USC Hiring Strategy-What do you think

What I have found interesting about USC the last few years is that they surrounded Helton with a lot of money and All star hires. The DL guy Sooto, Orlando, Harrell. Williams. Pretty much given Helton every expensive toy he could have. Including a bunch of social media hypesters who sound annoying when the product isn't great.

BTW, if you don't know why USC fired him now, let me help. B Wayne Hughes died about 3 weeks ago. He's the reason Lynn Swann was AD. The reason Helton was retained and the reason Helton was extended. He's the multi billionaire who gave USC gobs, especially the USC A.D.. Now that he's dead, they don't owe him having to keep Helton in place. They definitely weren't going to fire him in training camp. Let him have a game or two. Show progress, and once he showed that it's not progressing. POW.

Back to my question Would you find a CEO of football like ASU thinks is the model now. An NFL model. The school hires the staff and the head coach manages the staff. Meaning USC would keep Williams, Sooto, Harrell, Orlando etc in consultation with new CEO coach. Orrrrrrr

Would you go the traditional route. Find a head coach who has done well at a mid level school or a NFL retread like Fischer or Del Rio and get those guys to come in with their own staffs. In other words, a complete reboot.

I am curious. For the record, not surprisingly, clowns here try to put words in my mouth. I have not been a Clay Helton supporter or detractor either one. I have recognized the need for USC to move on from embarrassment or scandal. He did that. I was perplexed that once that period of stability had been established and they needed to get back to WINNING that they chose to stay with him. My feeling is that given the balance of the two this move came a year or two late., But I think Bohn coming in and Hughes funding everything meant USC stayed ina holding pattern. Anyway, as to me? Helton was a nice guy, he served his purpose, I am fine moving on. The game Saturday in person was actually worse in person that it was on TV. you would not believe how many guys were super late subbing in and barely getting to their spots when the ball was snapped. On both sides of the ball.

Anyway, which route would you take as USC? Whole new staff and a complete restart? Or find a CEO of football and keep some of your star coaches? BTW these "star" coaches got worked the other night. The offense was horrible. WR and QB totally out of synch with each other. D got thrashed. And the DB's made Grabby Marshall look like a clean player with all the PI they had. When they weren't prancing that is.

10 comments

10 Comments

tempomacdougall

Sep 14, 2021

The NFL model in college would seem to create a path to excuses in the "these arent my guys" and the like. If the school chooses a staff and the coach sets strategy how do you match the strategy and the staff?

Java

Replying to

Isn't that the same challenge the NFL faces? Heck, there a GM picks your players for you I am not advocating one or the other. But they are two clearly different and viable approaches

August West

Experienced adult. Let him pick his staff.

@August West Well, this is the 3rd coach in a row USC has canned mid season. So for better or worse, here we are lol How many home run hires are there out there? Jimbo Fischer was supposed to be one and ATm was maybe a Top 15 program before he arrived. How long has he been there? 3-4 years? Massive contract? I think he has hit the top 5 once, like now. I honestly don't know how many home run hires there are. LSU two years ago had Ed Orgeron as the toast of CFB. Magazine covers etc. Ed is now facing termination amidst scandal and program failure.

SC Gator

@Java I say hire an experienced head coach who has worked as an assistant for elite coaches and has a deep Rolodex. Let him put together a staff but okay to tell him, without demanding, that you’d like him to keep 1 or 2 guys for sake of continuity. Like your top recruiter.

I don’t like the CEO model unless you have a dream team of assistants who have been together forever.

San Clemente

@August West yep

anyone who has ever played football knows the head coach has to have a great relationship with his assistants for it to work. The o and d coordinator often hate each other , but both know who the boss is . sc

buddyboy

Encourage retention of talent but defer to the new coach 100% on who to retain.

Not sure, but that might be the NFL model. NFL might even be more strident. Like hey, here's your staff, you can bring a couple guys but we have most people already in place.