He Just Wasn’t Fit to Be Tied Down

There are two times to be skeptical at a news conference: whenever an athlete says it’s not about the money, and whenever a coach says it’s about health.

Rick Majerus cited health concerns for his abrupt give-back of the USC job Monday, only five days after he stood in the same room and said his health was fine, so now we can begin the guessing game for the real reason.

These heart issues can’t be examined with an electrocardiograph.

He had a serious change of heart, he had fear in his heart, or his heart simply wasn’t in it.

Perhaps he realized just how large the gap between expectations and reality was. He was brought in to be the savior, to elevate USC’s basketball program to the same level as UCLA’s. He revealed Monday that he wanted to take this school to the Final Four. With a new facility under construction on a campus in the middle of a top recruiting base, he wouldn’t have the built-in excuse for falling short he had at Utah. (There, he once regrettably joked, “There’s only 12,000 blacks in the whole state. You drive to Compton, you can find 12,000 blacks at a Rummage-a-Rama.”) And he would have started off with a roster next year that loses six players, including all of the big men.

Majerus said he hasn’t had any sudden health issues. He talked about how he swam 1 1/4 miles Monday morning and how he pedaled his bike 32 miles over the weekend. He said his doctors gave him clearance. But he said he didn’t think he could withstand the type of 18-hour days it would take to meet his standards.

“Right now I just can’t bring it,” Majerus said.

Of course, it makes you wonder why he came to that conclusion after he signed up to be USC’s next basketball coach.

“It all happened so quick,” Majerus said.

He was still running around doing work as an analyst for ESPN. Next thing he knew, he was on a plane from Philadelphia, where worked the Wake Forest-Temple game, out to L.A. “I didn’t give it a thought,” he said.

Majerus has always liked L.A., and this looked like his best chance to coach a major program here.

“I was blinded by this opportunity,” he said. Then, he realized, “I’d be doing them a disservice, I’d be doing myself a disservice.”

Health is the primary concern for anyone. It also tends to be a convenient excuse for any coach who craves a change.

It has been more than 10 years -- and three coaching jobs -- since Bill Parcells left the New York Giants because of health issues.

Dick Vermeil left a Super Bowl champion team in St. Louis because of his health in early 2000. He was back on the sidelines in Kansas City for the 2001 season.

And do you really believe Hubie Brown’s condition deteriorated that much between the end of last season, when he was coach of the year and his Memphis Grizzlies made their first playoff appearance in franchise history, and last month, when the team was struggling to a losing record?

For a couple of guys who’d just been left standing at the altar, USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett and senior associate athletic director Daryl Gross sure seemed comfortable and filled with praise for the runaway bride.

“Rick is such a genuine person,” Garrett said.

“He’s just a genuine guy,” Gross said.

Actually, Majerus did come across as genuine. Genuinely remorseful, genuinely concerned -- and genuinely confused. He rambled in his opening statement and couldn’t give a definitive answer when asked whether he would coach again. We know he won’t get another opportunity for any program that considers itself big-time. No self-respecting school can afford the risk of getting stood up like this.

Majerus must know this, which is one reason he almost came to tears at a couple of points Monday. This was, essentially, his retirement speech from any of the top jobs.

And what about his successor?

The key lesson USC should learn is not to rush to find a replacement.

There shouldn’t be a need to get this done before Gross leaves for his new job as the athletic director at Syracuse. They might be better off waiting for Gross to leave. A coach needs to have “his guys” in place, so why have a man on his way out sit in on hiring interviews?

They can wait out the rest of the season for Pepperdine Coach Paul Westphal, the former USC hoops star whose laid-back demeanor would be a perfect complement to the revved-up Pete Carroll.

Perhaps by March, Jim Saia will show he’s up to the task.

Apparently there’s still interest in Tim Floyd, but while they’re talking to him they should ask about his assistant with the New Orleans Hornets last season, Alvin Gentry.

Gentry, a former NBA head coach who is an assistant for the Phoenix Suns, is interested in the job. Carroll’s path could serve as his model. Like Carroll, Gentry didn’t win much as a head coach in the pros, but his great personality would make ideal for recruiting and schmoozing with the alumni and boosters, two key components of college success.

USC won’t find anyone who can match Majerus’ understanding of college basketball strategies. At least next time they could get someone who has an understanding of himself.

J.A. Adande can be reached at [email protected]. To read previous columns by Adande, go to latimes.com/adande.