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Andy Enfield introduced as USC’s basketball coach

Andy Enfield was introduced as the new USC men's basketball coach at a news conference on Wednesday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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USC introduced Andy Enfield as its new coach Wednesday with Athletic Director Pat Haden proclaiming that it was time for Trojans basketball to be relevant.

“Let’s be honest,” Haden said during a news conference at the Galen Center, “it’s not been relevant for a while.

“We’re about to change that.”

Enfield, 43, rose to prominence last month when he led 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast University to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

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But Enfield -- a former player at Johns Hopkins University, private businessman, NBA assistant and college assistant at Florida State -- indicated that he was no overnight success.

“That was 20 years, maybe 30 years of me sitting on the couch with my father watching [Atlantic Coast Conference] basketball growing up and going out in the backyard and dreaming of having my own program,” he said.

Enfield met with USC players Wednesday morning and said he also had spoken with former interim coach Bob Cantu and other Trojans assistants, who could be considered for positions on his staff.

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Enfield was accompanied by his wife, Amanda, who is a former model and the mother of their three children.

“With all due respect, taking a good look at Andy and then taking a good look at his wife Amanda,” Haden quipped, “he’s got an eye for talent and he’s an exceptional recruiter.”

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