New coach Andy Enfield is all in at USC

USC's new men's basketball coach Andy Enfield answers questions during a press conference at Galen Center, Wednesday, April 3, 2013. (Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer) (Michael Owen Baker)

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Gallery: Meet USC's new coach Andy Enfield

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USC basketball coach Andy Enfield's office is devoid of any pictures, posters or other mementos coaches often use to decorate their walls.

In the three months since he was hired from Florida Gulf Coast, Enfield's been too busy to worry about how his office looked. But not too busy to knock down a wall and enlarge his office by taking over a space formerly used by an assistant coach.

Creating his own space seems to be a trait for Enfield. Asked if he bought a house in Manhattan Beach like USC football coach Lane Kiffin, Enfield said, "I'm building a house there."

Enfield might find it easier to build his house than rebuild the USC basketball program into something more than football's stepchild. But he is off to a hot start because his profile is higher than most of his predecessors as he already appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and threw out the first pitch at an Angels game.

"My wife said I'm not funny enough to be on `The Tonight Show,' " he joked.

But generating buzz is something Enfield wants and USC desperately needs.

"Sure, there is an extreme pressure to win, but you want a fun style of play and to create energy about the program," Enfield said. "Between the USC brand and our style of play, it's already helped in

recruiting."

Enfield is soft-spoken and comes across as earnest but also seems highly organized. That probably is not surprising since he was a vice president at a health-care technology startup worth more than $100 million.

"He will talk to three or four people before he makes a decision and then once he makes up his mind, he really goes forward," said former USC assistant basketball Dieter Horton, who was retained by Enfield as a special assistant to the coach.

Enfield is also positive. Mention any of the usual issues that historically saddled the program and he is not discouraged.

"We want to build a program the fans are proud of," he said.

Horton said he noticed a different energy within the basketball program since Enfield arrived.

"People are really excited and open to hearing from us," he said. "He's made an immediate impact. We have a strong local presence again."

Enfield's already taken three transfers: UNLV guard Katin Reinhardt, North Carolina-Charlotte forward Darion Clark and Maryland point guard Pe'Shon Howard. Reinhardt and Clark are already at USC. Howard is not officially enrolled because he is asking the NCAA for immediate eligibility.

Enfield said Reinhardt could be a starter in two years and Clark, at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, adds a physical presence USC might need in 2015. Howard would help because the Trojans could use a point guard.

Enfield's roster for this season could still change because forward Ari Stewart is currently academically ineligible and attending summer school in an attempt to regain his eligibility.

Enfield is also trying to make waves recruiting high school players. A procession of top high school players has visited the Galen Center since he arrived and USC remains in contention for top players like forward Stanley Johnson of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana and forward Malik Pope of Elk Grove.

"There's no reason USC cannot be a top program in the West," ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla said. "Look at all the talent there is in Southern California."

Enfield is not turned off by competing against tradition-laden UCLA and maybe part of the reason is because he is from the East Coast, so he is more open-minded.

"It doesn't matter if certain players went to certain programs in the past," he said. "We respect UCLA's tradition, but this is about the future of USC basketball. It's not about the past."

That is either refreshing or naive depending on your point of view. But Enfield is new to Southern California and learning how to deal with many things, including traffic.

"It's terrible," he said. "You have to learn when you can leave and when you can't."

He recently spent four hours driving from Los Angeles to Indian Wells because he left at 2 p.m. on a Friday afternoon.

There are other differences. Florida Gulf Coast has one compliance official. USC has the largest compliance office in the nation and coaches cannot even make a phone call without it being logged or monitored.

Enfield is too optimistic to let any of that affect him though.

"During the coaches' tour I did with Coach (Lane) Kiffin, I was amazed at the level of support for USC athletics," Enfield said. "Especially in Southern California. There are over 200,000 alumni in Southern California and that's a great advantage for USC athletes to develop relationships with alumni."

But are his players going to be more concerned about getting a job or playing in the NBA?

"We intend to recruit and develop pros here," Enfield said.

Although Enfield made the Sweet 16 with Florida Gulf Coast and became a media darling, he said being at USC helps too.

"I have facial recognition," he said. "But when you're recruiting and have USC on your chest, it means something. It's a big difference."

Source: http://www.sbsun.com/sports/ci_23628420/new-coach-andy-enfield-is-all-at-usc?source=rss

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