Sources: SMU targeting USC’s Enfield as coach

SMU is targeting Andy Enfield for the school’s basketball job, sources told ESPN.

Enfield has been the focus of the search for days, but sources indicated that a deal isn’t expected to be finalized imminently. Sources indicated that SMU’s search is solely focused on Enfield at this point, as the school isn’t engaged with other candidates. It could take days to resolve and finalize the hire.

SMU initially reached out to Enfield over the weekend, as the school has been looking to make a splashy hire in the wake of firing Rob Lanier after just two seasons. Lanier went 20-13 this season, but SMU’s brass wanted someone who could deliver an immediately competitive team in the ACC.

Enfield has been the coach at USC for 11 seasons, going 261-175 with five NCAA tournament appearances. Enfield’s profile includes the power conference résumé that SMU is seeking, as he had reached three straight NCAA tournaments before going 15-18 this season.

SMU will enter the ACC next season, a move that is based in part on the school’s financial prowess. Its location in the talent-rich Dallas market, combined with the new league affiliation, hints at the job’s potential.

The expected opening at USC will mark the first marquee hire for first-year athletic director Jennifer Cohen, who took over in August. She’ll be recruiting candidates to a Big Ten job, as USC enters that league for the 2024-25 school year.

USC has a modest basketball history and hasn’t reached the Final Four since 1954.