USC Morning Buzz

GRUDENHere’s my story this morning on how USC is interested in Jon Gruden and Ed Orgeron probably won’t be a candidate even after beating Oregon State. Full story here

Meanwhile, CBS Sports.com reports USC already interviewed former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith. Hopefully someone who has been a college head coach will get interviewed too.

28 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz

  1. Where is a story? This has been reported on all week concerning coaching.I’d like to hear some analysis concerning Gruden as possible coach, could he be interested? Coach O has let it be known he’d like to stay on at USC if the new coach will have him.which tells you about his true chance at HC.your article is like your blog a few paragraphs with little or no substance

  2. I don’t like Gruden’s personality, at least the one he shows as a t.v. commentator. He seems to be a know-it-all type and I don’t know if teenagers (recruits) would take to him.

    • He certainly has swagger! Recruits like that. And the fact he has a Super Bowl ring will help as this is the ultimate goal of these recruits and their parents.

    • I want a know- it-all. It’s a nice contrast to Kiffin’s Sergeant Schulz approach to football “I know nothing!”

  3. The story on Gruden must have been written in invisible ink.

    Scottie: I really find it incredulous that you write Orgeron has no chance of being the next coach after beating OSU. Do you really think that thought came to Haden following the game? The source of your content is no less “Inside USC” as it is “Inside Haden.”

  4. Sorry guys. We’re not going to get a big name coach. There is nothing but downside for a Gruden or Smith to take this job. They can get USC HC money elsewhere without the strict accountability for wins and losses every year, and the damage that not winning the Pac 12 would do to their reps.

    I’d say that Coach O has a great shot if the Trojans win 2/4 including UCLA. Shoe-in if they beat Stanford.

    • I don’t know maybe Gruden does a ‘Saban’ in reverse – Super Bowl winner to USC (fails at) back to the NFL with a diferent team for another Super Bowl winner- a joke.

      Nonetheless you actually believe Grden won’t be held under a microscope wherever he ends up? Sure he will ‘but’ he’s seeing every week – after – week the draft picks out of USC playing on Sundays and more important can see their weaknesses as he critques them that he (remember ego?) believes he would have ‘fixed’ in college play.

      Great coaches have to have talent no one wins w.o. the talent and talent doesn’t win w.o. a great coach.

      Totally upside for Gruden – 2nd largest marketplace in the USA and coach of the most penalized and mocked program in the USA.

      This move would make Saban retire

    • If they beat UCLA they better win 3 of 4. Losing to Cal or Colorado is downright Kiffinesque

  5. Both gruden and lovie smith seem like great hires and there personality seems more for college since the elite players will only be their for 3 years and most four to five years. I think nfl players get tired after a few years of their style and that usually their downfall. Remember gruden recruited nfl players to play in oakland.

    • I agree about the impact Gruden or any coach has on 18-22 yr. olds compared to >23 yr. olds – he would be an immediate magnet for any player having a shot at the NFL because 1. his coach is Gruden and 2. he plays for Troy. All players from USC get a looksie – Matt Cassell hardly played one down behind Palmer.

      If Haden lures in Gruden then Saban well begin making plans to leave AL.

  6. There are few coaches like gruden out their. If they hire gruden it won’t be if they win a national championship but a matter of when.

  7. I don’t need to say a word on the quality of reporting here, you guys pretty much covered it.

    Gruden is the man. He has the personality to recruit well, lead a team, teach young players, and coach. He has the experience and ability and passion to teach the team how to win and that is rare. Give O the lifetime contract, period. Anybody that thinks Gruden isn’t the right choice is nuts. Lets build a new dynasty and start it with Gruden. Not that the other guys are no good, it’s just Gruden is the match we need.

    • Steve, Gruden has mentioned an appetite to return to coaching, but did he ever say he wanted to coach CFB? I haven’t read that anywhere.

      I’m not sure about this, and maybe you know: what Superbowl winning coach has ever taken an HC job in CFB?

      When a coach has never coached CFB, and is considered one of the best and best-known commentators in NFL TV broadcasting, there is an implicit risk with hiring him. He doesn’t know firsthand what he’s getting into. The job is a lot of work, and as Monty Kiffin found, quite different from coaching in the NFL. If the job turns out to have a lot of unexpected annoyances, etc. and is not what he thought it would be, he could leave in a NY minute for a higher paying, easier broadcast job.

      When his name recently surfaced on CBS, I watched some excerpts from his QB camp. Yes, he could form strong relationships with ambitious, USC-type players–if he wanted to. Yes, he could use his Superbowl victory and media fame to bowl over prospects and their families–if he wanted to. Yes, he must know quite a bit about football coaching, and is young enough to adapt it to the CFB game–if he wanted to.

      I just don’t see the “if he wanted to” part of that as likely at all. I could certainly be wrong. But I have yet to hear any evidence that he wants to coach college now, and I can easily understand his sentiment if he doesn’t. I would say that he has it very good right now, wouldn’t you?

      We’ll see what happens. I have no doubt that Haden will enquire, or has enquired.

      Personally, I do believe Haden that he hasn’t ruled out Orgeron. He’s not like Kiffin; he assimilates new information, and deliberates what it means. Kiffin lost his job because of new information that Haden observed/acquired. Haden can see Orgeron’s bond with the players, the greater enthusiasm, and the improved effort level on the field. He knows that OSU was favored, and that USC had struggled there. He’d be foolish to rule out Orgeron right now, just as he’d be foolish not to seriously look at all the possibilities. He’s looking for the best possible outcome, and doing his job in a thorough way, as he is supposed to. Am I wrong?

    • Since you are in Pipe Dreams, why not Bill Billichek? There should be plenty of NFL jobs available next year and the year after if Chuckie wanted to get back into coaching!

  8. Gruden to SUC – zero chance. Why would he want to risk his coaching legacy as SUC’s HC. There is absolutely no upside for JG at SUC. You think JG wants to wander the US begging bubble gum recruits to play for good old SUC. I think not.

  9. Does anyone have any news on what Gruden’s thoughts might be on being USC’s next HC? Tired of hearing about what the media thinks, or does not think about it.. How does he feel about it, and is it a possibility?

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