Clay Helton named USC HC

[CorpRebel]

Chip was never actually on the list. Neither was Jeff Fisher (who was also rumored). I'm good with this hire. He's made in game adjustments and the team has shown week over week improvements that we didn't see under Kiffin or Sarkisian. I also love the commitment to the run game. We didn't see that under Kiffin or Sark either.

The players all love him and wanted him to get the job. Perhaps more important, recruits have been weighing in on twitter and saying they want USC to hire him.

I don't know if he's the right hire (no matter who it is, you never know until the team plays), but he's earned a shot, imo. Hopefully, he will make the best of it because I'm tired of the coaching carousel.

I agree with @trojanfan12 assessment.

I'm OKAY with Helton being hired. I was getting nervous that they were actually considering CKelly and THAT would have been a clusterfk for the team. IMO, of course.

There is too much of the coaching carousel going on thruout FBS right now. I think this will turn out for the better (certainly better than Sark & Kiffin), but time will tell... As ALWAYS!

 

[mrwallace2ku]

It's kind of nice knowing we have a sober coach.

What about your AD?

I would have thought Haden would have made a splash hire after the last two bonehead hires. I think the Trojans of lore deserve more in my OP.

 

[trojanfan12]

It may work out great. In the end every coach is a gamble. Just seems like they did not go through all the proper vetting. I thought the offense has been a bit of disappointment this year for USC

Sark and Kiffin were vetted. How'd they work out? Helton has been at USC for 6 years, pretty sure we have a pretty good idea of what we have.

I agree that every coaching hire is a gamble at first. You never know how they will respond or that their style will translate to different programs. We've seen plenty of coaches have a lot of success at one program, only to fail at another.

 

[trojanfan12]

In USC's defense, all interim coaches are a major problem. There is almost no upside to having one. They do poorly and you gained nothing. They do well and now you risk alienating the players. It is one reason I would always try to avoid naming one, though USC had no choice in that matter

Anytime a coach is fired mid-season, you have to name an interim. Someone has to be "in charge." Obviously, if you have to fire a coach, you want to do it at the end of the season. But Sark didn't give them that chance.

 

[trojanfan12]

Get some bigger names to tell you "no" before you settle.

Yeah, getting people to tell you no, is always a good strategy. Never makes anyone question the program.

 

[trojanfan12]

What about your AD?

I would have thought Haden would have made a splash hire after the last two bonehead hires. I think the Trojans of lore deserve more in my OP.

USC didn't need a splash hire, they needed a guy who can coach football. Which Helton seems capable of doing. What "splash hire" has USC ever made?

Sometimes, the best person for the job already works for you, you just have to be smart enough to give them the chance. Only time will tell if he's definitely the right guy or not. I feel a lot better about him than I did about Orgeron when he was up for the job.

 

[theboardref]

Seems like USC fans don't mind the place holder hire move. You guys think this had anything to do with the way the whooe Orgeron deal went down?

 

[Monte Carlo Wildcat]

The guy just led USC to the south division champs. Looks like Pat Haden may have learned his lesson by not hiring Ed Orgeron...or simply trying to hold on to his job by appeasing the SC fans.

 

[nathans8823]

Chip Kelly probably was like OH HELLLLL NO

 

[ckhokie]

Like punting on 3rd down

 

[ckhokie]

I guess sometimes folding is the best play when you're down at the table

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

oh my god. I would hate to be a USC fan. Why would they do this? They fired the last guy for sucking and - news flash - this guy was on staff.

 

[trojanfan12]

Seems like USC fans don't mind the place holder hire move. You guys think this had anything to do with the way the whooe Orgeron deal went down?

No. Orgeron simply wasn't ready. He couldn't make in game adjustments or manage the clock very well. He got a lot of early support, but by the UCLA game, when he was thoroughly outcoached by Mora, it was obvious. I was on the Orgeron bandwagon early, but by the end of the season, I knew he wasn't the right guy.

 

[CorpRebel]

... I feel a lot better about him than I did about Orgeron when he was up for the job.

BINGO!!

 

[mrwallace2ku]

Sometimes, the best person for the job already works for you, you just have to be smart enough to give them the chance.

I won't argue that point TF.

A power running hungry AD is going to get what he wants in the end. USC should be built to run the rwak down opps' throats and control the 4th.

Nice to see the Trojans stiffen their upper lip against UCLA's run game last week. Perhaps the new guy (HC) gets it now.

GLuckie to your boyz next weekend TF...they fought a great division battle all year.

 

[theboardref]

No. Orgeron simply wasn't ready. He couldn't make in game adjustments or manage the clock very well. He got a lot of early support, but by the UCLA game, when he was thoroughly outcoached by Mora, it was obvious. I was on the Orgeron bandwagon early, but by the end of the season, I knew he wasn't the right guy.

You feel like this is a place holder hire though? Really seems to me like this is enough of a coveted job they could have gotten someone bigger. Or is this more of what I have been saying, just not the right fit for what they are trying to do so they are sticking with what they know?

 

[trojanfan12]

I won't argue that point TF.

A power running hungry AD is going to get what he wants in the end. USC should be built to run the rwak down opps' throats and control the 4th.

Nice to see the Trojans stiffen their upper lip against UCLA's run game last week. Perhaps the new guy (HC) gets it now.

GLuckie to your boyz next weekend TF...they fought a great division battle all year.

The bold is a big part of why I like this hire. Under Helton, we have been 65% run/35% pass where under Sark it was something like 52% pass/48% run. That was part of the problem when we were seeing USC blow late leads or have to hang on to win. We couldn't just take the air out of the ball by moving the chains and burning clock with the run game.

 

[trojanfan12]

You feel like this is a place holder hire though? Really seems to me like this is enough of a coveted job they could have gotten someone bigger. Or is this more of what I have been saying, just not the right fit for what they are trying to do so they are sticking with what they know?

I don't think it's a place holder hire. There are 3 things that we are seeing under Helton that we hadn't seen even under Kiffin or Sark. In game adjustments, players being used properly and they have been much more disciplined under Helton.

Again, we won't know if he was truly the right hire for a season or 2, but I like it right now. I'm also happy to avoid the drama of the search. It's got to be nice for the players knowing that they don't have to go through another search. They can now just settle down knowing who the coach is and what he expects.

There's a lot to be said for stability.

 

[theboardref]

I don't think it's a place holder hire. There are 3 things that we are seeing under Helton that we hadn't seen even under Kiffin or Sark. In game adjustments, players being used properly and they have been much more disciplined under Helton.

Again, we won't know if he was truly the right hire for a season or 2, but I like it right now. I'm also happy to avoid the drama of the search. It's got to be nice for the players knowing that they don't have to go through another search. They can now just settle down knowing who the coach is and what he expects.

There's a lot to be said for stability.

Fair enough. Stability also very important for recruiting. Also it is easier to stay with a coach that has been successful since taking over after crazy circumstances.

 

[Pariah]

Couldn't be any worse than