Majerus bails out on USC

LOS ANGELES — Three days after being hired as the new basketball coach at Southern California, Rick Majerus backed out of the deal and will stay at ESPN as a college basketball analyst.

"Rick expressed to us that he had a change of heart and wondered if the possibility still existed for him to work for ESPN. And it does," ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said Saturday night. "We told him he could (return)."

Majerus, who cited health reasons when he retired in January after 15 seasons as Utah's coach, was announced as the Trojans' incoming coach Wednesday. He was to assume the post on April 1.

"We plan to meet with Rick on Monday. Until then, there's really nothing we can say," USC athletic director Mike Garrett said in a statement.

USC spokesman Tim Tessalone said the meeting had already been planned.

Until taking over in April, Majerus was supposed to serve on the staff and work on recruiting, filling the assistant's job vacated when Jim Saia was promoted to interim coach after Henry Bibby's firing.

At a campus news conference following his hiring, the 56-year-old Majerus said he wasn't worried about his health.

"My health is good or I wouldn't do this," he said. "Both my doctors encouraged me to do it. I wouldn't put anyone, least of all myself, in harm's way."

Saia last saw Majerus over dinner Wednesday night, when they discussed the program's future. Majerus had soup and salad for dinner and kept apples in his hotel room, Saia said.

"He asked a lot of questions about the staff and players coming back. He just wanted to get a feel from me," Saia told The Associated Press on Saturday night, his voice still hoarse from USC's earlier victory over Western Michigan.

But something apparently changed overnight Wednesday.

Majerus canceled a Thursday morning meeting with assistant coach Bob Cantu, then canceled dinner that night with assistant Eric Brown, Saia said. On Friday, Majerus canceled a meeting with the players who would still be eligible next season. He talked to the team briefly Wednesday after being introduced as the new coach.

Saia said there were no reasons given for the cancellations.

"He left a message on my cell Friday night saying he wanted to go back to Milwaukee and spend the holidays with his family and mother," Saia said. "He said he'd see me after Christmas."