USC Investigation and Sanctions

The strange thing about Tenn's reaction was that we still don't know if Kiffin is really any good as a coach. For all we know, Tenn might have dodged a bullet when Kiffin ditched them.

If his daddy wasn't Monte Kiffin, would Kiffin have been handed so many coaching opportunities already at such a young age? Carroll forces out Chow, whom many consider the best OC in college, to make room for Lane, the son of Carroll's mentor. At SC, Kiffin gets handed the keys to a well-oiled offensive juggernaut that Chow built. By then, Chow had taught Leinart so thoroughly that Leinart was basically a coach on the field when Kiffin took over.

From there, he gets the Raiders job where he gets fired before two seasons. (To be fair, Kiffin got fired because he didn't believe in Jamarcus Russell as QB and Russell's implosion proved Kiffin right).

Then, he gets the Tenn job which was a powerhouse not too long ago. And, after one average season at Tenn, he gets one of the most high profile coaching jobs at one of the most coveted schools at SC as well as a lucrative contract.

But, nowhere along the line, did he really succeed or turn around a program. Usually, when a coach wins a job at a top program, they've been successful coaches somewhere else first- Brian Kelly takes Cincy to a BCS bowl game before being picked to coach ND, Urban Meyer goes un-defeated at Utah before being picked to coach Florida, etc...

 

are you kidding? kitten has done nothing but ride daddy's coat tails. i have lost all respect for monte for moving around like he does just to get sonny boy jobs. he hasnt made the little snot stand on his own.

 

I take exception that Norm Chow is an offensive genius (unless that is like the Brian Billick, Mark Richt type of offensive genius). Quote supporting the argument Chow is not behind the USC offense from the book “Fight On!”below, as well as the link to the book and other non linear thoughts.

Fight On!, Steve Bisheff, Book - Barnes & Noble
Although there was little talk by the staff about a change in offensive strategy after the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl loss (USC lost 10-6 to Utah to finish the season with 6 wins and 6 losses), Carroll told the authors of this book the Trojans were "so awful, disgraceful," that he "decided that we were going to change the offense."
A former member of the staff said Carroll, in effect, "junked the BYU offense" Norm Chow brought with him to USC in 2001. Carroll turned to two professional coaches for assistance -- Alex Gibbs of the Denver Broncos and Jon Gruden, who was then at Oakland but moved to Tampa Bay.

Somewhere in there, it feels like I just channeled USCvball.

Conspiracy portion of this post...
Did Carroll get rid of Chow to protect Carroll's own marque as super coach and mitigate Chow's offensive reputation as Chow was on a path to get his own head coaching job? After all, Carroll could not let Chow be known as the best offensive coach in the west and lure the west coast talent away from SC (correctly or not, my recollection is that Carroll and SC vehemently protested Chow getting hired at Stanford, so much so that no PAC-10 school would consider Chow; which made it was easier for Stanford to hire an equally offensive genius, Walt Harris). Then Carroll arranged for Chow to receive another job, Titan OC, via Jeff Fischer, former USC football player, to make sure Chow would not compete against USC and that Fischer had a built in scape goat for when the Vince Young experiment did not work.
Required sound effect below.
YouTube - Dramatic Chipmunk

 

I think they are a lot better off with Dooley. An upgrade and while I haven't looked at the numbers I can only imagine that they get DD at a better price.

 

USC filed their appeal today:

Excite - Sports News

 

Excellent, hopefully this will hang over their head for another 10 years and they end up with the exact same sanctions.

 

How about 20? :rofl:

 

Just did not let the coach go, but paid him through the contract and opted not to renew.

USC assistant coach McNair's contract expires - College Football - Rivals.com

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Southern California running backs coach Todd McNair apparently is no longer with the Trojans.
The school said in a statement Thursday that McNair’s contract expired Wednesday, but made no additional comment.

McNair was given special penalties last month for what the NCAA claimed was his role in the scandal surrounding Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Reggie Bush. USC was hit with a two-year bowl ban and severe scholarship restrictions, and McNair was prohibited from contacting recruits.
McNair was an assistant to former coach Pete Carroll for six seasons, and the NCAA claimed McNair knew about some of the gifts lavished on Bush’s family by two aspiring sports marketers hoping to land Bush as a client.

 

I think that USC can appeal all they want, but the NCAA isn't going to back down on this one. They are set on making and example out of USC's arrogance. If USC's had been a little bit more humble rather than having the attitude of We are the almighty USC the NCAA might see their way to a little lighter sentence. I just don't see it happening.

Also, as it is much of the college world didn't think the NCAA was going to do anything to USC. Backing down after giving such a tough sentence would only support that theory. Something I don't think the NCAA wants to open the door to.

 

USC to return Bush's Heisman - College Football - Rivals.com

Well then, there it is.