USC has decided to keep Clay Helton as head coach

[The Oldtimer]

At BYU and at ND in first 3 games of 2019. 2 losses book it

Have faith my friend.

 

[CorpRebel]

<SNIP>

SC has Lynn Swann to thank for this mess. There was no reason for him to extend Helton when he did other than pure hubris-fueled idiocy.

Charlie Weis says Hi... AND Thanks!!

 

[4down20]

If not he should be!!! Regardless USC is not Bowl eligible.

Didn't even realize USC wasn't bowl eligible.

 

[nddulac]

Charlie Weis says Hi... AND Thanks!!

Charlie Weis had a good first year and was being courted by NFL teams. I'm not going to argue that it was dumb to re-up on him, but at least there was someone bidding against ND for his services.

Who was looking to hire Helton away from USC last year?

 

[mall3013]

If not he should be!!! Regardless USC is not Bowl eligible.

Who did you lose a bet to @The Oldtimer ?

 

[Bandwagonbo2]

5-7 USC has decided to keep Clay Helton as head coach:

 

[The Oldtimer]

Who did you lose a bet to @The Oldtimer ?

Nobody, I would never bet on USC this season.

 

[OregonDucks]

With this move USC has officially handed the city to the Rams.

 

[mall3013]

Nobody, I would never bet on USC this season.

You are sporting my old fav act from the past with my lady Buckeye. I figured one of my fella Bucknut buddies conned you into an avy bet taking scUM over tOSU? Nice avy, I approve.

 

[The Oldtimer]

You are sporting my old fav act from the past with my lady Buckeye. I figured one of my fella Bucknut buddies conned you into an avy bet taking scUM over tOSU? Nice avy, I approve.

LOL, you conned me into my avi, don't you remember?

 

[trojanfan12]

Personally, I am okay with this and even with AD Swann's reasoning.

While I know there are a some SC fans that will be all butthurt about this, I just don't see any real positives with firing Helton now.

I'm just about as disgusted with this season as anyone else, but as long as he cleans up his coaching staff, I think we will likely get back on track next season.

But... We shall see what happens next season.

I'm ready to FORGET this freakin' season, though!

^^^THIS^^^

Imo, firing him after 1 bad season would be a panic move.

The program was in real trouble when he took over and he got it stabilized. I've been saying all season that he was too loyal to assistant coaches who were friends and weren't getting the job done.

Firing Callaway during the season like he did, may show that he's done with that. Hopefully, that part of what Swann was referring to when he talked about having a plan and when he mentioned staff deficiencies.

 

[trojanfan12]

Translation: the buy out Swann wrote into Helton's extension was too big for even Southern Cal to absorb. Brilliant move by an inexperienced AD to lock the school into a coach at a time that no one is exactly beating down the door to hire him away.

Not necessarily true. I've heard there were boosters ready to cut that check if Swann wanted it.

Don't know if it's 100% true or if there were too many strings attached to it though. Just what I've heard.

 

[nddulac]

Not necessarily true. I've heard there were boosters ready to cut that check if Swann wanted it.

Don't know if it's 100% true or if there were too many strings attached to it though. Just what I've heard.

Maybe it is a combination of being stretched too thin financially . and also being in a situation with an interim president. Regardless, it has all of the earmarking of USC being unable to make a change rather than being unwilling.

 

[trojanfan12]

Maybe it is a combination of being stretched too thin financially . and also being in a situation with an interim president. Regardless, it has all of the earmarking of USC being unable to make a change rather than being unwilling.

I think it's more about the interim president. Like I said, from what I've heard, the money to buy him out is there if they want it.

But an interim president may not want to be hiring a guy for a multi-million dollar position.

Gotta be fair to Helton too. When you consider that he won 21 games his first 2 seasons, won a Rose Bowl and won the PAC last season, it's kind of hard to fire him over 1 bad season. Especially when you consider the injuries and how young they were.

As Swann alluded to in his letter, your Irish stuck with Kelly when everyone was screaming for his head and that seems to have worked out ok.

Imo, the biggest thing working against him is that he wasn't the "name hire" that people wanted. If this were someone folks had heard of, no one would be calling for his head.

 

[OregonDucks]

Keeping him is a small move for the longer term for USC. Firing him after one bad season, because record wise he did well in the other 2 would be a disaster for any coach looking at USC. What big name coach is going to take a job after a guy who had one bad year in a 3 year stint? 3 years, 2 good years 1 bad year and you're gone?

This is a win-win for USC/Swann. Trojans get to 10+ wins next year and compete and Swann looks like a genius keeping Helton and we will hear about, "remember when everyone thought SC should fire Helton.." yadda yadda.

He goes 7-5, 6-6, 5-7 next year and it's an easy and justifiable firing. Also any coach coming in can be sold that USC gives you a second chance and isn't going to fire you when the fan base wants you gone and we don't sell any tickets.

So keeping him is a smart move for USC long term.

 

[nddulac]

As Swann alluded to in his letter, your Irish stuck with Kelly when everyone was screaming for his head and that seems to have worked out ok.

That's a matter of perspective. I would argue it has worked out poorly for Notre Dame because they still have that ass as a coach. But I figure I am in the minority as to that opinion.

Imo, the biggest thing working against him is that he wasn't the "name hire" that people wanted. If this were someone folks had heard of, no one would be calling for his head.

Do you think that people would be satisfied if they could hire Jack Del Rio, Jeff Fischer, or James Franklin?

I would certainly not discount the issues created by having an interim president. If they were to make a hire now, and then the permanent president was not on board, there would be big issues. So on that, we agree.

 

[OregonDucks]

THE most USC thing ever would be to hire Jack Del Rio or Jeff Fisher.

USC should speak with Stoops. They need a proven college coach.

 

[Shanemansj13]

5-7 USC has decided to keep Clay Helton as head coach:

The worst decision ever. He sucks as a head coach

 

[TheRobotDevil]

THE most USC thing ever would be to hire Jack Del Rio or Jeff Fisher.

USC should speak with Stoops. They need a proven college coach.

My sources are saying SC wants to wait a year. And hire Urban once he's had a year for the headaches to clear up. And he's ready to coach again

emirate @tnapucco

 

[OregonDucks]

USC probably just holding onto Helton until the sanctions are over.