Trojans’ Saia Knows Pressure

HONOLULU —  Jim Saia said he has been through worse, so even a roller-coaster start at USC isn’t enough to dampen his mood.

The interim basketball coach remained energetic during the Trojans’ firing of Henry Bibby after four games, the hiring and resignation of Rick Majerus and, now, the apparent courting of Tim Floyd for the job Saia still hopes to fill permanently.

He has received high marks from players and the other holdovers from Bibby’s staff, having convinced the Trojans that their situation isn’t insurmountable despite the presence of major off-court distractions.

Saia knows how to work under pressure after serving as an assistant at UCLA for seven years, and coping skills have served him well this season. The Trojans followed his lead Tuesday night into Hawaii’s Rainbow Classic and defeated Indiana State, 68-64. Freshman Gabe Pruitt led USC with 16 points.

The Trojans were eager to get back to basketball.

“We just want to get out on the court and have some fun,” sophomore guard Lodrick Stewart said before the game. “There’s a lot of stuff going on, but we’re going to have fun and just try to go out and win these games. That’s what Coach just keeps telling us: Focus on the court.”

That’s how Saia has held it together during a tumultuous time.

Athletic Director Mike Garrett fired Bibby on Dec. 6 and named Saia, who joined Bibby’s staff in September, to lead the team for the rest of the season. Majerus was introduced as the new coach last Wednesday and resigned Monday, saying his health isn’t strong enough for a high-pressure position.

Coaches and players expressed relief that the Majerus situation did not cast a shadow over the team longer, but it was another distraction.

And despite apparently rushing to hire Majerus and getting burned, Garrett and Daryl Gross, a senior associate athletic director and point man on the search, are quickly pursuing another high-profile coach. Floyd, whose greatest success occurred at Iowa State, is the Trojans’ new top candidate to replace their previous top candidate, and an agreement could be reached soon, sources said.

Saia has heard the buzz, but he said the team deserves his complete attention.

“I’m really not paying a lot of attention to what’s being written because there’s nothing I can do about that,” Saia said. “What I have to focus on is the thing that I can control: just coaching a basketball team.

“I’m in Hawaii, the weather is beautiful and I’ve got great kids on my team. We get great meals and we’ve got first-class travel, so life is good. You just have to appreciate it and live in the moment.”

Of course, that’s not to say Saia is ambivalent about the permanent position.

“I don’t know what my chances are, but I would imagine it’s at least a chance,” he said. “I’m not saying that I’ve got a great chance now, I’m just saying it’s a chance.

“I was an administrative assistant 5 1/2 months ago and now I’m a head coach, so go figure. I really feel that because of the UCLA situation, of what we went through those seven years, that I’m very, very prepared for this type of situation.”

Saia, 40, was a UCLA assistant until Steve Lavin was fired after the 2002-03 season. He said Lavin and the staff were always under pressure, so he’s ready for anything.

“There was constantly something going on; every year there was something there,” said Saia, out of a full-time job until Bibby hired him.

“Steve was very positive and very calm at UCLA with all the things, so I drew from how Steve handled it. All those things that we had to deal with on a national level prepared me for this situation.”