After Tim Floyd rejected Arizona's offer yesterday, all of us are begging the question of what now? Why did Livengood press for Floyd so hard in the first place and what kind of vibe was he getting from him in Tucson that made him think he would accept. I think all of this is sketchy anyway from the secret plane flights, meetings, and press conferences to reject the offer. I understand creating your own traditions, etc..., but it basically came down to $$. If his thoughts before coming to Tucson were about his own "traditions" at USC, the only thing that would have changed his mind would have been more money. Some how, some way, this reminds me of trying to sell a house: put it on the market too high, let some high profile buyer come in, talk about how good it is, "Oh, I love the wood floors. This yard is terrific. Crown molding? Sold. Just let me go back to Dallas and talk it over with my wife."
Wood Floors = McKale Center
A couple of days later, you get the call (press conference). I'm sorry, it's not the house, we just don't think it's the right fit. Now what? You've overpriced and been rejected. Who wants sloppy seconds? Not too many people. Time to drop the price, or in this situation, raise the price. Analogy over.
That's it. Floyd's wife nixed the deal. As I am typing, it all makes sense now. She must not be a fan of the old pueblo. She's too busy eating sushi and talking about the great weather in Southern California, even though she probably lives inland where its 100 degrees 185 days of the year. Time to move on.
If Livengood wants a top quality coach, he is going to have to ante up with more than $875,000/year. Arizona is a top notch school and should be bankrolling their major sport with high profile coaches. If he is not going to offer up multi year deals like the one Calipari got at Kentucky (8 years), it's time to drop down below the tier of Tim Floyd. My personal vote: Pastner. If he doesn't get the coaching job, he should just take Livengood's position.