Fight on.

Who says Tim Floyd is done with USC? He's certainly living the Trojan credo, even as he coaches at UTEP.

Wednesday night brought news of an incident -- another incident -- where the Miners' coach and members of his staff came close to blows with coaches for another team.

Not that Steve Alford and Andy Enfield aren't deserving targets of Floyd-tribution, but if you don't think UTEP's head coach walks around with a chip on his shoulder for his school then you haven't smelled the guacamole of wrath he dips it into.

According to Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis, Floyd took his most recent bite of that chip when he was approached by Enfield, USC's new coach, at a reception for the teams participating in the Battle for Atlantis. Enfield says it was so he could apologize to Floyd for his quote in the Men's Journal.

Remember that one? Better believe Floyd does. After the well-publicized accusation by Floyd that Enfield and staff had tampered with Miners' signee Isaac Hamilton, Enfield was chatting up a Trojans booster group saying Floyd, "shows up every day at work and realizes he lives in El Paso, Texas, and he's pissed off that he didn't get the USC job two months ago."

Enfield may have come to Floyd to apologize, but he quickly found out Floyd wasn't ready to let him. A finger-pointing, fire-breathing Floyd let Enfield have it to the point where USC assistant coaches stood behind the Miners' head man, which then got UTEP assistant and former Trojans interim coach Bob Cantu involved.

Davis saw and tweeted the whole thing.

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So much for apologies, then.

Remember, Hart was Hamilton's AAU coach and is alleged to be the culprit behind his change-of-heart; though it should be noted Hamilton has enrolled at UCLA.

Which brings to mind Floyd's other coach-on-coach incident. Two seasons ago before UTEP's first-round loss to New Mexico in the NIT, Floyd and his staff were incensed then-Lobos and current UCLA coach Steve Alford was cutting the Miners practice time and was alleged to have been scouting UTEP's practice in The Pit.

The confrontation got so out of control that Alford canceled the upcoming series between the teams during the off-season.

I won't defend Tim Floyd, here, although my bone of contention has nothing to do with morality or manners. It's just that giant tostada Floyd wears like an epaulet.

Floyd is hardly the first coach to have a problem with a peer, but two incidents in two years? It's almost like he's Wes Mantooth and his staff the Channel 9 Evening News team from Anchorman. Number two, looking to bring down number one.

That said, it's clear that Floyd takes almost literally that he's in a fight to keep UTEP's name -- and his own -- relevant. Relevant to college basketball. Relevant to college basketball recruits.

USC's shiny new coach uses his new-found fame to trash you, your school and your city? How will this look when the Miners go toe-to-toe with Enfield and Co. for the next Isaac Hamilton?

Other than striking a pose for the boosters, why else would Enfield say such things?

Hmm. Has something to prove. Always feels like his back is against the wall. Gets testy when someone condescends or criticizes.

Kind of reminds me of a city I know.

 

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