USC Sunday Buzz: It’s Time To Play Coaching Staff Roulette

1966.USC.STAFF

In the first of a new series, I am going to randomly pick a USC coaching staff of the past and look at its accomplishments. One reason is because every time someone gets hired at USC (like Lane Kiffin) they say they are hiring the best staff in America. And they do not. Well, let’s see how the staff of the past compared.

Here’s a look at some of the 1965 coach staff: Mike Giddings was the head coach at the University of Utah in 1966-67 and also became head coach of the Hawaii World Football League team. Craig Fertig, a former USC player, became the head coach at Oregon State from 1976-79. Charlie Hall became the director of player personnel for the Houston Oilers.

Mel Hein was the NFL’s MVP in 1938 as a center. A center! An eight-time all-pro center, he was a charter member of the NFL Hall of Fame in 1963. Imagine that background for a coach today. Jim Stangeland, a former USC player, led Long Beach State and Long Beach City College to its greatest success, including a national title at Long Beach City in 1964.

Dave Levy was just inducted into the USC Hall of Fame and considered one of the greatest, if not greatest, assistant coaches in school history. He also was an offensive coordinator in the NFL.

And of course, there’s Marv Goux, who is simply the most inspirational coach in USC history, not to mention a former player.

39 thoughts on “USC Sunday Buzz: It’s Time To Play Coaching Staff Roulette

  1. That’s great Scott! Would you do that for us? I think at the same time I will start a series of articles on beat writers covering USC sports. I should start with the good ones like Allan Malamud and end with the worst ever Scott Wolf. Sound good to you?

      • Too late for that, the undertaking would be akin to teaching an old dog new tricks… better off just taking it out back behind barn

    • Malamud stopped covering local sports teams in 74, that’s when he started his ” notes on a scorecard ” column, I doubt he was ever a true beat reporter and if actually was, it wasn’t for long. Loel Schrader , Mal Florence, now you’re talking

    • Braven Dyer was my favorite,Mal Florence,Jim Murray pretty good too…continue with your project…I do like wolfs coaching staff ideas…it brings fond memories of some ‘real’ football coaches…

  2. Giddings was a true character. He also coached high school football in Orange County in the 80’s. The players were in awe of him.

      • Huntington Beach. …my sister lives in Newport, near Promontory Point. ..how about you?

        • I lived in Newport for a long time. I live in Huntington now. I knew a lot of guys who played for giddings.

          • I remember the Golden Bear when I lived in HB, now downtown is Newport lite, or have the thugs from the IE destroyed that too?

          • Huntington is definitely nicer than it was 20 years ago. But it still has a long ways to go to match the narcissism of Newport Beach.

          • You know it! …Kobe Bryant’s wife and Pierce Brosnan’s wife both c attended Marina …and Mark McGwire used to live in Huntington Harbour. …and Tony Gonzalez just sold his home in HB..

          • I agree. ..Newport seemingly has a higher percentage of fake people than any place I’ve been. …and it’s gotten worse over the past 20 years. …

    • I played with Mike Giddings Jr. at Orange Coast College in the early 80’s.

      • Mike giddings sr. Was the head coach at Newport harbor high school back in the 80’s. His players worshipped him. They were always talking about him. He was a very good coach. He was very brash, and it rubbed some people the wrong way, though, mostly opponents.

      • OCC’s football coach was their golf coach, same for Golden West, good old Ray Shackelford

  3. The Trojans lost to both ND and ucla that year. The next season was not any better losing to ucla and ND at home by 51 – 0 travesty. That kind of coaching you can have in my book. Ed Orgeron was a close 2nd to Goux for inspiration with more time at the school would have been his equal.

    • Coach O was a poor man’s Goux. Marv was the fiercest coach I ever saw.

      Dave Levy was a man of organization.

      • Levy was a very good assistant for the offense.
        Goux was good in his day which would not be so revered with today’s players. Orgeron didn’t lose 51 – 0 in the Coliseum to ND.

        • So Oregon was a better coach than McKay? Neither lost to 40+ underdog Stanford at home, so both must be better than PC.

  4. If McKay were at USC now Wolfie, he’d have you on your knees sweeping his Nike shoes at the bottom of his likeness.

  5. McKay always had excellent assistant’s, that’s because people wanted to work for him ( Joe Gibbs for one ), knowing that it would lead to better jobs. The current head coach can’t attract decent coaches, they know he’s a dope.

  6. Not such an interesting story franchise, Scottie. I wouldn’t waste your time on it. Not that you care what your readers think on that score. (I wouldn’t either.) So ignore at will.

  7. GEEZ LOUISE!!! even tho wolfman HEAPS PRAISE on the former trOXan staff, the thin-skinned overly DEFENDIVE trOXans get all butt-hurt!!!

    Get this STRAIGHT, Dummies…wolfman prints the TRUTH, good or BAD!

    there just happen to be lots of BAD lately!!!

    #ItsLikeThat

    • Sorry charlie i disagree with ya on some of that. I can’t remember how many times wolfy wrote negatively about the Leinart led teams. It was funny how he tried to pass off some of what he wrote as being complimentary. Hmmm so i guess i should just shut up and be entertained. Thanks for the session chuck.

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