Conflicting report emerges on USC's interest in Jeff Fisher

Former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher was linked with the USC head coaching vacancy by the Action Network’s Brett McMurphy. A USC alum, Fisher, now 63, currently serves as an advisor at Tennessee State.

However, despite the obvious connection, conflicting reports surfaced Sunday night. According to Pac-12 insider Jon Wilner’s source, there is no fire behind the smoke.

“Jeff Fisher not a candidate for USC opening and won’t be,” posted Wilner.

Fisher played at USC from 1977-1980 before going on to be drafted by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He appeared in 49 games as a defensive back and return specialist in his five seasons with the Bears.

Jeff Fisher served as head coach of the Rams from 2012-2016. Prior to that, he served as head coach of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans from 1995-2010.

USC fired head coach Clay Helton two games into the 2021 season after a 48-28 loss to Stanford. Helton finished with a 46-24 record. But the Trojans were 19-15 since 2018 and have not won the Pac-12 since 2017. They went 2-3 in bowl games and have struggled to stay relevant on the national stage.

Another NFL coach in consideration

In addition to Jeff Fisher, another NFL name has emerged in the USC head coaching search. Long-time Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has been tied to potential college openings despite his current job security.

“Six letters for Steelers fans to be very concerned about…LSU, USC,” former executive Doug Whaley said. “Think about that. Both institutions can out-pay the Rooney’s. Their alumni base has enough money to give Mike Tomlin whatever he wants.”

Tomlin has been the coach at Pittsburgh since 2007. He has claimed one Super Bowl while making two appearances in that span. He holds a 146-79-1 career coaching record. Additionally, his teams has never finished below .500 on the season. This year, injuries caused the Steelers to start slow and they are currently 3-3 and in last place in the AFC North.

As one of the country’s top coaches, Tomlin can command the market by offering his services to NFL and college team’s alike over the offseason. With his proven record of team building, it makes sense why big schools would take a swing.

Other candidates from the USC job remain in conversation as well. Penn State head coach James Franklin, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell and Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell have remained at the center of all talks.