Now that Washington’s season is officially over, defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox (right) will join USC’s staff, perhaps as soon as today. Washington assistant Marques Tuiasosopo (left) has been offered the tight ends job at USC and Washington, so he needs to make a decision.

If Tuiasosopo joins, USC will have five former Washington assistants on the staff with Johnny Nansen, Keith Heyward and Peter Sirmon already working for the Trojans.

USC center Marcus Martin announced via twitter that he would make himself available for the NFL Draft. Martin is a big loss because USC is thin at center. This might mean Max Tuerk goes back to center. Recruit Toa Lobendahn will also be a center.

Rudy Gutierrez/El Paso Times

I wasn’t sure UCLA coach Jim Mora would don a sombrero after Lane Kiffin awkwardly did last season. But Mora was game for it when UCLA arrived in El Paso.

If you forgot Kiffin’s arrival, picture after the jump:

Continue reading “Compare Jim Mora Donning Sombrero To Lane Kiffin” »

When Pete Carroll lost to Cal in 2003, he then tried to get Bears coach Jeff Tedford jobs at Nebraska and the Chicago Bears. Carroll told me he wanted to get Tedford out of the Pac-10 because he was competition.

In retrospect, it might seem foolish but remember Tedford nearly beat USC in 2004 too. Carroll wasn’t too happy when Jim Harbaugh (above) was at Stanford. So what fear does USC strike throughout the Pac-12 now?

Coaches were pretty happy when Lane Kiffin was at USC. What about Steve Sarkisian? I’d say the consensus within the conference is things will be tougher than under Kiffin but no one is really too disturbed about it either.

Steve Sarkisian’s told some inside the program that Cody Kessler is speedy enough to run his no-huddle offense. Kessler’s foot speed was not a strength this past season. But there seems to be a rush right now to say USC must use a fast quarterback for Sarkisian’s offense.

The fact Jalen Greene recently committed bolsters this viewpoint. But let’s remember he was headed to Boise State until the Sarkisian-Chris Petersen dominoes started falling. At the end of the day, Sarkisian is not stupid. If Kessler is the best, he will run the no-huddle. If Max Browne is the best, then he will run it. And no one seems to realize Max Wittek is probably the fastest of the three on the current roster.

This May will see the release of the Jon Hamm-movie, “Million Dollar Arm,” which revolves around a baseball agent who brings two cricket players from India to play baseball in the United States. In real life, the players trained at USC.

One of the movie’s main characters is former USC pitching coach Tom House, who trained the players. Obviously if the players were star players for USC in the past 10 years, the movie would be a fantasy.

I’m hearing defensive tackle George Uko’s chances of returning are 80 percent and he would only go pro with an outstanding draft evaluation.