Hot Board: Next USC head coach (On3+)

oldrondavis

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Sep 6, 2021
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Instead of just throwing a bunch of names on a dartboard, let's look at which ones are actually viable and go from there:

  1. Fickell -- if nothing else, based on his prior relationship with Bohn. We can also pay him a lot more money and his buyout is next to nothing. Still and yet, you have to convince him and his wife that there is life outside the Midwest, and that might be a bridge too far
  2. Franklin -- has it good at PSU but knows he will always be sloppy seconds to tOSU. He also has a "Hollywood" personality and would be a good fit for the area (unlike a Chris Petersen). Even though he's from the East Coast he's not married to the area.
  3. Bobby Stoops -- unencumbered if nothing else. Will be there or thereabouts in the rankings but probably not a home run hire
  4. Joe Moorhead -- young, runs the kind of offense that most SC fans long for. From the Cristobal weed. Only making $900K at Oregon
  5. Joe Brady -- SoCal ties plus the Clemson weed
  6. Chris Petersen -- is this the time he decides he is not burned out after all? If nothing else, we get the discipline we have not had in years
  7. Kyle Whittingham -- Utah pretty much took him off the market with his last contract BUT he only knows coaching players nobody else wants and then coaches them up. Given our recruiting base, perhaps he turns into a different type of coach?
  8. Matt Campbell -- that would be a tough one. He's everybody's flavor of the month NOW but a couple of Helton-like seasons might bring him, and us, back down to earth
  9. Ryan Nielsen -- the "X" factor. Young, well-respected, on his way up the ladder in the NFL, some college coaching experience, and has ties to both the area and the school
  10. Dante Williams -- not based on anything other than Bohn has him in his back pocket in case 1-9 don't pan out. Unless Bohn has told him otherwise, we should consider him "auditioning" for the open position. It's not as if we have never made "expedient" hires in the past and then back-filled the justification. After a $10+M buyout, the salary we would probably pay him is refreshing. And then there is the issue of whether the new coach, if it is not Williams, keeps him.
Not viable:
  1. Urban -- he's still the same guy that Folt and Caruso blackballed at any price. Absolutely NO chance he could work within USC's corporate culture. He'd go Chernobyl and walk out the first time the Title IX office got involved with one of his players (which would probably be soon would based on the type of players he gets)
  2. Del Rio -- yeah, yeah, I know BIG defensive guy. Has never coached a single down at the college level. We need someone who can hit the ground running, not someone with a 2-3 year learning curve.
Whittingham!
 
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J4SC1975

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Aug 30, 2021
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Cristobal is @ the top of my list .

can recruit OL
OL is physical
Knows how to recruit the West coast
And program is on the up and up
Yes he is looking good, but he had a very good team last year, wouldn't have played in the Pac 12 championship game if not for COVID, played a good game against SC, and then lost the bowl game big time. I will wait until I see a full season out of him. Beating an Ohio State team which is having serious defense issues is not that big a deal. There are much better candidates.
 

J4SC75

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Aug 24, 2017
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Scott, how would you feel about Franklin? Would he be good for recruiting? Personally, I don’t think franklins good enough. Went 4-5 last year and his teams lose big games.
You have this season to watch. Big games start this weekend for Penn State - I plan to watch the game against Auburn.
 

Claypudding.

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Nov 13, 2018
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You have this season to watch. Big games start this weekend for Penn State - I plan to watch the game against Auburn.
Yeah, but unless he goes undefeated and wins the CFP, hard to forget a 4-5 season just last year.
 
Sep 7, 2021
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Everyone acts like Mario wouldn’t leave but Fickell is less likely to leave than him due that he is an Ohio guy and waiting for OSU. Plus just moved to Power 5 conference and will be considered favorites in that conference with easier path. Give me Cristobal all day everyday. Need a recruiter!!!
 

SCnAZ

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Aug 24, 2017
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This isn’t my choice but I believe Fickell will be our next HC. I will name my personal choice at a later date.
 
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1969Trojan

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Aug 24, 2017
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I have this posting in a previous thread. It seems relevant to include it here also. USC should not hire any coach who has a winning percentage bellow 70%. Several of the names suggested have winning percentage bellow this value. I think SC successful coaches like Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson I, and PC each had winning percentage above 70% at USC.
  • The head football coach at USC must have proven, successful head coaching experience. Promoting an offensive or defensive coordinator to this important decision is a major mistake. It is like hiring an AD who has no management experience in running an athletics department and we have seen two major mistakes like that at SC which almost destroyed the program and resulted in the situation we have now. Currently there is a pool of viable, qualified candidates that have successful head coaching experience. If we want to have a sold-out Coliseum, enthusiastic support from the “Trojan Family”, lucrative TV contracts, and money pouring into the program from our alumni and donors, then we must have a qualified, competitive, successful, and energetic football head coach. USC is a traditional college football powerhouse, and the program should stay like that. When I was studying in the East Cost in the early 1970s, I had a SC sticker in the back of my car. People who saw the sticker complimented me for being an alumnus of “the Great Western Football Factory.”
  • If my calculations are correct, Urban Meyer has a winning percentage of 85% and Bob Stoops, Nick Saban, Dabo Sweeney, and Chris Petersen each have a winning percentage of 80%. It seems Bob Stoops and Chris Petersen might be available and although Urban Meyer is a long shot, the search committee has four viable candidates in Meyer, Stoops, Petersen, and Luke Fickell. It is so imperative that the previous mistakes in hiring the football head coaches not be repeated.
 
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zitorocks

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FWIW this was discussed by Cowherd. Joe Brady is an interesting name. Deion Sanders????

IMG_3042.JPG
 

TrojanFireHorse12

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Aug 24, 2017
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I have this posting in a previous thread. It seems relevant to include it here also. USC should not hire any coach who has a winning percentage bellow 70%. Several of the names suggested have winning percentage bellow this value. I think SC successful coaches like Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson I, and PC each had winning percentage above 70% at USC.
  • The head football coach at USC must have proven, successful head coaching experience. Promoting an offensive or defensive coordinator to this important decision is a major mistake. It is like hiring an AD who has no management experience in running an athletics department and we have seen two major mistakes like that at SC which almost destroyed the program and resulted in the situation we have now. Currently there is a pool of viable, qualified candidates that have successful head coaching experience. If we want to have a sold-out Coliseum, enthusiastic support from the “Trojan Family”, lucrative TV contracts, and money pouring into the program from our alumni and donors, then we must have a qualified, competitive, successful, and energetic football head coach. USC is a traditional college football powerhouse, and the program should stay like that. When I was studying in the East Cost in the early 1970s, I had a SC sticker in the back of my car. People who saw the sticker complimented me for being an alumnus of “the Great Western Football Factory.”
  • If my calculations are correct, Urban Meyer has a winning percentage of 85% and Bob Stoops, Nick Saban, Dabo Sweeney, and Chris Petersen each have a winning percentage of 80%. It seems Bob Stoops and Chris Petersen might be available and although Urban Meyer is a long shot, the search committee has four viable candidates in Meyer, Stoops, Petersen, and Luke Fickell. It is so imperative that the previous mistakes in hiring the football head coaches not be repeated.
They aren't available, I can assure u of that. They've been pretty clear on that front.
 

ScottSchrader

WeAreSC Staff
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Aug 21, 2021
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@ScottSchrader what are your thoughts on Bill O'Brian? Pros and cons if hired. He has college and NFL coaching experience. He's learning from one of the best college head coaches in Nick Saban.
He's using Sark's offense at Alabama and I think we all like what that looks like with Alabama players.

But I wouldn't even consider him tbh. Need a dude who's going to make recruiting a priority and I believe Bill wants to return to the NFL. And let me be clear, I'm voicing an opinion based off very little knowledge.
 

oldrondavis

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Sep 6, 2021
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Personality and charisma will play a large part in success at USC.
What separates PC’s USC teams and other powers over the past 20 years is USC was far more fun and cool than any other program. Alabama, Georgia, tOSU all didn’t come close. The new USC coach will not only have to install the discipline, accountability and toughness that has been missing, but will have to bring back the fun and cool like PC did that made USC so freaking captivating. That’ll help beat out recruiting battles against the new SEC super conference.
I am not sure USC culture will allow throwing a dummy off the HH roof again.
 
Sep 13, 2021
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Kalen DeBoer from Fresno State should be a candidate, especially if he beats UCLA this weekend. He nearly upset Oregon with Fresno State talent. I'm impressed..
 

GilbertAZTrojan

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Aug 24, 2017
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How about we make a list of coaches that we have absolutely no chance of getting what so ever. The list includes, but is not limited to....

Nick Saban
Dabo Swinney
Jimbo Fischer
Kirby Smart
Bryan Harsin
Brian Kelly
Lincoln Riley
Ryan Day
Mario Cristobal (Uncle Phil isn't letting him go)

Once you remove those names, what are you left with besides....

Luke Fickell
Matt Campbell
James Franklin
Bill Napier
Chris Kleiman
Eric Bienemy
Etc....

It's not to say that anyone the list of realistic coaches couldn't come to USC and be great. But no one has a crystal ball and there's just no guarantee (outside of Nick Saban) that any of these guys will pay dividends on the investment.

Bohn knows that his legacy and career, as well as the immediate financial future of the PAC-12, are tied to this hire. With a decision this important, my guess is that Bohn will hitch his wagon to Luke Fickell if he wants to play it safe or if he wants to truly make USC the juggernaut that it can be and turn the financial tide of the entire PAC-12 around, then he will speak with his big money donors and back to Brinks truck up to Urban's house in Jacksonville.

I know Urban says he's not interested in the USC job but it's only week 1 of the NFL season. The guy is a complete ego maniac who will NEVER be able to handle losing 10-15 games a year. His health simply won't be able to handle that kind of stress.

As soon as Jacksonville is staring at 0-10 or 1-9, he'll be begging us to offer him a chance to get away from the nightmare he now finds himself in. He can come to USC and dominate this crappy conference the same way Ohio State and Oklahoma have dominated the BIG-10 and Big-12 respectively for the last decade.

Again, Fickell would be really nice but Urban is the pick until he hits USC with a restraining order to stay away from him and leave him alone.
 

Willlson!

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Aug 24, 2017
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I've been through too many SC Coaching Search Rodeos to dream about big names coming to LA. Here's my list of the guys I expect to be hired along with the chance percentage. Keep in mind I'm not favoring any of these coaches, these are just who I expect to be hired:

Donte Williams----30%
Jack Del Rio--------20%
Justin Wilcox------10%
Marvin Lewis------10%
Greg Schiano------10%
Ed Orgeron---------10%
Kris Richard--------10%
 

TrojanFireHorse12

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Aug 24, 2017
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I've been through too many SC Coaching Search Rodeos to dream about big names coming to LA. Here's my list of the guys I expect to be hired along with the chance percentage. Keep in mind I'm not favoring any of these coaches, these are just who I expect to be hired:

Donte Williams----30%
Jack Del Rio--------20%
Justin Wilcox------10%
Marvin Lewis------10%
Greg Schiano------10%
Ed Orgeron---------10%
Kris Richard--------10%
Why would it be 20% for Rio? let alone Wilcox, Schiano or Orgeron? lol
 
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tagteampkt

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Based on how this admin has operated so far, leaks/reports will not come from HH. Bohn has made it clear that he prefers to let the team/players know first re: personnel moves rather than via social media or other media. He’s emphasized that this is student-athlete-centric administration. That said, I have a feeling the reports that we hear will come from agents & outside sources or will be pure speculation. This hire will probably be made in silence - to the point where the coaches being considered will likely be told to vehemently deny any interest. Take what you all hear with a grain of salt - good, bad, or otherwise…
 

Willlson!

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Aug 24, 2017
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Why would it be 20% for Rio? let alone Wilcox, Schiano or Orgeron? lol
Del Rio gets a 1 in 5 probability because his name always comes up in an SC coaching search, it's been rumored each time he's interested, and he's currently not a HC in the league
 

Conquestluvr

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Aug 24, 2017
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I would put Bob Stoops near the bottom of my list because what first comes to mind is the whoopin giving to his team in the 2005 Orange bowl by PC.

I would fear a repeat performance if he gets USC to a big bowl game.
 

ILOVEFOOTBALL

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Aug 30, 2021
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Cristobal has to be the top choice. I also like James Franklin, Ed Ogeron, Lane Kiffin, Matt Campbell, and Herm Edwards. I place primary importance on recruiting and competitiveness.
 
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trojan.champ

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Aug 24, 2017
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From a recruiting perspective Franklin would be a home run hire. Not sure of much beyond that

He would be more of a CEO type Head Coach who allows their offensive coordinators to do the work. He can recruit but not sure if he can win big games. Last season he struggled. He only beat Ohio State one time. He has the personality to be great with the media.
 
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yah20002

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Aug 24, 2017
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I've been through too many SC Coaching Search Rodeos to dream about big names coming to LA. Here's my list of the guys I expect to be hired along with the chance percentage. Keep in mind I'm not favoring any of these coaches, these are just who I expect to be hired:

Donte Williams----30%
Jack Del Rio--------20%
Justin Wilcox------10%
Marvin Lewis------10%
Greg Schiano------10%
Ed Orgeron---------10%
Kris Richard--------10%
My wishes are for Donte to finish the season undefeated, get the permanent job, and go on a dynastic run. That would be the best case scenario.
 

TrojanFireHorse12

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Aug 24, 2017
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My wishes are for Donte to finish the season undefeated, get the permanent job, and go on a dynastic run. That would be the best case scenari
This makes no sense, he's never been a head coach...so you just want to repeat the same mistake over again? that's what i'm hearing. You have to be trolling.
 

J4SC1975

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Aug 30, 2021
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Sorry, I mean a "shot" as in - a chance to interview. Not a "shot" at the job.
Why interview him if he has no shot at the job? Almost impossible to judge him with an easy schedule for SC. Aside from ND and maybe UCLA, we have more talent and should win the rest. He needs to exceed expectations to be considered seriously.
 
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zitorocks

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Aug 24, 2017
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I can't see Mario taking a step back by going to usc
Lol...come on man. You've been smoking too much of that peyote. When it comes to well known top college football programs, Oregon is not in USC's stratosphere...just because we have had a string of ****** coaches due to horrible leadership in Heritage Hall does not mean Oregon has become a more prestigious program. USC would definitely be a step up from Oregon.
 

MongoSlade

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Aug 24, 2017
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I can't see Mario taking a step back by going to usc
“Taking a step back”?? That’s akin to having that type of recency bias attitude if they discussed a Clippers coach having the opportunity to move to the Lakers. Yes, the jewel of the conference has been down for quite some time and another program has been doing very well during that same period, but in what realistic world is going to USC taking a damn step backwards? Don’t be that guy. That’s just a stupid statement to make.
 
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