To the delight of many Southern Cal fans, USC is issuing in a new era in their glorious history.
Early Sunday morning USC Athletic Director Pat Haden did the inevitable and fired head coach Lane Kiffin after a humiliating 41-62 loss to Arizona State. No one is shedding a tear for Kiffin though. The writing was on the wall last season after the Trojans went from a No. 1 pre-season ranking to a 7-6 record and a loss in the Sun Bowl. Plus, he is probably the most hated coach in college football and in NFL circles and has done his part in burning many bridges.
Bad character is easy to overlook if you’re winning but going 28-15 five games into your fourth season will get you fired at a place like USC.
Due to severe sanctions from the NCAA the past few years, USC has been an embarrassment and has fallen into the cellar, leaving the Trojans yearning for a return to the glory days they had under former coach Pete Carroll. So in a search for the Trojan’s new savior, there will be no shortage of money in an attempt to land a home-run hire and the interview process will be long and thorough. USC can’t risk messing up this golden opportunity.
It is inevitable that every coach will be mentioned as a possibility to come to Los Angeles to replace Kiffin. There has already been a ton of speculation and every ‘hot’ coaching name and every up and comer has already been tossed around. We’re going to help you sort through the mess and give you the best names and most likely coaches to be given the opportunity to lead the cardinal and gold back to the promised land.
Joshua Caudill is a writer for CraveOnline Sports, a surfing enthusiast, a miserable Bills fan, and an expert on all things Patrick Swayze. You can follow him on @JoshuaCaudill85.
USC New Head Coach Candidates
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Bobby Petrino
Western Kentucky HC
There is no denying that Petrino is a solid coach and runs an exciting offensive system. He lead Louisville and Arkansas to BCS bowls and turned those programs into football powers. However, he is a walking PR nightmare and USC would take a pounding for hiring Petrino after his exit from Arkansas, where he was fired after committing adultery with a staff member while misusing school funds and then lying about it. So he's a looooooooooong shot, but then again, USC did hire Kiffin.
(Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
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Charlie Strong
Louisville HC
Strong would be an incredible hire due to his impressive performance as an assistant coach at Florida under Urban Meyer and due to the tremendous job he is doing at Louisville. Strong, a defensive specialist, has Louisville's defense ranked No. 1 in points allowed with an average of only 6.8 ppg through the first four games of the season. Strong is probably one of the hottest names in college football right now after Louisville's Sugar Bowl victory over Florida last season and a current top ten ranking.The only drawback is that Strong isn't a Pac 12 guy. He doesn't recruit the west coast that well. His recruiting hot spot is the Florida area and that is why he probably won't be accepting any offers to move to L.A.
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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James Franklin
Vanderbilt HC
Franklin's name has already been tossed around as a possible replacement according to sources and who could blame Haden if he went this route? Franklin has Vanderbilt, a perennial doormat in the SEC, being competitive. In his first two seasons, Franklin lead the Commodores to back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time in the school's history and capped off an impressive 2012 season with a 9-4 record and Music City Bowl victory. If offered, Franklin wouldn't even hesitate to accept but there are better options out there for the Trojans.
(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
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Steve Sarkisian
Washington Huskies HC
The California native and former BYU QB was a former assistant for the Trojans during one of their most dominant eras. He worked under legend, Pete Carroll, and that has to score some points with the USC brass. Sarkisian inherited a winless Washington team in 2009 and has lead them to three straight bowl appearances and has the Huskies 4-0 for the first time in ages. If the Huskies can continue to win and maybe upset Stanford or Oregon, he will move up towards the top of the Trojans' list.
(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
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Kevin Sumlin
Texas A&M HC
Perhaps the trendiest name in coaching circles. Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin would be a fantastic choice to take over in Los Angeles. Not only is he a great recruiter, he has turned Texas A&M into a national power and given us Johnny Manziel, which all of us should be thankful for. Sumlin's Texas A&M squad is No. 1 in total offense this season, No. 2 in passing yards, and No. 1 in total points scored and finished No. 2 in total offense last season while at No. 4 in points scored. USC fans would kill for that right now considering they rank 42nd in points scored. Before last week's game, USC was only averaging a little over 10 points per game through their first four games.
Recruits would drool over Sumlin's offense and recruiting and that has got to be appealing to the USC faithful. The only question is, would Sumlin want to leave the SEC? I don't think so.
Kevin Sumlin – Texas A&M HC
Perhaps the trendiest name in coaching circles. Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin would be a fantastic choice to take over in Los Angeles. Not only is he a great recruiter, he has turned Texas A&M into a national power and given us Johnny Manziel, which all of us should be thankful for. Sumlin's Texas A&M squad is No. 1 in total offense this season, No. 2 in passing yards, and No. 1 in total points scored and finished No. 2 in total offense last season while at No. 4 in points scored. USC fans would kill for that right now considering they rank 42nd in points scored. Before last week's game, USC was only averaging a little over 10 points per game through their first four games.
Recruits would drool over Sumlin's offense and recruiting and that has got to be appealing to the USC faithful. The only question is, would Sumlin want to leave the SEC? I don't think so.
Kevin Sumlin – Texas A&M HC
Perhaps the trendiest name in coaching circles. Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin would be a fantastic choice to take over in Los Angeles. Not only is he a great recruiter, he has turned Texas A&M into a national power and given us Johnny Manziel, which all of us should be thankful for. Sumlin's Texas A&M squad is No. 1 in total offense this season, No. 2 in passing yards, and No. 1 in total points scored and finished No. 2 in total offense last season while at No. 4 in points scored. USC fans would kill for that right now considering they rank 42nd in points scored. Before last week's game, USC was only averaging a little over 10 points per game through their first four games.
Recruits would drool over Sumlin's offense and recruiting and that has got to be appealing to the USC faithful. The only question is, would Sumlin want to leave the SEC? I don't think so.
Kevin Sumlin – Texas A&M HC
Perhaps the trendiest name in coaching circles. Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin would be a fantastic choice to take over in Los Angeles. Not only is he a great recruiter, he has turned Texas A&M into a national power and given us Johnny Manziel, which all of us should be thankful for. Sumlin's Texas A&M squad is No. 1 in total offense this season, No. 2 in passing yards, and No. 1 in total points scored and finished No. 2 in total offense last season while at No. 4 in points scored. USC fans would kill for that right now considering they rank 42nd in points scored. Before last week's game, USC was only averaging a little over 10 points per game through their first four games.
Recruits would drool over Sumlin's offense and recruiting and that has got to be appealing to the USC faithful. The only question is, would Sumlin want to leave the SEC? I don't think so.
Texas A&M HC
Perhaps the trendiest name in coaching circles. Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin would be a fantastic choice to take over in Los Angeles. Not only is he a great recruiter, he has turned Texas A&M into a national power and given us Johnny Manziel, which all of us should be thankful for. Sumlin's Texas A&M squad is No. 1 in total offense this season, No. 2 in passing yards, and No. 1 in total points scored and finished No. 2 in total offense last season while at No. 4 in points scored. USC fans would kill for that right now considering they rank 42nd in points scored. Before last week's game, USC was only averaging a little over 10 points per game through their first four games.
Recruits would drool over Sumlin's offense and recruiting and that has got to be appealing to the USC faithful. The only question is, would Sumlin want to leave the SEC? I don't think so.
(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
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Chris Petersen
Boise State HC
I know, I know, I know. Petersen's name has been tossed around every single time a BCS coaching vacancy opens up and every single time he has turned the offer down, including an offer from USC rival, UCLA. Petersen is 87-10 at Boise State and that includes two BCS bowl wins and two undefeated seasons. What more can he do at Boise State? They're never going to give the title to a non AQ school so why stay other than job security? USC can offer more money and more opportunity. If Southern Cal can convince Petersen to abandon the blue turf in favor of the bright lights of Los Angeles, it will be nothing short of a grand-slam hire!
(Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
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Greg Roman
San Francisco 49ers OC
This is my dark horse to be USC's new head coach. If Haden is willing to overlook the fact that Roman has no head coaching experience, then this is a stellar hire and the best way to go.
Roman, the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, is an offensive mastermind and has been a crucial part of Jim Harbaugh's success both at Stanford and in San Francisco. He worked with superstar QB Andrew Luck at Stanford, helping lead their offense to an Orange Bowl victory and top five finish and then took over the 49ers offense, creating some players into first time Pro Bowlers. He also lead them to two NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl appearance. The emergence of Colin Kaepernick also adds another footnote on Roman's resume. Regardless of whether or not USC offers the position to Roman, this will be his last season in San Francisco with a number of NFL suitors ready to offer a head coaching gig.
(Photo by NFL via Getty Images)
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Jack Del Rio
Denver Broncos DC
The former All-American USC linebacker and long time NFL coach synonymous with the Jaguars has become the clear and early favorite to replace Lane Kiffin.
Del Rio is currently the defensive coordinator of the red-hot Denver Broncos and has built a solid reputation as a defensive specialist throughout his years working with the Ravens, Panthers, Jaguars and Broncos. Although his NFL career record as a head coach is an unimpressive 68-71, Del Rio's familiarity with the program — having played for the Trojans in the 80s — is the key reason he is being mentioned as the favorite.
Del Rio already turned down a head coaching offer from the Trojans in 2010. Will he turn them away a second time? Is Del Rio even being considered if he wasn't a part of the USC family? Who knows. It seems it will be a big gamble to take a chance on a guy with zero college coaching experience. However, the stars seem to be aligning in Del Rio's direction.
(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
