters and enter the transfer portal.
Sophomore guard Oziyah Sellers and sophomore forward Kijani Wright have also entered the transfer portal.
USC signed three high school players for next season, led by Harvard-Westlakes Trent Perry. The four-star, 6-foot-4 guard was named The Times player of the year after leading Harvard-Westlake to Southern Section and CIF Open Division championships.
