Floyd would like to lure Perry to USC as assistant
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Incoming USC men’s basketball coach Tim Floyd has approached Idaho’s Leonard Perry about an assistant coaching job, but Perry says he’s staying put for now.
“I’m committed to getting this job done here,” Perry said, during a break from watching the Vandals women play in the Big West tournament championship game Saturday at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena. “It’s extremely flattering.”
Perry was 16 when he met Floyd, the former Vandals head coach. They met when Floyd was recruiting Marvin Washington, one of Perry’s high school teammates in Dallas. Floyd has close coaching ties with Larry Eustachy, whom Perry assisted under at Utah State and Iowa State.
“I’ve always been around him and wanted to work with Tim,” Perry said. “Under any other circumstance, if I was at University X, it’d be a done deal.”
However, sources indicated talks are ongoing and that Floyd hasn’t closed the book on trying to bring Perry to USC.
Perry, who has been at Idaho for four seasons, has three years remaining on his current contract. Idaho finished 8-22, losing to UC Irvine in the opening round of the Big West tournament on Wednesday. The Vandals made steady progress in Perry’s first three years, moving up to fourth place last season and winning a Big West tournament game for the first time since joining the conference in 1996-97.
Floyd officially takes over at USC on April 1. He replaces interim coach Jim Saia. Perry has been in contact with Floyd often during the second half of the season. “Enough for me to feel comfortable that he would want me,” Perry said.
“But I do have a lot invested in Idaho,” Perry added. “The program is fine. Our kids are graduating and we don’t have kids in trouble. We just need to win more games. I understand that and I think I’m qualified to do that.”
Idaho athletic director Rob Spear gave Perry a four-year contract prior to the 2004-05 season.
“We need to grow as a program and Leonard understands that and he understands that there has to be some changes made,” Spear said. “He obviously has a lot of potential and he has a lot invested at Idaho because he’s a former student-athlete and he wants to make it work. He’s willing to continue to grow as a coach.”
Perry declined to comment on the possibility of staff changes.
There are some parallels between Perry’s situation and that of former Idaho football coach Tom Cable, who was offered a job at UCLA prior to the 2003 season, but elected to return to Idaho. He was fired after the 2003 season and eventually joined UCLA’s staff. Perry’s teams, though, have had much more success in comparison to Cable’s at Idaho. Perry also has three years left on his contract.
“It’s going to be a challenge (joining the WAC next season), but I don’t think Rob Spear would have given me a 4-year contract if he thought he had the wrong guy,” Perry said. “Maybe he gives me a 1 or 2-year deal if he felt he had the wrong guy. I’m going to do everything I can to prove him right.”