The Steve Sarkisian era at USC took a very strange turn this week. Very rapidly this situation disintegrated, and now USC is looking for a new head football coach. USC is one of the best jobs in the country, which makes the topic of the next coach a water cooler conversation.
TSS associate editors Bart Doan and Terry Johnson join staff writer Kevin Causey in this roundtable discussion.
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Question: Whom should USC hire to replace Steve Sarkisian?
Bart Doan:
On Twitter @TheCoachBart
I try to look at these more with coach “types” or categories than who is the specific guy that’s going to get the job. Names you’ve seen bandied about the inner and outer edges of the Internet that won’t happen are Chip Kelly (he’s not leaving Philly voluntarily right now) and Kevin Sumlin (who has a $5 million buyout he has to pay if he leaves before the end of 2016).
Jack of the River (that’s Del Rio for the uninitiated) will be mentioned as an NFL name due to his ties to the school, but he wasn’t much of a candidate last time around and he probably won’t want to bolt a team he’s actually doing well with thus far (I can’t believe I’m saying that) in Oakland.
I think the route the Trojans will follow is — again — a coach who has had success at the college level, but more than Steve Sarkisian. They’ll probably have a stronger vetting process. I don’t think they’ll be as tight on wanting to be married to a certain style so long as whatever style they’re getting into is “winning.” It wouldn’t shock me to see them look at a head coach with proven ability at a major program in a difficult winning situation with the personality to handle USC … think of a Gus Malzhan type, maybe a Doug Marrone if they decide to kick the tires on an NFL name not doing what he could be doing currently.
Short of that, expect a long search and tons of rumors.
Kevin Causey:
On Twitter @CFBZ
Chip Kelly’s name has to come up in this discussion. He took Oregon to such heights, it has to be a phone call USC makes. That being said, Chip’s ego is too big to come crawling back to college ball.
Tom Herman is a coach that has to be on the short list. He coached under Urban at Ohio State and has Houston playing like a well-oiled machine.
Utah’s Kyle Whittingham has to get a call too. If he can put together a winner at Utah, imagine what he could do with the resources at USC.
My pick though is Jack Del Rio. Would he leave the Raiders to go back to his alma mater? Who knows. I think he could come in and be a great CEO-type coach and hires someone to run the offense and defense. His name was brought up in 2010 when there was an opening; would they go after him again? I think it would be the right move.
Terry Johnson:
On Twitter @SectionTPJ
If I were Pat Haden, here’s the first four coaches that I would call:
1. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M – Arguably the most underrated coach in college football, Sumlin would be the perfect candidate to lead the Trojans back to prominence. He’s already proven that he knows how to take a program to the next level, transforming an underachieving A&M squad into a consistent winner. While he might not take the job, I’d definitely make the phone call, and see if he’s interested.
2. Dino Babers, Bowling Green – Although he’s entering only his fourth season as a head coach, my next call would be to Babers. He’s proven that he can turn around a program right away, molding a 2-9 Eastern Illinois squad into a team that captured back-to-back OVC titles. Given that he’s coached with some of college football’s top minds, including R.C. Slocum and Art Briles, he’d be the perfect candidate to mold the Trojan passing attack into the juggernaut that it was under Pete Carroll.
3. Lance Leipold, Buffalo – This is certainly a longshot, as Leipold is still in his first season with the Bulls. But, given his stellar record as a head coach (109-6 entering the season, which includes a 4-1 mark against the legendary Larry Kehres), I’d at least offer the job to him and make him turn it down.
4. Chip Kelly, Philadelphia Eagles – If the previous three choices fell through, I’d contact Kelly about the opening. Regardless of what he’s saying publicly, I’m pretty sure that he’d accept the position knowing that a job like this — arguably the best gig in the country — doesn’t open up very often.
