USC hires father of top recruits to replace Bland


On Saturday, USC officially filled a basketball assistant coaching vacancy left by Tony Bland’s firing in January. Head coach Andy Enfield announced the hiring of Eric Mobley on the USC athletics website. Mobley previously coached on the local Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit.

“We are excited to add Eric to our coaching staff,” Enfield said in an official statement. “He brings to our program a wealth of playing and coaching experience at a variety of levels. He is an outstanding coach and a terrific person.”

Mobley will replace Bland, who was arrested by the FBI on charges of bribery in September 2017. Mobley’s hire, however, did not come without its fair share of controversy. His two sons, Isaiah and Evan, are both high-profile recruits at Rancho Christian High School in Temecula, Calif. 247Sports lists Isaiah as a four-star prospect and Evan as a five-star. Many on social media regard the hire as a way to ensure both sons end up playing for USC.

The hire mirrors Missouri’s decision to bring on Michael Porter Sr. as an assistant coach before the 2017 season, and subsequently sign his son, five-star recruit Michael Porter Jr. Porter Jr. declared for the NBA Draft on Monday.

This past season, Mobley coached Evan on the Compton Magic AAU 16U team, while Isaiah competed on the U17 team. According to USC, Mobley has coached AAU programs for over a decade.

In Bland’s absence, Director of Scouting Martin Bahar served as interim assistant coach for the entirety of the 2017-18 season. Bahar will return to his previous role next season.