Wildcats keep looking after Floyd spurns offer

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) " The search goes on for a basketball coach at Arizona, and the person who eventually gets the job will know he wasn't the first choice.

Southern California coach Tim Floyd's spurning of an offer to replace Hall of Famer Lute Olson is the latest development in what's been an awkward couple of years for a program that once ranked among the elite in the nation.

"I don't' have any comment at this point in time," Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood said Thursday shortly after Floyd told reporters in Los Angeles that he was staying with the Trojans.

Just where Livengood goes from here is open to speculation. The Wildcats want a high-profile coach and reportedly were willing to pay in the $2 million per year range.

That and Arizona's history of 25 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances weren't enough to entice Floyd from USC. Floyd said he entertained the offer because of the "elite" status of the program.

There are rumors galore about which big-name coaches already have said they aren't interested in the job.

It's unknown whether Oklahoma's Jeff Capel is or ever was in the picture. There have been several published reports this week that he had not been contacted by Arizona. Gonzaga's Mark Few reportedly was approached but was not interested.

Even John Calipari was mentioned before he took the job at Kentucky.

That left Memphis looking for a new coach. So is Georgia.

The new coach in Tucson would be met with a program bereft of talent after the likely departure to the NBA of juniors Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill from a team that finished 21-14 and made a surprise run to the Midwest Regional semifinals before being routed by Louisville. Junior guard Nic Wise also might not return.

The uncertain coaching situation pretty much ruined the last two recruiting seasons and the new coach will find many of this year's top high school players already committed elsewhere.

But he will inherit big support from the community. The Wildcats led the Pac-10 in attendance at McKale Center.

Russ Pennell coached last season on an interim basis with the knowledge that he was just filling in until a bigger-named coach could be hired after the season ended.

Olson coached at Arizona for 24 years but hasn't been on the job for two seasons. He took a leave of absence for the 2006-07 season with the plan to return in 2008. But just before the season was to begin, Olson announced his retirement for health reasons.

When Olson was honored at halftime of a game late in the season, he told the crowd, "This is a basketball town. Let's keep it that way."