It’s that time of year. Much like 2022, when Andy Enfield’s name surfaced for the head coaching vacancy at Maryland, he is now among the top choices to take the helm for the SMU Mustangs basketball program. This raises a question: Did Kobe Johnson hear through the grapevine at USC that SMU was courting Enfield and that the coach leaving was a realistic scenario, or did Johnson have his mind made up well in advance?
Enfield has been at USC since 2013, when he parlayed a deep run in the NCAA Tournament with “Dunk City” at Florida Gulf Coast into a Pac-12 coaching job. Enfield has been one of the most successful coaches in USC history, passing legendary USC coach Bob Boyd for program wins. USC’s ability to place players in the NBA has had an uptick under Enfield with Jordan McLaughlin, Onyeka Okongwu, Chemezie Metu, and the Mobley brothers, Isaiah and Evan, among others.
The Trojans are coming off a very disappointing, injury-filled season in 2024. They were picked to finish second in the preseason Pac-12 media poll, but limped to a ninth-place finish in the league and a second-round exit at the Pac-12 Tournament. A team that was expected to be a shoo-in for the NCAA Tournament finished the season four games under .500 on the year and 9-9 in the conference. Was Kobe Johnson ready for the portal no matter what, or did any Enfield-to-SMU rumor shape his decision? It’s an interesting question.
SMU recently parted ways with Rob Lanier after just two seasons in Dallas. The Mustangs move to the ACC next season and need a new head coach.
USC coach Andy Enfield has emerged as a person of interest in the SMU men’s basketball search, sources tell me and @jeffborzello. No deal is imminent. There’s multiple candidates, with Enfield expected to top the list.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 26, 2024
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