Assessing lure of the USC job
Rick Neuheisel, the former UCLA, Washington and Colorado coach who lives in L.A.; Jim Mora, the former UCLA coach who grew up in L.A. rooting for USC; Dave Wannstedt, the former Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and Pitt head coach who was an assistant at USC in the 1980s; and Mike Stoops, the former Arizona coach, discuss how the USC job is being viewed within the industry.
How good of a job is USC in 2021?
Neuheisel: I think there’s going to be some hesitation for the marquee coach. Because he’s looking at it compared to other marquee jobs. LSU, you’re the only big school in the state. We know what kind of defensive line talent grows up in the state. That’s why Nick Saban left Michigan State for LSU. Louisiana doesn’t have the state income tax that California has. The cost of living is less. But anybody who has been close to the action, who has been in the Pac-12, been in Los Angeles, was around in that Pete Carroll heyday, knows how powerful USC can be. I still believe it’s a top-three job in the country.
Stoops: I always thought that would be a dream job for most coaches. I always looked up to Pete Carroll. They were the standard before Nick Saban’s run. Iconic program with iconic coaches and players.
Wannstedt: It’s a top-10 job. I’m not going to say it’s a top-three job in the country. But I lived it. I recruited players from all over the country, and you go in and you put your hand out and say, “I’m from USC,” you’re going to get players’ attention before you say another word. And that’s what makes USC special, what separates them from a large majority of schools.
Mora: People in the industry still see it as one of the top jobs in the country. Now, whether that’s top five, top 15, I don’t know. I know for certain it used to be viewed as a top-five job. But given the changing climate of college football and the struggles that USC has had over the last several years, and the fact that so many Southern California kids are finding their way down South in recruiting, I don’t know if it’s viewed as a top-five program anymore.
Who would you go after?
Neuheisel: If I were [USC athletic director] Mike Bohn, I would have a phone call into Chris Petersen to see if he’s interested in coming back and putting a team together with his vision. And then the other guy I’d call would be Brian Kelly. Think about it. What else can Kelly do at Notre Dame? He’s been to the playoff, he also coached in a national championship game. He’s never going to be able to recruit the guys that he needs to win that game. He’s already gone past Knute Rockne in wins. His kids are grown. Go live in L.A. where the sun shines all the time and get the recruits you couldn’t get at Notre Dame. It’s one easy pitch: You’ve done what you can do there.
Wannstedt: Who knows? Who would have ever thought Jimbo Fisher would have left Florida State, right? You never know.
Mora: People think I’m crazy when I say this, but I would hire Deion Sanders. Now you can say he’s only coached for two years, but he’s doing it the right way. Deion is an amazing, amazing human being. The “Prime Time” persona was his way of marketing himself, but at the core, he is as fine a human being as you’re going to find. He cares about kids. He’s a big name people would respect immediately. He’s a recruiting magnet. Who wouldn’t want to play for Deion? I think he’s a natural.