USC coaching search heat check: The latest hottest — and coldest — candidates
J. Brady McCollough (LA Times) — It’s been more than three weeks since USC fired football coach Clay Helton and embarked on its first coaching search in almost eight years. The fact that the job came open in mid-September should lead to a truly unique search, and The Los Angeles Times will perform a temperature check right here as developments occur.
HOT
It’s too early in what should be a marathon of a search for there to be too much sizzle. Stay tuned, though.
WARM
“I’ve tracked this over time, that really no matter what you say, people aren’t happy with, so I’ve decided I will handle this internally, talk to our team,” Franklin said. “I’m not worried about distractions in the media, and with the fans. I’m worried about my team.”
Whatever Franklin said to his team has worked wonders — the Nittany Lions, 5-0, are No. 4 and travel to No. 3 Iowa on Saturday.
As I said in my weekly review column after Penn State’s win over Auburn on Sept. 18, Franklin has the most to lose of any USC candidate. But there’s certainly plenty of reason for Trojans fans to pay attention. My hunch is they should be cheering on the Hawkeyes on Saturday.
MEDIUM
In my weekly review Saturday night, I pointed out why I think Cincinnati’s emphatic win over Notre Dame makes it even more unlikely.
That said, because of the connection between him and USC athletic director Mike Bohn, who hired Fickell at Cincinnati, he’s going to be perceived as a serious candidate up until the moment Bohn says it’s someone else.
Matt Campbell, Iowa State coach: The Cyclones began the season ranked No. 7 but have lost to Iowa and Baylor. Here’s the thing, though: The shine should not come off at all. What he’s accomplished in Ames is so impressive that a disappointing start does not remotely overshadow it.
The polite sports media in the state of Iowa have not asked Campbell about the USC opening. So there’s no denial or non-denial to report. It would make sense for Campbell to be looking for a step up from Iowa State, particularly as his roster will be looking at a rebuild after this season, and a mediocre 2021 season could be just what Bohn needs to persuade Campbell it’s time to move on.
Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien talks to tight end Jahleel Billingsley before a game against Florida on Sept. 18. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / AP)
Bill O’Brien, Alabama offensive coordinator: Nobody talks to the Crimson Tide offensive coordinator during the season because of Nick Saban’s rules, so the buzz on USC and O’Brien, the former Penn State and Houston Texans head coach, is likely to stay quiet by default. The Crimson Tide’s offense hasn’t lost much under his stewardship thus far, even with the losses of quarterback Mac Jones, running back Najee Harris and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. If all goes right for USC and another premier job doesn’t open that would interest O’Brien, the assumption here is he would jump at the chance to come to L.A. and lead the program’s revival.
Kalani Sitake, Brigham Young coach: Sitake is a name that I didn’t include on my first attempt at a list after Helton was fired, but the Cougars are 5-0 (3-0 against the Pac-12 South) and ranked No. 10. Sitake plays a physical style of football that would appeal to Trojans backers, and they’ll get to see what BYU is made of in the season finale Nov. 27 at the Coliseum. It would be fascinating to see how well a coach of Polynesian descent could recruit at USC.
COOL
(Hakim Wright Sr. / AP)
Mark Stoops, Kentucky coach: I nearly removed Stoops from the list after Kentucky narrowly defeated Chattanooga on Sept. 18. That would have been a mistake. The Wildcats knocked off then-No. 10 Florida in Lexington on Saturday to go 5-0 and are ranked No. 16. The improvement in the Kentucky program isn’t some one-season mirage. Stoops has built the Wildcats the hard way, with defense first. But even after winning two of the last three against Florida, I don’t see USC fans getting excited about him.
Jeff Hafley, Boston College coach: Hafley and the Eagles were one fluke bad snap in the final minute from upsetting Clemson in Death Valley on Saturday. They’re 4-1 and are maxing out their potential without injured starting quarterback Phil Jurkovec. Given Hafley’s success as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator and his early work at Boston College, it would be a surprise if USC doesn’t vet him. But Bohn would likely have to miss on some more obvious choices first before this gains real traction.
NEW TO THE HEAT CHECK: Dave Aranda, Baylor coach: If you recall, Bohn pursued Aranda to be USC’s defensive coordinator after the 2019 season when Aranda was Louisiana State’s defensive coordinator and coming off a national championship. Baylor jumped in and hired him to be its head coach, but it’s certainly possible Bohn has noted the Bears’ 4-1 record and recent win over Matt Campbell and Iowa State in only Aranda’s second season in Waco.
MOVING DOWN: Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator: A day after Helton was fired, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted, “League sources believe Chiefs’ OC Eric Bieniemy will emerge as a head-coaching candidate for USC. Bieniemy is from Southern California and has told confidantes in the past that USC is one of the only college jobs that might interest him.” Bieniemy has been in the running for numerous NFL head coach openings, and it still feels likely he will wait it out for the right opportunity there.
NEW TO THE HEAT CHECK: Anthony Lynn, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator: We’ll always acknowledge any buzz at this stage, and NFL reporter Jim Trotter’s tweet last week that former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn has been contacted by USC boosters about the job (and that Lynn would be interested) certainly adds him to the list. Lynn apparently misses California — and, hey, we get it.
COLD
(Elaine Thompson / AP)
Chris Petersen, former Washington coach: Petersen has big opinions about the USC opening. He said on Fox two weeks ago that USC needs someone who can develop players, offering: “Talent and skill are two different things. They need skill.” But there has been no indication that he wants to be that person, with The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman saying, “No Chris Petersen in this USC search.”
Bob Stoops, former Oklahoma coach: Stoops was asked on Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” two weeks ago about the USC opening and his potential interest. “I love too much working with you guys, what I’m doing,” Stoops said. “I love watching my son play [at Oklahoma]. I’ve got another one coaching. That’s all I’m interested in doing right now.” We’re going to continue taking him at his word.
DROPPED OFF THE GAUGE
(Emilee Chinn / AP)
Urban Meyer, Jacksonville Jaguars coach: Meyer shouldn’t have been on the Heat Check to begin with. Search his name to learn why he definitely won’t be the next coach at USC.
Gentlemen and ladies.
Sorry to let you know, but James Franklin is a perfect fit. Luke Fickell is your man, but this is the deal. Luke and Amy Fickell are devout Catholics. Cincinnati is a great family location. A lot of very good Catholic high schools and each college of their feeder elementary and middle parochial schools. Probably the same on a smaller scale in Baton Rouge. LA is a huge city, but what does it and the USC neighborhood have to offer in this regard?
Maybe James Franklin is at the top of Mike Bohn’s list, maybe he’s not. And there may be competition landing him as in LSU, Florida St. and maybe Miami where all three Universities take football more seriously, meaning what they are willing to payout. I think there are equally or better candidates to seek. Matt Campbell has all the necessary ingredients to succeed in a major program. He can recruit, he has an NFL pedigree and he develops his players. Iowa St is no longer a pushover and is probably the 2nd best program in the Big-12. Bill O’Brien kept… Read more »
Colin Cowherd on James Franklin and USC:
“With my labyrinth of amazing sourcing, James Franklin is gonna continue to be the number one target for USC, and I believe he is, but he can’t lay an egg in Iowa.”
Cowherd predicts PSU (-2.5) will win straight up against IOWA.
That begs the question, Can a potential candidate have too much success that will take them out of the job? They won’t want to leave what they have. They will want too much dough. Franklin gets to the playoffs-he’s out, just miss-he’s in.
Sooner or later, Franklin just has to decide if he wants the USC job and the L.A. platform. What’ll it be James? You want the job, and the chance to rebuild USC or not? Seems like a good time to come in to me, though he may not be available until Jan. But I’m sure not stuck on Franklin. So if he doesn’t come, fine. He’ll be super rich forever, regardless of what USC offers, which will obviously be hugely substantial, if not the most. If he doesn’t pick USC’s predicted offer, I’d be surprised because his agent is indicating… Read more »
Oh hell no! Franklin too over-rated. We can do better. No woke hires Foltie.
Happy Birthday USC, 141 years old today
John Wesley Wieland founder? I didn’t google, but that name comes to mind (Trojan Knights test around spring ’78)
I might be totally wrong.
Not much has been said about Donte losing his dad. It was just recently, I know we need to keep him uplifted in our prayers and thoughts. I am sure this is a very hard time for him.
5 reasons Donte should not be hired permanently 1.No experience. Helton proved that USC is not in the mood for a on the job project coach. 2.No Rolodex, no contacts with big name assistants. He may know some guys but can he bring together a killer staff? 3.No management experience. His game management has been almost good when we want great or better. 4.The players like him. That should be a secondary thing, not a primary thing. He needs their respect first and then consider their friendship. 5.No marquee wins. It seems unfair, but really what has he done to… Read more »
USC just can’t afford to hire yet another coach who is learning on the job. Maybe some schools could now. But not USC.
That over-reaches all of Donte’s negatives. He needs at least three more years as an asst IMO if he wants to get to the point where he could actually build a fantastic staff, figure out some more coaching nuances, and handle all the incoming problems and changes which await big-time CFB schools.
Two big questions are will Mike Bohn pull a Pat Haden in hiring the next football HC or actually do the research, hire a consulting firm, create a priority list and stick to it? Did Rick Caruso mean what he said about USC football needs to win championships in telling Bohn what is expected now? If the answers to these questions are yes, then we will easily see if Bohn is truly qualified (or not according to Joe Flatt) being a major University level AD in who he hires!
It’s time for LSU to think about life after Ed Orgeron. And the Tigers’ AD has reputation for chasing stars (Pete Thamel, Yahoo Sports) — BATON ROUGE, La. — “The boos cascaded down from Tiger Stadium on Saturday night in the waning minutes of LSU’s inexplicable loss to Auburn. They began after yet another squandered LSU timeout — this one before the first play of a drive — but they represented something deeper. “For LSU fans, the boos signified a release of pent-up frustration for a team’s continual spiral to mediocrity — too many losses to mediocre underdogs, the abject failure… Read more »
More from Pete Thamel:
“Expect LSU AD Scott Woodward to go after Jimbo Fisher, Penn State’s James Franklin or Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
“The prevailing thought on former assistant Joe Brady is that he’s going to continue life in the NFL, as he has always enjoyed finding a schematic advantage more than recruiting.”
It would seem like a horizontal move for Fisher and Kiffen, maybe Baton Rouge looks better than Oxford, Miss or College Station, Tx. Would Franklin want to go back to the SEC? L.A. would have to be a better destination for any of them, Franklin especially.
I think most everyone just feels that LSU will go after Franklin, if they want him, much harder than USC. Were I Franklin, I wouldn’t want to have to play ALA and UF every year, that’s for sure. But the overall football experience and money at LSU would still win over a lot of coaches when compared to are-they-committed USC. This reminds me of seeing USC beat LSU in Baton Rouge on Sept. 29, 1979. What a great night and year for Trojan football. USC football really knew what it wanted to be back then, though we were headed for… Read more »
I would think with NIL there has to be way more recruiting upside in Los Angeles and USC than LSU.
I have no idea how this NIL thing will work out, and which schools will do the best. I’m betting ALA and SEC schools already hold a big lead for its players. Just a wild guess.
LSU gets almost all the best players in the entire state and borders totally player-loaded Texas and Mississippi. It’s a very strong point for LSU, regardless of where USC stands.
i have a good friend who is a basketball coach for a small school in Miss. he told me that the amount of kids who play football is twice or three times that of basketball. It’s just their culture. I live in Washington and there are more kids that play basketball than football up here. My sons high school carries varsity, JV, 2 C squad teams, a freshman team, and they cut kids. It’s strange how certain regions take on certain sports cultures. My son also plays travel baseball and when we go to Southern California every team we play… Read more »
How many think Ed O will be fired within the next three weeks, during which time he plays at UK and OLE MISS. with UF in Baton Rouge?
I don’t think Ed makes it to the ALA game on Nov. 6.
LSU needs to reposition itself for their next coach publicly since Ed O has no shot at prep QB Arch Manning, who is likely headed to ALA, TEXAS, or maybe CLEM.
Real possibility he goes 0-3 in those games. I hope not. He’s such a good dude, easy to root for.
If LSU got into a bidding war with USC on the same HC candidate, you know who would win that contest, the one who cares more about football and that wouldn’t be this USC administration.
AS much as I like Ed O, I hate to think he’s fallen back into the same trap he fell into at Ole Miss. He’s a heck of good guy with a ton of enthusiasm, but he also has an over the top temper. (or that’s what I see) and it probably turns the team off. He really needs to sit down and assess what he is doing differently and make the second half (of the season) adjustments. Football is cruel game if you love it the way Ed does.
I think Ed’s days at LSU are already over. Any place he ends up after LSU will be a huge come down, if he expects to remain a HC.
But he can still coach a mean D-line, so I hope he lands where he can still be a real contributor, which I think he can in that area. His phenomenal recruiting skills will also benefit him greatly.
You’ve had an amazing run through CFB Ed. Here’s to you tagging on a few more years where you can help another program! 😎
I could see Bob Stoops as HC and Ed at D line.
Hi all, meant to post this to the group instead of response to a comment. Which TV or movie football coach do you want to run our program?
I’m sticking with these gems:
I’m going with Gene Hackman in Hoosiers, but Denzel was awfully good.
So was Paul Newman in Slap Shot. Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard was awesome too IMO, if player/coaches count.
All have won Academy Awards except Burt Baby, but Burt could have won for Deliverance IMO, were it not for the wonderful ensemble cast.
Slap Shot is my all time favorite sports movie, but Paul Newman’s “Reg Dunlop” would be a terrible choice. He encouraged goon behavior which is cool in hockey but leads to 15 yard penalties in football, as if we need more of that. Plus he had his star player’s wife move in with him.
Newman never met a girl he couldn’t get, is the way I figure it. He made some absolutely fantastic movies. I’m a big fan of his because of what he did both on and off camera.
I agree with all of that, but I don’t want a Reg Dunlop type for USC’s next coach. My choice is above.
But the real question is who do you want for the USC job? Who is that @TMC4USC
Don’t ask me. I’ve been wrong twice. I was upset by the Pete Carroll hiring and excited by the Lane Kiffin hiring. I am no expert apparently. LOL
Give me for the next USC coach, a guy like Cleveland Indians Manager Lou Brown (portrayed by the late James Gammon) from the Movie “Major League”. He was able to rein in his talented rookie and get all that he could out of him. He made his aging catcher feel like he could contribute and got the best out of him. He discovered a budding superstar outfielder at an unscheduled tryout. He had no fear of fining his highest paid player. He extended the career of his very old pitcher. He allowed his big slugger to “be himself” and he… Read more »
I thought of him but didn’t remember his name. Great coach, great movie.
Only problem is when we offer him he would have a guy on the other line interested in a set of white walls a d may hang up.
Nick Nolte in Blue Chip also a good one, not your rah rah hero coach.
No Nick Nolte in Blue Chips. He cheated. Then he got a conscience. Remember? That’s why he resigned after beating Indiana (with Bobby Hurley as the Hoosier PG).
Just thinking of interesting movie coaches, not necessarily good ones and not necessarily football.
NCAA approves one-year waiver for expansion of signing class limit “The NCAA Division-I council on Tuesday approved a one-year waiver that will expand recruiting class signing limits, therefore allowing schools to replace student-athletes that leave for the transfer portal in the first term. The NCAA announcement states that the Division-I council approved the waiver; however, “decisions are not final until the end of tomorrow’s meeting.” “We believe schools should have temporary flexibility to help address possible roster depletion due to transfers,” NCAA Division-I Football Oversight Committee chair and Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said. “This one-year waiver enables schools to properly utilize their scholarship… Read more »
Who’s the best TV/ Movie coach of all time? I’m going Denzel Washington in remember the Titans.
I’m going with Gene Hackman in Hoosiers, but Denzel was awfully good.
So was Paul Newman in Slap Shot. Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard was awesome too IMO, if player/coaches count.
classics, all are great movies. Just thinking about slap shot makes me laugh.
Nick Nolte in Blue Chip also a good one, not your rah rah hero coach.
How about Tom Hanks in League of their Own. Who was the coach in the movie “Radio”?
John at some point you could have a “special contest of the week” on picks for the new coach. Not sure when.
Interesting idea, but not sure how do it; possibly like a ‘futures’ wager on who gets the job.
Just put the odds up and then give everyone a bank.
Only name on the list that I kind of disagree with is Fleck. The guy is a very very good HC, and while Minn is not a recruiting mecca, he has brought the program forward quite far. He would be regarded much higher were he at a school that could bring in top line kids, but he is in the same situation as Campbell. Awfully cold in Minn winters.
For years the obsession was getting rid of Helton. Now that he is done, the new gig is figuring out who the next coach will be. This is kind of like pre-season talk about how well your team will do in 2021– no coach will be selected until after the bowl games in January, 3-months away! A fun parlor game that is already becoming boring….
How about that Utah game Saturday night?– Anybody interested?
Very interesting game that I would not put any Welds on. SC wins big then loses big, if they follow the pattern this will be a big loss. Who knows what kind of mental state the Utes are in, they have been through an emotional wringer.
Ya, I have no idea who will win the USC/UTAH game. I also have no idea if USC even runs the Air Raid anymore. For all I know, Donte has Student Body Right and Left on tap for this week’s version of the Trojans.
The Pac-12 race is insane this year and has been a real kick to watch so far.
What a tremendous slate of games this week. College football remains the greatest diversion of all time!
Allen I differ, it is not a diversion, it’s life. Everything else is a diversion.
I’ve been trying to get negative info on James Franklin’s coaching value and his “weaknesses.” It’s really like pulling teeth.
I’m slowly but surely coming around a little more on Franklin as a good pick for USC. He’s improving in my eyes, probably unfortunately for many on this TDB board.
I am going to back whoever they hire until they prove they are not worth backing.
Urban is toast in Jacksonville and untouchable for a while right now. He’s showing he doesn’t care, that a really bad rep for a coach. One that he may never get over.
Saban and PC both left the nfl with some integrity but it sure looks like Meyer will bomb on all fronts in disgrace. To bad, a great college coach has to fail at the nfl to realize he is not bigger than life, he is just one of us. Will he last the season?
No way. They lose this week and he is gone.
It’s way too early to project a real coaching candidate because all of the people we should be interested in are busy keeping their team together. I would like to see who will leverage their position on the interest list to get more from their current position. This could backfire for some, but it’s a game many know how to play. Of the list, I cannot say I have a favorite and I know whoever is hired half of us will have something negative to say about them. I hope USC hasn’t gone too far off the map, looking for… Read more »
Bet your rear end that Condi knows and loves football. Best of all, she doesn’t “know USC”. If she were USC president the BoT would be bowing to her, and she would have already taken care of this HC situation as one of her first moves.
Agreed, but you could have just said, “She would be better than Helton”
I second that statement!
Someone else said — “I think the world knows who’s hot right now.” Bye, bye Urban…
Lookin’ For Love…
As Jim Healy would say, “he’s taken the Leonard Tose route”!
Perfectly stated as Healy used to say regarding Leonard Tose. I think Urban should hang out at the 901 Club. I am sure on a busy night he will get lucky again. I remember a beer bottle wizzing by my head after the ND game in 1974 when we scored 55 unanswered points!! We can say with 100% certainty that Carol Folt will have NOTHING to do with Urban Meyer or anyone who would compromise themselves like what occurred in Ohio. I am not judging him personally, but celebrities have to be very careful where they are and whom they… Read more »
I remember hanging out at Julie’s Trojan Barrell after a win over UCLA. I was in a corner booth with some buddies who were equally sauced and in comes ABC news with Tawny Little. When she headed for our table, I slipped under it as I knew my folks would be watching the news. My Dad thought Tawny was a “Fox”. Good times at Julie’s and the “Nine Oh”.
…And Tawny Little at that time was a foxy girl. Good idea to hide under the table. No one can replace the good times at those places.
I remember Tawny, now 65, and Miss America in 1976! She was kind of a looker and was married for a while to John Schneider (below), of Dukes of Hazzard fame. Per Wiki — Little was a reporter and anchor with three Los Angeles television stations beginning in 1977 with KABC-TV.At KABC-TV, she served as a reporter, Eyewitness News anchor, and co-host with a number of shows such as AM Los Angeles, Eye on LA, Hollywood Close-up, and The Love Report. After leaving KABC in 1992, Little joined KCAL-TV as a news anchor for Prime 9 News’. Later, from 1995 to 1999, she became a co-anchor with KCOP-TV’s UPN News 13. Little also appeared… Read more »
Indeed, the 9-0 was a lot of fun, at both locations, especially on Thursday nights. Best stay away from those deadly “Skip-n-Go-Nakeds” however. Those suckers were some serious hangover material for the younger, less experienced, just enrolled “fake ID” crowd. We had a guy in our house who would make them for $20 each (back in 1970!). He had somehow come up with a real state of California seal that he used to make his old simple black and white CA driver licenses look real. Needless to say, he had quite a little college business going on the row and… Read more »
Thank you for sharing Allen. Definitely some great memories. I lived in a studio apt. at the Row Apartments on 28th and Hoover when I was going to Grad School. As an undergrad, I just stayed at home in Glendale as it wasn’t that far away. There was a route I could take down or up Alvarado St and never have to get on the “Freeways”. I ended up moving back home my second year of Grad School as my car, a 1973 Ford Ranchero, kept getting broken into. I was in the Business Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, but not… Read more »