It'll be fun to watch. If Haden makes the call, Fitzgerald wouldn't be a surprise. Fisher makes plenty of sense, with the Carroll xNFL success and also Mora doing well across town at UCLA. What is interesting to me is how the list would differ if it were Texas. I believe that neither Kelly would be in serious contention, nor would Sumlin or Stoops, for obvious reasons. In fact, I'm not sure that any of those listed would be finalists, with the possible exception of Mullen.
This will be Haden's last chance to come up with a coach that will not end up embarrassing the school. Time to move on from having to hire "an USC" guy in order to break the circle of bad actors.
Might be an opportunity for Strong. Won't be considered as HC, but as a coordinator he might be a good fit.
Sumlin has a good gig already, he's not going anywhere. I don't know why anyone would go after Stoops at this point in his career. His best days are behind him, imo.
not to mention that he has a track record in big games of late that leaves much to be desired...USC isn't a school that would be content just 'getting' to the big games.
Sumlin is comfortable knowing that aggy's perennial third place or lower finish in the SEC West keeps those with funds happy.
Tom Herman to USC and then Major takes over the helm at UH. Folks you heard it here first.....Major gets Robinson and Akina to come down to UH, Giles joins them.......Reunion of sorts, Bobby Jack Wright becomes his recruiting cordinator.........he be styling......
I think USC will require someone that has more than 1 year of HC experience. I'm sure Chip Kelly's name has been thrown around, right?
I don't see USC coming to Texas for any Texas natives. Texas and California personalities are oil/water. My money is on Chip Kelly returning to the Pac 12.
If I were USC, I'd do my due dilligence. I don't know much about Tom Herman, but he's been a great assistant and took a program in disarray and without any exceptional recent recruiting results and turned it into a team that is well-prepared and won every game. He's recruiting well at (at least according to Rivals) at UH and he could get great players to stick at USC. He played his college ball in California. Is there some flaw in his character? Has he benefitted from the work of others? I don't know. But if I were Athletic Director at USC I'd make it my business to find out.
bovda currently has the following odds on who's gonna be the next coach kyle whittingham 7/2 chip kelly 6/1 bryan harsin 6/1 tom hermann 7/1 justin fuente 7/1 clay helton 8/1 jack dell rio 8/1 chris peterson 9/1 brian kelly 9/1 sumlin 11/1 gary patterson 11/1 mark dantonio 15/1 i'd bet it's one of the top three names on this list.
Just my take, but if I'm Bob Stoops & get an attractive offer from USC, I'm gone in 60 seconds!! There are a number of factors at play for him. I've got to think a move has been on his mind for the last few years. His recruiting has fallen somewhat along with the B12 brand/reputation in nose-dive mode. He is now 55 years old, so still has some youth left, though not for too long. So, he's got to be thinking a college marquee program move or the NFL. I just think his days in Norman are numbered. It happens to all tenured coaches...there comes a time when you just run out of steam & need a new scenery to reboot your career....and my sense is that's where he is now. Regardless of what a ***** he might be, the man can still coach...and I see USC as THAT kind of opportunity! My 2 cents....
After the clusterfuck that was Kiffin and Sarkisian I couldn't imagine dragging in that fat tub of ncaa infractions known as chip kelly.
Briles won't get a look. That "hey-yup-yup-yo" personality isn't a good fit with California folks. I think its more like Hermann, Harsin, or Whittingham
Kiffin nor Hackett had been Head Coaches very long before USC scooped them up. Two of the most successful coaches at USC including Haden's coach at the time had NO Head Coach experience before the SC job, John Robinson and John McKay. If a coach is successful it does not matter where they come from, plus Herman has seen California, Big Ten and Texas, he actually sounds like the perfect fit.
Well I do find it interesting that both the Cocks and the Trojans have coaching vacancies. Couldn't imagine Briles either for that same reason.
Did a little math on the record following the upset win over Alabama Nov. 10, 2012... 29-24. Remainder of that season went 3-0 including bowl win, to finish 11-2. The record counting those three games, and all of the second and third season for Sumlin, comes to just 20-9. After that upset win over Alabama, ATM'S conference record prior to this current 4th season -- a win over Missouri the final regular season game in 2012, plus all conference games for 2013 (4-4) and 2014 (3-5) ... wait for it... 8-9. So after that first season that was built on Mike Sherman's fantastic offensive line classes, two very outstanding wide receivers, and Johnny Manziel.. ATM finished 4th and 6th in their divisions in each of the following two seasons (tied for 2nd in their division, I believe, that first season)... but conference records of 4-4 and 3-5 for each of 2013 and 2014 -- and the entire aggie nation feels they're shittin' in tall cotton. They're ecstatic! They can keep this up and be just fine. Sumlin can coach out his career holding the fort and playing a couple of marque conference games each season to feel like a spark is about to explode into amazing things, and just the talk of the recruits alone coming in makes it seem all like 'Hell yes, it's a happenin' in College Station!" Course I'll have to edit this whole thing if they beat Alabama this Saturday and win out all the way to Thanksgiving and face LSU in a game with a seat in the Final Four the talk of the game. We'll see.
I am serious. I think whoever is hired as HC should at least consider Strong as DC. You think he should not even be in the discussion?
