Louisville Coaching Candidate Profile: USC Head Coach Andy Enfield

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program mutually parted ways with Chris Mack, ending a nearly four-year run with the Cardinals. As the coaching search progresses, we will break down each potential candidate, from the realistic to the far reaches. Next, we'll take a look at USC Trojans head coach Andy Enfield.

Name: Andy Enfield
Age: 52
Born and Raised: Shippensburg, Penn.
Playing Career: Johns Hopkins University
Previous Experience: Assistant coach with NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics from 1994 to 2000, as well as Florida State from 2006 to 2011. Head coach at Florida Gulf Coast from 2011 to 2013 before taking USC job.
Connections to Louisville: None.

Pros: Enfield has done a really good job at taking a historically mediocre program, one that lives in the vast shadow of the school's football program, and making them not only relevant within the Pac-12, but nationally. USC was billed to make their return to the NCAA Tournament in 2020 had it not been cancelled by COVID-19, the Trojans made their first Elite Eight in 20 years during the 2021 iteration of the Big Dance, and Enfield currently has them at No. 16 in the AP Poll for this season ahead of March Madness. Not to mention that he was the first coach to ever guide a 15 seed to the Sweet 16 when he did so with Florida Gulf Court in 2013. His success with USC as been due to a healthy mix of recruiting and player development. Enfield is an underrated recruiter, securing four top 25 classes during his time at USC, and two top 10 classes in the last four cycles - including landing five-star prospects like Evan Mobley, Kevin Porter Jr. and Onyeka Okongwu. He has also molded players like De'Anthony Melton and Chimezie Metu into NBA draft picks for the Trojans.

Cons: While USC is by no means an easy place to win (at least in basketball), it had been a little bit of a slow build for Enfield to get to where he is now. In his first six years as the head coach, the Trojans were just 110-93 and 42-64 in the Pac-12, and while they did make the NCAA Tournament twice during that span - in 2016 and 2017 - neither trip went past the first weekend. Even in the COVID-cancelled 2020 tournament, USC was projected as just a No. 9 seed. Enfield hasn't been super successful in the Pac-12 Tournament either, sporting a record 7-7, with just his 2017-18 team tallying multiple wins in a single run (2-1).

Other Factors: While Enfield's style as a head coach isn't predicated on a full court press defense like Louisville fans are used to, it's one that would undoubtedly get them excited. It's an attacking, fast-paced style with a huge emphasis on dunking the basketball. There's a reason FGCU earned the moniker "Dunk City" during their miracle NCAA Tournament run, and it's a style that carried over to USC. One potential snag is that the Trojans extended Enfield through the 2025-26 season after their Elite Eight run, but didn't announce it until Maryland expressed interest after firing Mark Turgeon.

Odds of becoming Louisville's next head coach: Low to Moderate. Enfield is an attractive option here for Louisville, but it doesn't help that we have no idea what Enfield's buyout is since USC is a private school. He also could be relatively low on the totem pole compared to other candidates like Kenny Payne or Mick Cronin, and interim AD Josh Heird has expressed that he does not want to wait long after Louisville's season is over to make a move.

Other Candidates:

(Photo of Andy Enfield: Kirby Lee - USA TODAY Sports)

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI
Instagram - @louisville_report

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter