Report: Floyd resigns
Embroiled in controversy, Southern California coach Tim Floyd resigned on Tuesday, The Clarion Ledger of Jackson, Miss., reported.
The newspaper obtained the contents of a letter that the coach submitted to USC athletic director Mike Garrett.
"Unfortunately, I no longer feel I can offer the level of enthusiasm to my duties that is deserved by the university, my coaching staff, my players, their families, and the supporters of Southern Cal," the letter said. "I always promised myself and my family that if I ever felt I could no longer give my full enthusiasm to a job, that I should leave it to others who could. I intend to contact my coaching staff and my players in coming days and weeks to tell them how much each of them means to me. I wish the best to USC and to my successor."
Floyd has been accused of giving money to a man who helped O.J. Mayo land with the Trojans. According to a May 12 Yahoo! Sports report, Louis Johnson -- a former confidante of Mayo -- said that Floyd gave Rodney Guillory, an associate of sports agent Bill Duffy, $1,000. Such a payment would constitute a major violation of NCAA rules.
USC spokesperson Tim Tessalone said the university found out about Floyd's resignation just before 7 p.m. ET when it read his letter on the Clarion-Ledger Web site. Tessalone said confirmation from the university would be forthcoming.
A person close to Floyd said Tuesday night that he was surprised by the coach's resignation, but did say in his conversations with him throughout the past few weeks that the allegations against Floyd had begun to wear on him. The person, who requested his name not be used, said that Floyd was innocent of the charge that he had given cash to Guillory, but that Floyd knew fighting the charge would take an enormous amount of effort in the coming months.
Over the past few weeks, there had been countless rumors throughout the California basketball circuit that Floyd would be out as coach, but with the decision coming from USC, not from the coach.
ESPN.com was not able to contact Floyd. Messages to USC assistant coaches weren't returned.
Floyd, a native of Hattiesburg, Miss., led a resurgence of USC basketball, taking the Trojans to the NCAA tournament the past three seasons.
Mayo played only one season before entering the NBA draft. He currently plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.
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