Fri, Feb 27, 2004 page24

• USC losses become difficult to live with but Bibby will stay

  • NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE
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  First, a little news. USC coach Henry Bibby will not be fired after the season, according to an athletic department administrator.

  "I think Henry's done a good enough job to warrant another year," said Daryl Gross, a senior associate athletic director. "Why shouldn't he be back next year? If Pete Carroll were 4-7, everyone would be off his bandwagon."

  That's likely to produce more than a few one-handed claps from some of the sturdy few who follow USC basketball, less than thrilled with the Trojans' 11-13 record this season, or 24-30 mark the past two seasons.

  And it leads to a natural follow-up question. If Bibby has done a good enough job to warrant another season, why is his contract scheduled to expire after next season? Imagine the uproar if Carroll's contract had only one more season?

  "He has a contract. I always get confused when in this sport people always talk about [contract] extensions," Gross said. "That part I don't get at all. It's not a situation where he'll be coaching without a contract."

  But in college basketball, it's extremely unusual for a coach's contract simply to run its course without an extension, or the coach being fired, unless you're at a school like Cal State Fullerton. If nothing else, contracts sometimes are extended to prevent the coach's future from being an issue with recruits.

  But Bibby, in his eighth full season at USC, claims he's not concerned about his contract, and although his future might be in doubt, he appears more at ease than in previous years.

  "I'm more relaxed than I've ever been. I'm very comfortable," Bibby said. "I'm not worried about [the contract]. That's all past me. I've proven myself against the best coaches in the country."

  Although Bibby always has been considered an enigma with fans, this season seems to have polarized them more than ever. Although Bibby led USC to its first Elite Eight appearance since 1954, there's not exactly an overwhelming amount of support for him, even at the local Trojans clubs, which are comprised of the most interested boosters.

  "I don't care about fan criticism," Bibby said. "Fans don't coach. We just need more to come out. Stop coaching and come out to the game."

  Those comments are unlikely to produce a stampede to the Sports Arena, where USC averages an announced crowd of 5,220 per game.

  One of the more knowledgeable observers of the situation is former Crescenta Valley High star Bill Boyd. He played at USC from 1973 to 1976 and his father, Bob, is probably considered the best coach in USC history, guiding the Trojans from 1967 to 1979.

  "It is frustrating knowing what could be and can be in comparison to what the program is doing," Bill Boyd said. "The issue is consistency. The program is a program that can attract a coach that can deliver consistency.

  "The program has had great athletes and we occasionally beat higher-ranked teams, but the lack of consistency in the team and the coaching directly results in losses to North Carolina-Wilmington, Penn and Washington State."

  Boyd also bristles at Bibby's habit of criticizing players.

  "It seems that when there is a failure to maximize their potential, it's the players' fault," Boyd said. "When they win over a higher-ranked opponent, it's the coach.

  "I would prefer he conduct himself in a manner consistent with some of the other coaches in the conference who seem not to blame their players for the lack of leadership. My feeling is it's the coach who takes responsibility for leadership values."
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