Tight End Xavier Grimble Criticizes USC Treatment Of Former Coach Ed Orgeron

Former tight end Xavier Grimble told Fox Sports he would probably still be at USC if Ed Orgeron were the coach.

“No doubt. Without a doubt,” Grimble said.

He also criticized the way Orgeron was treated.

“It’s kind of a slap in the face the way they did it. It was so cutthroat. They made it seem like he never really had a chance. They just strung him along and patted him on the back because he was doing well.

“At the end you could kind of see there was really no shot at him getting the job, but he brought us together so well. He was getting the most out of everybody. Kids that never played during Kiffin’s time were out there making plays and doing well. To see it go that way was heartbreaking.” Full story here

85 thoughts on “Tight End Xavier Grimble Criticizes USC Treatment Of Former Coach Ed Orgeron

  1. Boy – the dude changes his future based on hearsay regarding the coaching hire? I’m sure his heart was in the right place, but what would he have done had Coach O stayed on as the highest paid assistant coach in the nation as USC offered to make him? Would he have stayed? If so, then it’s Coach O’s fault that he went pro. Hey, everyone loves Coach O, but he made it tougher on himself by losing to UCLA the way he did. No adjustments whatsover – they destroyed us in that game. So taking this moral stand on behalf of Coach O based on what you “think” were the reasons for his not being given keys to the kingdom seems like a pretext for your wanting to get paid. But hey, best of luck at the next level regardless, X.

    • SUCC’s FB season was saved by O. W/o him SUCC would have finished as a sub .500 team. As far as the UCLA game is concerned, SUCC needed to start eleven Tiger Panzers to have any chance of winning. Like it or not, UCLA was the superior team. That was not O’s fault. I’m a UCLA homer, but O saved SUCC from total FB disaster and then got screwed for his efforts. So much for SUCC family loyalty. Once a Trojan, always Trojan, unless you lose. LOL.

      • If you’re looking for some support talk to bucket. He has a drawer full of soiled jockstraps!

      • Shouldn’t you know something about the Bruins to consider yourself a homer? We all know you just hate USC. Real Bruins homers go to Bruins boards to talk about their team. They don’t troll USC boards.

        • Since it annoys you, I plan to hang out as much as possible on Wolf’s blog. I don’t have a problem with you making an *ss of yourself every time you post your infantile opinion. It a free country. Try not to forget it.

          • Sure you have freedom of speech. You just don’t ever have a clue. But hey, you want to annoy others. Nice life goal.

          • Did you study under Lawyer John? I’ve never seen anyone as interested in JUMPING up on the Soap Box as you. You are a sanctimonious horses rear end. Do you allow your wife to have spending money…or does she have to check with you before she does the Starbucks thing? The common thread running thru all you ENTITLED Rah Rahs is that you’re all soooooo QUEER and serious! NOT a single ONE OF US takes you silly boys (nubsie, fail, fit un, family, RIP freethinker, El Be Cee, No Neck dude, and Artie…and many many more) seriously. We don’t understand how a “so called Institution of Higher Learning” can continue to FALL FLAT ON ITS FACE, with regularity, while you knuckleheads defend the dump. Do you really think the “Bagdad Bob” approach will continue to work? I guess if you’re SUBJECTIVE, you can rationalize anything…even racism as you’ve already shown us.
            fit Un “my brother”

    • That’s funny, you Sunshine Pumpers were ready to coronate him in the end zone after the Stanford win. The last time a group turned this quick on someone was in Jerusalem 2000 years ago.

      • You really are stupid. Sunshine Pumpers? Orgeron won a huge game against STAN mainly because of luck and turnovers. The Trojans netted something like 23 yds on the ground. Wow, a real powerhouse. They got lucky with an unlikely and incredible FG and the Cardinal QB had a horrible game, falling completely apart in the 4th Q. STAN would beat USC 4 out of 5 times last season, easily. UCLA totally hammered USC at home. Orgeron was never the long term answer and he completely proved it when he left as he did, huffing and puffing, and now sits unemployed in Louisiana some place twiddiling his thumbs instead of making at least 1.5 mil a year as an asst at USC, the so-called school of his dreams. Boy, we really need a smart guy like that running the program. As I said, you are really stupid.

  2. This kid is just being honest, and that’s ok. As a player, he’s gonna have a different view. I think most Trojan fans agreed with how it was handled. Too bad we couldnt convince Coach O to stay.

    • Not so fast, Marv.

      As I think many will, I have mixed reactions.

      (1) I think that Grimble’s experience at USC is a shame in many ways. The poor OL coaching and flawed OL recruiting, combined with Kiffin’s inflexible slavishness to his favorite offensive principles, despite their repeated ineffectiveness, rendered Grimble mostly an offensive lineman (Telfer, too). And that’s a shame.

      (2) Haden is no smooth operator. I glossed over his maladroit, if overdue, firing of Kiffin. But then he grossly mismanaged the Orgeron situation. Personally, I DON’T think Orgeron was the right long-term hire. Grimble and the Orgeron
      contingent conveniently forget the UCLA game, and Notre Dame, along with the second half of the Stanford game. Again, just my opinion, but I
      doubt that Orgeron really knows what to do with the USC offense. And USC’s defense in the UCLA game? Don’t remind me. Still, Haden did not
      correctly assess the sensitivities, or take smart moves to navigate them. That’s just a fact, except to a blatant apologist. Haden is a trainee, and he should have hired an old pro to counsel him, not J.K. McKay.

      (3) As to the early loss of Grimble, it’s less of a problem than other departures (not Grimble’s fault). I wonder a little who else left for the same or related reasons? Every enterprise pays a price
      for tolerating inflexibility and failure to acknowledge and solve problems (Kiffin), and underdeveloped emotional intelligence (Kiffin AND
      Haden).

      Hopefully, the new staff will do better with all of it.

      • So it sounds like you agree that Coach O wasn’t the right solution either. Which is what I said. You just took the long way to get there.

        • Yes or no is for texting, not analysis. I would not want Orgeron matching wits with the best, and I think that’s who USC should hire. That’s not the point. You agreed with “how it was handled”. As I thought made clear, I did not and do not agree with HOW a lot of things have been handled.

          • I agree with you on that as well, but I think things could have turned out worse. We won 10 games in a probation year where we had 3 or 4 coaches.

      • Yawn. The new Sark staff will go 7- 6, as in UDub part deux. You heard it hear first. SUCC crumbles on.

        • Well, that is the question, Trop degueulasse. We’ll see. It would seem to turn on whether he and Wilcox will get different results with the best recruits. Not the best by heads and shoulders, like 2003-2006, but the best by a smaller margin. It will or won’t work out.

          In answer to your other remark, no, I don’t see Mora at UCLA for the 2016 season; maybe not 2015. Could happen. Could be replaced by a better coach. Just unknown.

  3. May as well copy and paste the entire article while you’re at it, Gargamel…

    As for what Grimble said there’s a reason why SC did not hire him and no one else did, for that matter, just as there’s a reason why Gargamel is still blogging for the Daily News and linking to other reporter’s work

  4. good reminder how Hadden has F’ed up every major men’s sports hire!!

    From the bus ambush of Kiff to the rigged game against CEO, the embarrassingly desperate attempt to hire Savage, to, finally bringing Dunk City, I mean Punk City to the Gaylen!!!

    Amazing how Hadden makes even Sith Lord Garrett seem like John McKay!!

    • Charlie, enjoy your minute of hyperbolic fame. Mora is not long for CFB. When it happens, remember who told you it would. 🙂

      • That’s what we used to say about Carroll when he was outcoaching UCLA! Keep dreaming Bendover.

        • Pay attention, Lad. He didn’t even interview Texas. Because of his ties to UCLA? Possible, but don’t bet it.

        • It’s been 15 seasons since the ruins played a football game at the RB in January. How can that be when you claim to own it?

      • The Booty Factor Pontification! BTW Booty, UCLA BB now 20 – 5 after beating Utah today. The UGC/SUCC team will not win more than 3 games in conference. “When it happens just remember who told you it would.”

      • Whether Jim Mora stays or goes at f ucla has nothing to do with Pat Haden’s terrible record of hires as AD. Why don’t you address what he said about Haden instead of making a kneejerk Sunshine Pumper reaction.

  5. Figures he’d kiss O’s rear end. I just got a call from the Big O Car Wash manager (an old ucla grad I met when he used to mow my lawn). He said X was getting FREE spray wax AND air freshener. He also told me that X was offered the Manager’s position by “O”. What a slap in the face to the poor manager. But he also said that bucket’s job of cleaning the heads was not in jeopardy.

  6. You guys will somehow blame sanctions when you lose to us in our house this November, despite the fact that:
    1. Your program is in shambles, having whiffed on hiring an A-level coach (no Gruden, Saban, and then wham!, kicked in the jingles by Peterson snubbing SC for UW).
    2. Pat Haden mismanagement of the Kiffin hire, the Orgeron transition (wow, talk about a bungle!), and then settling for second-tier P12 mediocrity in Sark.
    3. Kiffin’s ability to nearly single-handedly alienate or tick off players, fans, and alumni.
    4. Players who have been tossed around by so many coaching changes they don’t even know who they are playing for any longer. No wonder Grimble and co. jumped ship for the NFL!

    We will see you again in 2017, when you might be able to challenge again for the Victory Bell. Though, I’m sensing another 8-game streak over the gutty little troggies.

    • It doesn’t work that way. You are the little gutties and have been since the ’60’s. Trojans OWN ucla 46-30. You’ve won two in a row. Whoppee. Congrats on your highlight – the lowly Sun Bowl! That’s bruinville for you. Land of the little gutties, where the Rose Bowl is just a dream. USC will be at full strength soon and kicking you around as usual. Peterson was never offered the job, Orgeron never deserved it, Kiffin’s gone and Griffin’s always been over-rated. Glad he’s gone too. Glad you’re here Troll. Always fun to beat you up.

      • Jack, that little vein in the center of your forehead is popping out again…but I digress. I know if makes your blood boil, but you know the truth: Victors set the rules, not losers. Man, the way the gutty little troggies were manhandled by Barr, Marsh and company this year–sad. But even sadder was how your boys gave up by the end of the third quarter. You are now the inferior program in L.A. (you know it), and Mora, Hundley, and Jack have NEVER tasted defeat at the hands of pUSC. 35-14…now THAT’S getting beat up!
        #3peatinnovember
        #uclaownsla

        • Boiling blood and getting beat up is 50-0. Then the schoiie restrictions kicked in. We still beat you on LOI Day with our hand tied behind our back. And the Sun Bowl is your crowning glory. Sorry you can’t ever beat ORE or STAN. It’s that little guttie lifetime self-imposed probation thing. You know…1/2 national championship in forever. Nice boy.

          • Scoreboard, little gutty. 35-14 beat down of a team that flat-out gave up… Beat a rival once in a while (0-4 past two years!) and you can start winning back some national relevance. Right now? Not so much.

          • Maybe some day you’ll win a Rose Bowl – you know, the place you RENT for use until the big boys come to play in the big game. Until then, you’re just another mediocre team scratching to get to the Sun Bowl and trying to improve on 30-46, your all-time crap record against USC. Try finishing in the top ten for once little gutty. Do you even remember the last time that happened? Maybe it’s in some dusty archive or something.

          • Jacky B has plagiarized word for word chapter 787 of the unoriginal Kornwhole Chronicles. Yawn.

          • Who needs excuses urine boy? 46-30. We own you punk. You’ve only beat us 3X in the last 15 years and you are stuck with celebrating over your worthless Sun Bowl victory. Thanks for bending over daily as a Troll. This is too easy.

      • On the surface that may be true. As I recall SUCC did the same thing after the 2011 10 win season. Kiffy was yuking it up about sanctions, what sanctions. SUCC fan arrogantly glowed SUCC rules. That class was the prelude to the “Unfinished Business” season.

        • The question remains, why were you out-recruited by USC? Cat still got your Troll tongue? Thought so.

          • Jackie boy, I will say this again, on the surface what you say may be true. As Jim Rockford once said, “It’s not what you see, but what you think you see.” There is not doubt SUCC had a great year recruiting. But, none of the “Big Three” SUCC signed would have played at UCLA. Mama would not have cracked the UCLA OL as a freshman. UCLA is overloaded w/ returning, outstanding CBs and Safeties, which means Smith and Jackson would waste a year on minimal playing time. The “Big Three” will be given more opportunity to play as Freshman at SUCC ,because SUCC needs all the help it can get and will need to rely on Freshman players. The “Big Three” went where playing time is available and signed with SUCC.

          • What took you so long to answer? What is still perplexing is why you little gutties wasted so much time on the big three when you knew all along they would choose USC because it’s a better opportunity. Not exactly quick studies, you bruins.

          • We did fine through the sanctions, even with four coaches. Not our usual elite selves, of course, but two ten-win seasons in the last three years would be historic at a place like little gutty land. For USC, we call ’em the down years. As I said, you’re not exactly a quick study. You stupid ucla Trolls are all the same. As far as cheating goes, Wooden invented it. You still defend it. Makes me laugh!

          • Clueless!… If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance than baffle them with bullshlt! What a class act!

      • Congrats. Too bad the rank of one’s recruiting class has zero to do with beating one’s rivals. LULZ.

          • Anybody from UCLA who says he owns the Rose Bowl (which you don’t as you only rent it on a few Saturdays before the bowl season starts) is undeniably stupid. Sad? No. You’re just stupid, plain and simple. Another hint for your feeble brain. We own you 46-30 all time. You’ll never catch us. Never. Nice to know you’ll always be second fiddle to USC. Deal with it.

          • Name calling is for losers. Victors don’t need to resort to such sad tactics. Sad gutty little troggies, living off the fumes of yesteryear. That’s all you have now that UCLA has become the premier program in Los Angeles. Come on out to our house in November–it’s safe, clean, and you don’t have to worry about someone stealing your tires during the game. Brett Hundley looks forward to the three peat.

          • Since you called me a name: “sad gutty little troggy” you are officially a self-described loser. As I said, you’re unbelievably stupid. 46-30 all-time. 50-0 just three games ago. You’ll never catch us. Hah!

          • Now Jack, I didn’t call YOU a name, I called your gutty little troggies (plural) sad. I mean, weren’t you surprised when they just laid down and gave up to the tougher, harder hitting, superior Bruins? Don’t lose hope though–you guys might be able to stay within two touchdowns this year, as opposed to the humiliating blowout last year. It will be a nice moral victory anyway.

          • Get back to me when you understand the difference between renting and owning. Until then, you’re just a fraud. You must still be a renter. When you actually buy your own pad, you’ll understand the huge difference. And no, I wasn’t surprised we lost big last year. With about 50 scholarship guys and no real HC, beating STAN was the best we could have hoped for. Too bad your so-called superior little gutties couldn’t do it. You might have even cracked the top 10 for the first time since the ice age. That would be a nice moral victory for you, but alas, your little gutties crumbled again. Better luck next year. I actually think you’ve finally got the team to do it.

          • A quick run through your comments shows racist crap like “Sarkiffian.” Plus, you spend your entire time on a rivals blog when you clearly are rooting for the underdog program. It’s an underdog for a reason. That’s loser behavior.

          • Mashing up the names Kiffin and Sarkisian is about as racist as saying “Bradjolina.” Nice try, FO, but another swing and a miss. LULZ.

          • UCLA rents the Rose Bowl a beautiful, modern FB stadium recently featured as host for the last BCS Bowl. On the other hand SUCC leases the crumbling LA Memorial Mausoleum: Home to Various rodents, homeless winos, and a past history nobody cares about. No wonder SUCC cares so much about its RB appearances, the games are in a better neighborhood.

          • Too bad you never get to play at your rented facility during bowl season, when the big boys come in to show their dominance. Do you ever go to those other really important bowl games at the RB just to see what it’s like when games featuring top-notch teams show up?

          • I know all about the Rose Bowl. USC has won almost 25 of those muthas, a landslide margin over any other school in the world. I think the little gutties have won about 5. Excuse me. I’m trying to stifle a laugh.

          • What decade was it when you won your last conference title? I’m sure you were still running around in diapers

    • Serious dude, What the fuc is wrong with you? Antagonizing people 24/7 on this blog seems to be the whole focus of your pathetic life. It truly must suck to be you!

      PS…something keeps leaking out your slanted clam. You might want to see Dr. T bone!

    • You take the time writing an essay above and you forget: it was the game BEFORE the USC game that you guys choked.

      No matter how much you brag about winning the 2nd time in 7 years, if you beat ASU, it would’ve been for the Pac-12 South.

      We have the issues of 1-4. We still won 10 games.

      You guys had the best recruiting class in a long time, a highly desired coach, and a heisman candidate. You guys won….

      The Sun Bowl.

  7. File this one under….The Check’s in the mail…..I Love You and….Torgans Forever/Torgan Family…..Garrett was 100% Right….”We’re all jealous”. Hahahahahahahahahahaha!
    Must be the wino urine.
    Fit Un!

  8. Who cares? The Grimble family shows no support of USC as Jalen, once a USC lock, is now in Corvallis. So shut the F up Grimbles! Thanks Xavier for your time here….now go away.

  9. I said it before: O never had a chance at the job. There would be even more external pressure had O won out at ND and UCLA, but Sark was the target from the beginning. All of the talk about hiring a firm to check out coaches, meeting up with the Denver DC, etc. Haden had an idea in the back of his mind the whole time about who was going to be chosen.

  10. Nothing to see here folks, just another disgruntled “elite” 5* who couldn’t deal with The Three Amigos Lame/CEO/Hadden Bullll shiiiiiit anymore!

    • Artey Baby, that’s your first reasonable comment this blog I’ve read. I’m so impressed I’m issuing you several common sense points. Congratulations.

  11. Interesting that all of the comments are on Scott’s usual cut & paste off the internet.

    For those who read the Fox article, they’ll see that the focus is on GRIMBLE. He seems to be quite a steal of the draft and was overlooked by his coach. Another factor that Grimble didn’t mention was splitting his duties with another promising TE: Randall Telfer. Curious to why he didn’t say that was one of the reasons he didn’t get the ball?

    Despite what Scott Bucket chose as the title, the title of the original article doesn’t even mention coach O. In fact, it’s not mentioned until the last sentence of the article.

    • Telfer could have been one factor, had Telfer not gotten injured twice. If he makes it all the way through 2014, the TE problem will be solved. He’s very good.

      What sank Grimble was the need to block all the time bc of OL weakness, and Kiffin’s “strategy.”

      • Even with sanctions aside, the injury bug was abnormally high, especially in the past 2 seasons.

        I wonder if they had the same strength and conditioning program as the Lakers.

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