On Monday night, USC signed Florida Gulf Coast University coach Andy Enfield to a six-year contract. Enfield orchestrated one of the biggest Cinderella stories in March Madness history, as he coached the #15-seeded Eagles to the Sweet 16. 

The hire came three days after UCLA hired University of New Mexico's coach Steve Alford to lead their team. Enfield will be introduced as USC's basketball coach in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. USC's coaching search had lasted for almost three months after firing Kevin O'Neill in January. 

However, despite UCLA having the more prestigious basketball program, USC made the smarter hire regarding their next basketball coach. 

Enfield took over a Florida Gulf Coast basketball program right before their first season of Division I eligibility. He had to make the most with a team filled with zero-star recruits. While FGCU had a losing season during Enfield's first season as the coach, they were just one win away from making the NCAA tournament. However, they lost to Belmont in the Atlantic Sun Championship. 

MORE: Why Enfield Makes Sense At USC

In 2013, Enfield made a name out of himself and the Florida Gulf Coast University basketball program. He led FGCU to a 26-11 record, including a win over University of Miami in their fifth game of the season and a win over Mercer in the Atlantic Sun Championship to send them into the NCAA Tournament.

Once they made the tournament, the madness really began. The Eagles became the seventh No. seed to defeat a No. 2 seed ever, after they destroyed Georgetown in the second round. Then, they became the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16 after they beat San Diego State in the following round. Florida Gulf Coast captured the nation's hearts and were proclaimed as "Dunk City". 

Athletic Director Pat Haden and USC took a risk hiring Enfield. He compiled a 41-28 record over his two seasons coaching. A major reason why they hired him was because of those two March Madness wins. Had FGCU lost to Mercer in the Atlantic Sun Championship this season, no one would have even heard of Enfield. 

Yet, USC is trying to revitalize their basketball program. Enfield's uptempo basketball style will fill up seats at Galen Center. Also, if Enfield can create results with a startup Division I basketball program in just two seasons, returning USC to prominence should be an attainable task for him. 

And the best part is, they won the coaching battle against crosstown rival UCLA.

MORE: USC Basketball Hires Florida Gulf Coast's Enfield As Head Coach 

UCLA hired Alford 10 days after Alford signed a 10-year extension with the University of New Mexico. He said at the time, "There is no place I would rather coach than at University of New Mexico." He backstabbed his team, his incoming recruits and an entire community by taking the job in Westwood. 

The thing is, why would UCLA sign Alford to a 10-year contract? This is a guy who's had the same number of Sweet 16 appearances as Enfield (one), despite coaching for 16 more seasons. In fact, Enfield only has three fewer NCAA tournament victories than Alford does! While Enfield's FGCU squad had two major upsets, Alford's teams have the reputation of getting upset very early on in the tournament. 

Additionally, Alford runs a similarly paced offensive system as former coach Ben Howland. Alford is a defensive-minded coach, and his New Mexico team this past season ranked 239th in possessions per 40 minutes. With Andy Enfield's high-flying offense happening across town, the tickets sold between the two schools could be comparable. Also, if a recruit is choosing between USC and UCLA, playing for "Dunk City" compared to "Clunk City" could be a huge advantage for the Trojans. 

Enfield is a rising star who could give USC its golden age in basketball. Alford was a decent hire, but he doesn't have the home run potential that Enfield has. Pac-12 basketball fans should look forward to what should be a great rivalry in the years to come. 

Reach Associate Sports Editor Max Meyer by email, or follow him on Twitter.