He is a lifer D coach and the first D coach as head coach since King Pete. All the rest of the awful gang of three since have been O minded, both as players and as coaches since before forever, and thus have never known the first thing about HITTING or even the importance of HITTING both in practice and in games. I'll just bet there has at least been more hitting, such an essential thing, on HJ field this very week than at any time in the last decade. Thus I expect an immediate upgrade in the way we play D, even so soon as this coming Saturday. It will also better prepare our O guys to the reality of HITTING, and thus of the realities of true football. In fierce hitting lies pride as a football player. Hitting IS football. Otherwise you are NOT playing football at all, only some wussy simulacrum of football. All make believe. This especially was the greatest fault of Clay. Make believe football. No killer instinct. No instinct for the jugular but rather for the capillaries. Ding dong the witch is dead. FIGHT THE HELL ON.
One thing I hugely like about Donte. He is a D minded coach.
- Thread starter eftzoons
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And I like that he is a disciplinarian as well. But that doesn't mean he is ready for the spotlight yet. I'm thinking he may be retained by whomever we hire with an eye toward taking the DC spot soon.
Either had Dabo Swinney or every other coach who has ever gotten his first job.
Exactly. He may be a great one some day, but we can’t have another 5-7 year trial period to see if he has the right stuff. We’ve been through that and USC fans are done.
If Donte somehow wins out, makes the CFP, does well there and at least sniffs the NC, then he’s forced USC’s hand and congrats to Donte. But that’s next to impossible for an Interim HC with no HC experience and with someone else’s staff.
USC has to get it right this time. No more experiments and training on the job.
True. But for every Dabo, there’s 20 (or more) Helton’s.
There are no guarantees with any HC, but we need to maximize this opportunity and find the guy with the best chance of restoring USC football to greatness.
I tend to think we're at a point where we need to go big and cannot afford, given the last three hires and what's happening nationally, to have another 'learn on the job' type person in the role. There's too much on the line for the future of USC, the P-12, and CFB nationally for USC to whiff again.
Donte is great - and I'd love to have him here for many years/hope the new HC will retain him - but we need a guy who's run a program before to lead.
Donte is great - and I'd love to have him here for many years/hope the new HC will retain him - but we need a guy who's run a program before to lead.
Let's not forget, a huge part of the equation is recruiting. There is a reason Alabama is so good every year they get the best players. We know Donte can recruit, we do not know about many of the other coaches mentioned. If he coaches well for the remainder, do not see why not to consider him
Kirby Smart
Luke Fickell
Ryan Day
Dave Aranda
Jamey Chadwell
Tom Allen
Manny Diaz
All currently ranked ahead of USC. (Baylor isn't top 25 either but they are 2-0)
Umm, doesn't Orlando coach the D? Do you think he doesn't preach "hitting?" Or do you think Helton told him "Hey make sure you run marshmallow practices, 'kay?" and Orlando said "Sure thing, boss!"
Soft practices were Clay's history fer sure under Clancy, who seemed completely disinterested in actually coaching the players, but Orlando doesn't strike me as a coach who doesn't believe in physical play.
And you seem to be positive about Donte - um, again, don't you think he would have coached his unit to "hit"? Or is he another one who was cowed by Helton's demand for soft practices? So now that Helton's gone he'll get the boys to hit?
Helton had many many many faults, but you've got to put some of the blame on the coaches and yes, even the players. The key attribute in a new coach should be someone who holds his staff and team ACCOUNTABLE. Clay's inability to do that was his critical fault.
USC cannot afford to take another chance on elevating an assistant to head coach. We tried this with Helton and it failed.
I love Donte and I am sure that any new coach would want Donte on his staff, yet Donte needs to climb the ladder, become a DC and then become a Head Coach at a smaller school to prove himself. Then, based on his success at that smaller school, he can put himself into contention for the USC head coaching position, if it is open.
We don't have the luxury of taking a chance on Donte. We have been irrelevant for over 10 years. Do you think any other top school would poach Donte as their next head coach?
Lastly, we need to change the culture from Kiffin/Sark/Helton. Helton was still continuing the culture from Kiffin and Sark. Donte would probably keep some of that culture. Bring in a Matt Campbell or Luke Fickell and the culture will dramatically change. This isn't a knock on Donte, yet sometimes you need to blow up the culture to install a new one.
We need a qualified, successful, experience head football coach.
I love Donte and I am sure that any new coach would want Donte on his staff, yet Donte needs to climb the ladder, become a DC and then become a Head Coach at a smaller school to prove himself. Then, based on his success at that smaller school, he can put himself into contention for the USC head coaching position, if it is open.
We don't have the luxury of taking a chance on Donte. We have been irrelevant for over 10 years. Do you think any other top school would poach Donte as their next head coach?
Lastly, we need to change the culture from Kiffin/Sark/Helton. Helton was still continuing the culture from Kiffin and Sark. Donte would probably keep some of that culture. Bring in a Matt Campbell or Luke Fickell and the culture will dramatically change. This isn't a knock on Donte, yet sometimes you need to blow up the culture to install a new one.
We need a qualified, successful, experience head football coach.
Recruiting is important, but it’s not the only thing. The recruiting has to translate to winning at the highest level on the field, or it means very little. Sark and Kiffen are both great recruiters and did so at USC, but their product on the field was not good enough.
Alabama is so good every year because Saban is the best HC in CFB history and he knows how to win. A big part of that is indeed getting the best players, but they generally get their choice of the best players because they are winning, and because Saban develops and gets players to the NFL.
I don’t think John McKay had been an HC before SC either.
Nor JRob1, and there are just as many failures in coaches who move up in divisions, or come from mid-major schools. LA has a bright light that shines on their coaches, a media that loves to second guess, and scott wolf… it’s not for everyone.
This is literally the only box he doesn’t check and judging from Bohn’s interviews, that’s a deal-breaker. Otherwise, there’s plenty to like about Donte.
I wouldn’t say it’s the only box he doesn’t check. There’s some boxes that we just don’t have enough information or history to check just yet.
I see a lot of upside with Donte. But I see the risk as being too great to turn the reins over to him beyond the interim position. He hasn’t even held a coordinator position yet, much less been an HC. I’m concerned that he’s too green and inexperienced to invest the next 5 years to see if he has the right stuff.
I definitely support looking at an experienced HC. But I also do not want us just hiring some retread either. If we cannot get a guy out of our top 5 guys with successful national (or superbowl) championship experience why not stay with Donte if he runs the table? I'd rather have the guy who we know what we are getting than rolling the dice on our 6th, 7th, 10th choice which will likely be a has-been, or someone who has zero experience coaching on this type of stage. I think being the interim coach the rest of this season combined with his previous experience, Donte is the equivalent of a mid to low-tier power five coach as far as being in the frying pan experience.
Just a question? Would the job harbaugh is doing at michigan be good enough here?
In my mind it isn’t even close. Yet he checks every box.
There also hundreds of guys who had been coordinators or even head coaches who flopped and were fired.
I get what you are saying, but I just don’t think it’s a deal breaker in today’s game.
I also doubt anyone, Donte or whoever, will get even three years, let alone 5-7 to prove themselves
Bohn needs to find a particular man for a particular job in the here and now. There is no way of knowing what his resume will look like. Limiting the candidates by Imposing an arbitrary litmus test is wrong headed and destructive.
Don’t underestimate the the Mormon factor in recruiting at Utah, whether it’s in Utah, California or Hawaii
Agree. No way I would want Harbaugh over Donte at this point. You know what you're getting with Harbaugh...Donte could not be worse that much I am sure of.
My guess is that they told Donte from the get go not to get his hopes up and that they would be hiring from the outside. I also believe that Donte would have to do just that, run the table, to get the job.
But if Donte does run the table from this point, which would either mean winning a New Years Six bowl, or more likely making the CFP, and is competitive in the CFP, I believe he will have won himself the job.
Due respect, but I think it will take less than that since we all know where this team is and is not. Most are seeing this as a total rebuild situation. Dabo, Urban, Saban might be the only coaches who could get this team to a New Years Six bowl game. If he gets us there, win or lose in the bowl game...I wouldn't be disappointed if they gave him the job. He will have shown he is not, in fact, learning on the job. He has the moxie and leadership ability to elevate the performances of everyone around him....and be an elite recruiter. I hope he told Mrs. Williams that he will see her in January.
Where did I say I’m pushing for him to get the gig? I simply don’t believe it’s a deal breaker is all.If it is for you, then fine.Exactly. Off the cuff response from a guy who says he’s not pushing for DW to get the gig.
Stop putting words in my mouth.
There are no guarantees that anyone who has been mentioned would be a home run hire.
Not even sure any of them could do it. People seem to forget Saban lost to Louisiana Monroe his first year at Bama.
I fully agree that most see this as a rebuild situation. I just don’t think it’s their intention for Donte to do the rebuilding and that they already have their HC in mind. I believe the only way Donte gets the job is by winning out and looking good doing it. I agree, thats a mighty tall order that is extremely unlikely to happen.
Of course, it’s all speculation and I don’t know with any certainty what it would take for Donte to win the job. But if he did win out, I’d be all for him getting the job.
I doubt it either. I used to say 3-5 years till Helton came along and stretched it.
I can even see a team with similar stature to Colorado taking a chance on him. Although, I’m sure Bohn will do whatever it takes to keep him on staff.
So you’re saying you would Hire Tee Martin and Tosh Lupoi as your next head coach? Just because they can recruit?
and beat Arizona, WSU, Oregon State, Colorado with a superior 4 and 5 star roster? That’s so ridiculous almost every SEC coach can recruit. Dan Lanning and Dell Magee @ Georgia can recruit. The entire Alabama and Clemson staff can recruit. We’re on the West Coast Oregon’s whole staff can recruit. People act like Donte is the only guy out there that can recruit!! That’s insane. Mario Cristobal is eating our lunch right now in recruiting that OL he recruited did a number on OSU. BTW USC is getting smoked in recruiting outside of the top 25? Firing Helton and not knowing who the next coach will be is not going to make that any easier. Watch Jimmy Lake at Washington who is a mirror image of D Williams if that doesn’t scare you nothing will. Jimmy lake took a playoff team and made them bottom feeder in 2 years. Petersen left him a treasure trove of players.All I’m saying is after a decade of waiting for learning on the job coaches to figure it out it’s time for a safer bet.
Go out and get a Legit HC with a proven track record. They have already worked out the quirks and took the loses elsewhere.
I’ve been out because of Clay Helton so I guess do whatever? This is going to be fun watching the fan base explode if Bohn hires another project coach and he starts taking losses he shouldn’t.
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Yeah, despite most not planning on Donte being the next permanent HC, “running the table” by definition means he doesn’t lose ANY games. Enthusiasm, rankings, and recruiting returns in a big way…..THAT very likely changes the scenario. I’m sure most would agree with that.
Short of that, though……
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