LOS ANGELES — USC will introduce former Utah coach Rick Majerus as its next basketball coach Wednesday after reaching a contract agreement, sources told both ESPN and the Los Angeles Daily News.
The 56-year-old Majerus would succeed Henry Bibby, who was fired last week. He would not start coaching the Trojans until after the season, allowing interim coach Jim Saia to finish the year. USC is 3-3 this year and earlier defeated BYU 87-82.
Majerus is currently an analyst with ESPN but will be forced to resign immediately now that he's been hired at USC. One source said the buyout could be worth as much as $500,000.
Majerus agreed to a five-year deal with USC, sources said. Former UNLV coach Bill Bayno, who currently works for the Portland Trial Blazers, is a possibility for an assistant coaching job.
During his 15 years at Utah, Majerus won 323 games and lost 95, for a .773 winning percentage. He quit last January after a loss at Air Force, citing health problems, when the Utes were 15-5.
He made 10 trips to the NCAA tournament and one trip to the Final Four in 1998, when the Utes lost to Kentucky in the finals. Four of his teams advanced to the Sweet 16. In his 19-year career, which also included stops at Marquette and Ball State, Majerus averaged 21 victories per season.
Majerus moved to a hotel in Santa Barbara, but currently lives in a hotel in Milwaukee to be near his mother. When he coached at Utah, he lived at the University Park Marriott during his entire 15-year tenure.
Over the years Majerus has enjoyed southern California and spent a lot of time there. He recently tried to buy a house in Santa Monica but lost out on a bid by actress Shannon Doherty, according to the L.A. Daily News. The paper said he also interviewed for the UCLA job two years ago when current coach Ben Howland got the job.