Tag: Andy Enfield

Former Andy Enfield USC assistant coach hired by new Washington coach

Tony Bland gets a fresh start in Seattle with Danny Sprinkle.

Andy Enfield is starting his tenure at SMU, but some of his former assistant coaches at USC are being hired elsewhere. One is Tony Bland, who has just been hired by new Washington Huskies head coach Danny Sprinkle, who had coached Utah State to the NCAA Tournament this past season. Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 had the story.

Goodman wrote about Bland:

“Bland hasn’t coached since being fired by USC in January 2018 after being one of 10 individuals arrested in September 2017 in connection with the FBI’s investigation into corruption. Bland served a 3-year show-cause, but has been out for nearly 7 years because the investigation moved so slow. Bland was previously the head basketball coach at St. Bernard High School, and also coached AAU basketball and worked with troubled youth in the Los Angeles area in his time out of college basketball.”

Washington is a USC competitor in the Big Ten, so Bland will be competing against USC next season.

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Eric Musselman is watching Andy Enfield’s four-stars leave USC

There’s not much Eric Musselman can do about Andy Enfield USC recruits who are decommitting.

Brody Kozlowski of Corner Canyon (Utah) signed to play college hoops for the USC Trojans, but after the departure of Trojans head coach Andy Enfield to SMU, the four-star prospect is looking to go elsewhere instead of playing for Eric Musselman. On3’s Joe Tipton reported Kozlowski’s decision.

Kozlowski, ranked No. 3 in the state of Utah and the No. 88 player overall in the 2024 class, has requested a release from his letter of intent and will reopen his recruitment after that release occurs.

The 6-foot-8 small forward originally chose USC out of a final five that also included BYU, Cal, San Diego State and UCLA.

Kozlowski averaged 20.5 points and 5 rebounds per contest. He helped Corner Canyon reach the 6A championship game in the state of Utah before the Chargers fell to the Lehi Pioneers.

The USC basketball roster is undergoing all sorts of changes as Enfield leaves and Eric Musselman takes over. Isaiah Collier declared for the NBA draft. Bronny James hasn’t yet made his decision. Boogie Ellis is expected to turn pro. A lot of open roster spots exist for the Trojans. This is just one more out of several.

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USC basketball assistant Eric Mobley leaves the program

Eric Mobley is expected to join Andy Enfield at SMU.

USC basketball’s coaching staff continues to turn over. With Eric Musselman coming in and Andy Enfield leaving for SMU, spots on both coaching staffs are changing. We have already seen longtime Enfield assistant Chris Capko move to SMU to join the Mustangs. Another similar change might be about to happen. Eric Mobley has not yet signed with SMU, but he has announced that he is indeed leaving USC. It does set the stage for a move to SMU with Enfield.

Eric Mobley is responsible for bringing Evan Mobley and Isaiah Mobley to USC. We often see head coaches hire the fathers of recruits onto their coaching staffs in order to secure recruitments and also guard against transfer portal departures. Enfield hired Eric Mobley to ensure that Evan and Isaiah would become Trojans. The move was a shrewd one, and it paid off in a big way for USC basketball. Evan Mobley led USC to the Elite Eight in 2021, making the most of his one year of college basketball. Isaiah Mobley helped USC return to the NCAA Tournament in 2022, producing a very strong season for the Trojans.

The partnership between Enfield and Eric Mobley was productive. It might now continue in suburban Dallas with the Mustangs in the ACC.

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Andy Enfield brings lead assistant coach Chris Capko to SMU

Chris Capko will continue to assist Andy Enfield at SMU as the Mustangs enter the ACC.

The movement of Andy Enfield from USC to SMU raised the question of staff retention. How many of Enfield’s assistant coaches would go to suburban Dallas to be on his staff as the Mustangs move to the Atlantic Coast Conference? We got at least one answer on Thursday. It was announced that longtime Enfield assistant Chris Capko will indeed join him at SMU.

Capko was universally liked and respected at USC. Andy Enfield had specific strengths as a coach, and Capko augmented them, giving structure and positive energy to what the Trojans did. The Capko-Enfield partnership led the Trojans to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments from 2021 through 2023. If you count the 2020 season — when the pandemic canceled the NCAA Tournament, which USC would have made had the event been played — USC made four straight NCAA Tournaments thanks to Enfield, Capko, and the teams they guided. Capko, at 40 years old, would love to help Enfield make a big first impression at SMU in the ACC. If he can do that, a head coaching job could be just around the corner as he tries to take the next step in his career.

We at Trojans Wire wish Chris the best and hope he and Enfield succeed at SMU.

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How Andy Enfield exit for SMU changes Bronny James’ decision

Andy Enfield leaving means Bronny has more choices than he did a week ago.

Lost in the smoke after the Bronny James transfer portal rumors were debunked is the reality that Bronny James’ head coach at USC left the program. Andy Enfield going to SMU might not wind up changing Bronny James’ plans, but this is a change in the situation. It does give Bronny James and LeBron James a chance to reconsider what they are doing and how they are doing it. In terms of predicting what actually happens, this might not change anything. In terms of giving Bronny some real options for the 2024-2025 basketball season — college or pro — it does introduce a new path.

Enfield plainly didn’t develop Bronny’s game the way Bronny and LeBron probably hoped. However, if LeBron wants Bronny to join him in the NBA next season, likely with the Los Angeles Lakers, questions of overall development and draft stock weren’t ever all that relevant anyway. The Lakers would simply draft Bronny and keep LeBron as the valuable component of a Bronny draft selection. Bronny’s draft value wouldn’t apply to himself, only to LeBron. The Lakers could then nurture Bronny and slowly bring him along under LeBron’s watch. This is the likely outcome for Bronny.

However, Enfield leaving means that Bronny could get a different coach in a second season of college basketball. He could go to Ohio State or Oregon, two other schools which considered him. He could get exposure to other coaches and styles of play, which would give him a chance to develop his game and improve his draft stock for 2025. It’s certainly not a bad option. Is it the one Bronny is likely to choose? No. However, it’s right there if he wants it.

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UPDATE: Bronny James still undecided on future despite a recent report

UPDATE: Bronny James still undecided on future despite a recent report

USC freshman Bronny James is still undecided on his future, despite a recent report that he was entering the transfer portal.

Bronny is the son of NBA legend LeBron James. He was a five-star recruit in the class of 2023, ranked as the No. 22 player in the class, No. 5 combo-guard and No. 4 recruit from the state of California.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin basketball’s reported transfer portal visits and targets

The highly-touted recruit played only 19.3 minutes per game for the Trojans in 2023-24. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals in that time, plus clips of 36% shooting and 26% from three.

James and the rest of the USC roster is in a bit of flux after head coach Andy Enfield left for the head coach job at SMU. Enfield departed after a disappointing 15-18 (8-12 Pac 12) 2023-24 season — USC’s first time missing the NCAA Tournament since 2019.

The Trojans are still in the process of finding a new coach.

There isn’t a real Wisconsin connection here, aside from USC joining the Big Ten for the 2024-25 basketball season. This is a story worth monitoring as the Trojans and Badgers become conference mates.

For more on Wisconsin’s roster and transfer portal activity, check out Badgers Wire’s ongoing 2024 transfer portal tracker.

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Four-star guard, top-30 recruit Trent Perry decommits from USC basketball after Andy Enfield leaves

Trent Perry was unwilling to wait out USC’s coaching search. That stings.

The effects of Andy Enfield’s move from USC to SMU are beginning to emerge. USC fans will tell you the Trojans needed Enfield to leave so that the program could start fresh and find an upgrade at the head coaching position. This is true. This is necessary. However, in the short run, USC could lose recruits Enfield brought into the program. This is why the Trojans have to move quickly to replace Enfield and get a coach in place. Obviously, the Trojans can’t settle for mediocrity. They have to get the hire done right. Yet, they also are fighting the clock, and costs could mount with each passing day. Trent Perry proves the point.

Perry, a top-30 recruit and a four-star guard, just decommitted from USC on Tuesday morning, one day after Enfield’s move to SMU became official. Enfield struggled to develop Isaiah Collier, so it’s not as though USC needed Enfield to stay. However, Perry’s decommitment before the announcement of a new coach still stings. There had been a hope that Perry could wait out the coaching search for at least a few days. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Be sure to read our USC coaching search primer.

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Andy Enfield’s effect on USC’s future recruiting classes must be addressed by new coach, incoming staff

Roster construction is task No. 1 for the incoming coach. It’s also why Jen Cohen must move quickly to hire the new coach.

Andy Enfield has left the USC Trojan hoops program to join the SMU Mustangs in Dallas. The Trojans were a dismal 15-18 this season with two top-25 recruits in National Gatorade Player of The Year Isaiah Collier and Bronny James. The Trojans’ sub-.500 season ended a run of four consecutive years winning more than 20 games.

Enfield is known as an elite recruiter. He had a top-10 class in 2023 with the prospects mentioned above. The 2024 cycle was no different with a class led by Trent Perry, Liam Campbell and Brady Kozlowski.

Andy Enfield spent 10 seasons at USC after a two-year run at Florida Gulf Coast, also known as “Dunk City.” He came to USC in 2013 after FGCU made a run to the Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

In his overall tenure the Trojans made the tournament in five of his 11 seasons, and USC would have made the tournament in 2020 as well had the event not been canceled by the pandemic. The Trojans were 220-147 in his tenure with seven 20-win seasons.

The 54-year-old coach began his career as an assistant with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. He was also an assistant coach at Florida State for five seasons from 2006-11, a time when the Seminoles made the NCAA Tournament three years in a row.

“I am so excited to join the SMU family,” Enfield said in a statement. ”It is an incredible time for the university as we enter the ACC. The investments SMU has made in athletics, the support and alignment from leadership … as well as the passion of the SMU fan base and community made this an incredibly attractive opportunity. We will make Mustang fans and the city of Dallas proud and cannot wait to get started.”

How well the incoming coach can retain talent is a big question. Replacing departures with transfer portal prospects figures to be both significant and necessary for USC.

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Trojans Wired podcast reacts to Andy Enfield leaving for SMU, looks at USC coaching job

USC needs a new head basketball coach. Let’s talk about that and reflect on the Andy Enfield era as well.

The news is now official. Andy Enfield has indeed left USC basketball for SMU. The Trojans have an open head coaching job and a chance to upgrade their program. SMU has its new coach as it enters the ACC. What a turn of events.

We noted that USC received a lifeline from SMU with this move:

“A buyout would have been expensive. Cohen had just forked up a lot of money to hire Lincoln Riley’s new football assistants on the defensive side of the ball. The financial expenditure needed to eat the buyout and then get a high-quality coach would have been considerable. USC basketball fans would say that the expense would have been worth it, but it’s entirely fair to note the factors militating against a firing. Enfield was likely to stay if it was up to USC’s administration, and that’s entirely reasonable. The scenario USC basketball fans were hoping for was for Enfield to seek a fresh start elsewhere.”

SMU and Enfield have both helped USC. Now the Trojans have an opportunity to take their program to the next level. We discuss the news with Ian Hest on our latest podcast:

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Trojans Wire discusses Andy Enfield to SMU, USC coaching search on Press Box Radio Show

We discussed Andy Enfield’s move to SMU and USC’s new coaching search on the radio Thursday morning.

The Andy Enfield-to-SMU news is a huge topic of conversation right now in the national college basketball world. That story and the Pat Kelsey hire at Louisville have dominated the college basketball conversation in the hours before the Sweet 16 begins Thursday afternoon. Trojans Wire joined the Press Box Radio Show to discuss Enfield, SMU, the new USC basketball head coaching search, and the Sweet 16. It’s a packed show with college basketball at the center of the conversation.

Whom should USC focus on in its coaching search? We told Press Box Radio that the Trojans have to make a phone call to a few elite coaches, even if those coaches aren’t likely to take the USC job. There are almost always certain candidates an athletic director has to call in a coaching search. The athletic director must force those candidates to say no. Then an athletic director can move to other, more realistic candidates. We broke down the elite candidates who should get the first few phone calls from USC’s Jennifer Cohen. Then we moved into the more realistic candidates for the Trojans. It’s all part of our appearance on the Press Box Radio Show at PressBoxRadio.com.

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