Blame Pat Haden

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sark-hadenWhy does it take Washington’s 44-6 victory over Stanford for twitter to erupt that USC should have hired Chris Petersen? He was a good coach in 2013 too. Let’s remember J.K. McKay’s radio interview two weeks ago. “There were very few people interested in the USC job at that time,” McKay said of the 2013 coaching search. You just cannot underestimate the damage Pat Haden did to the football program.

153 thoughts on “Blame Pat Haden”

  1. Haden not only set back SC football years but he also robbed them by increasing his own pay. What a piece of work. I wish UCLA would hire him. Lol.

    • Slowly but surely, the entire phony facad that Pat Haden spent years cultivating is crumbling before our eyes. I seriously doubt that he ever shows his face at a USC game again.

    • My family has had season seats since the 60’s. My grandparents before that.. I inherited my father’s in the 90’s.. I have been giving mine to employees. One game was enough to see them, I will go til a new HC is hired!

      • You give your Cow Poly soccer season tickets to your fellow law mowers, CowPolyFan3.0? Isn’t it a long commute from Las Vegas to SLO just to see a soccer match?

          • And the guy that wishes to be a sitcom writer from Santa Clarita.. 3 little short films under his belt.. Ahhh waiting tables is your career .. You suck at movie making .. And your wife is ugly.. Ucla grad my behind.. Lol Mr COC!

          • Or are you the “wannabe” sports blogger from the Conejo Valley.. Who still lives with his inlaws. Loser!

    • The Dr. Rachel Maddow of USC says he is not turning UW into a national power. She actually thinks he was gravytraining off Sark’s recruits!

  3. Wolfie, you’re so right my man. Haden has some of us longing for the Paul Hackett days again. Not really, but SC football has a long road ahead of them.

    • A long, long, long, long, long, long road. Wait until PP gets on air, even Cowherd. Gomer, his staff, Haden and Nikias better all be ready for some rain they haven’t ever experienced before. I predict floods with no emergency trucks available.

    • You’d be amazed how many don’t feel the same about Haden. The poor handling of the football program was one thing. The charity deal put him in The Shallows for many SC people.

        • He was truly the Golden Boy. I went to school with him and he was a helluva guy. Probably the most well-rounded, polite, successful, worthy person many of us came across. He was a superstar who was somehow a regular dude.

          I can’t think of a person who has taken a bigger fall in the last four years. People are shocked. When the L.A. Times article came out, it was like a bomb went off on his rep. There was nothing to say.

          • He was a partner in my cousin’s investment firm at one time . know Pat, what came out was horrible, lost all respect for him and his family.

  5. Recent speculation where Les Miles ends up:

    1) Kentucky
    2) Houston
    3) OK St.
    4) Mississippi St.
    5) Purdue

  6. I HATE Pat HATIN’! University of washingtwelve was comfortably under foot with doog fans barking for Sark and Haden ruined it all! They were supposed to be washingteen this year. Get your filthy rich donors to put up some $$$ and hire Peterson away from the mutts??

  7. Pat Haden looks like the buffoon I always thought he was. And I guess he woke up one day, and said “I’m smarter than everyone else, so I’ll hire Steve Sarkisian without a real coaching search” …Dummy

    • No way!
      They had a highly recognized firm do a National Search!
      You heard him!
      Wonder what that cost?

      • Yeah, he had a relative call a few coaches, then probably charged USC $300, 000 dollars for a coaching search fee. Then he split it with that relative, 80/20 with Haden getting the bigger half. I wouldn’t put it past his greedy behind.

  8. This is the biggest win in nearly 15 years for UW. The eyes have it. He beat the big bully today. Convincingly. Thanks Patty!

    • And the Dr Rachel Maddow of Inside USC misdiagnosed that Chris Petersen was a poor head coach and Haden was right to hire the drunk instead.

    • Add the sanctions and the Haden era together and you get the current state of SC football….rock bottom.

      • I agree. We’re bad. This is rock bottom. We’re like the alky who can’t see what everyone else does. Too bad they don’t have coaching rehab.

  11. “What did you see in Steve Sarkisian that made you choose him as head coach instead of Chris Peterson?”

    I don’t think anyone in the LA sports press has ever asked this to Pat Haden, this directly. Not that he would answer that question, but his reaction alone would be worth asking.

    Because isn’t that the question? What did you see in Sark that you didn’t see in Peterson? I wish someone in the LA sports press, when they have the opportunity, this simple question: Why Sark over Peterson? That’s the only question that matters.

    • I saw him interviewed live immed after the Drunk was hired and I distinctly recall Haden saying it was a very tough decision, made right at the very end and that he just went with his “gut.” He may have used that exact term. Whether he did or not, he never let on that Petersen turned down the job or that he always knew the Drunk was his man, as some claim.

      There was a lot of special interest by reporters because they had all reported the night before the announcement that Petersen was going to be named USC’s HC. That’s what every paper said that covered the hiring. Everyone wanted to know why the late switch? But Haden never admitted to any switch. He just said it was a tough call and that he followed his instincts, or his “gut.”

      • Real simple in the end, Peterson did not “Know USC”, he was a winner, but didn’t fit the country club mold Haden and Nikias looks for. Peterson was his own man and still is, and now we will face him for years to come.

        • It’s ironic that Pat’s hire would end up making a fool of himself in front of all the country club set.

    • Because Cutty Sark is the only one that would take the job. Nobody wanted to work for PH.

        • Correction:
          Cutty Sark knew his time was up at WA! He couldn’t BS them anymore! Time to move his drunk party to LA!

    • Ask the Dr. Rachel Maddow of Inside USC. She still defends the Sark hire and trashes Petersen every chance she gets.

  12. So besides the SC game, is anyone going to tune in to Wisconsin vs Michigan or Louisville vs Clemson? By the way, I know he has baggage but I think it would be a monster upgrade to have Petrino as SC’s new head coach.

    • The main reason Gomer was hired is because Nikias and the BOTs wanted a no-baggage guy who would never be the source of any drama after the volatile Kiffer and Sark situations. Unfortunately, we also got a guy who has only journeyman coaching talent. Petrino would bring greatness back to USC, but because he messed with a secretary, USC would never consider him. USC seems to pick and choose its acceptable baggage very carefully.

      • I don’t think it was just a secretary. There was more to that. She was either married and/or was a student. My mind is a little fuzzy on the matter, but I recall there was a little extra to the story.

        • My point is USC is currently the king of programs with baggage and may as well be known as the Drama Queen Capital of College Football. Whether it’s coaches, players, ADs or on-the-field wipe-outs, nobody beats SC for recent misbehavior and laughableness. We’ve come a long way baby. Unfortunately, it’s been in the wrong direction at USC.

        • It was his secretary and he had a motorcycle accident apparently with her aboard, and tried to not talk about it, which played into the idea of him being an immoral guy from somewhere out West.

          Just like Malzahn missing out on one job because she said she thought their Black QB was a handsome young man.

          If you win and come across as a good ole boy that fits the culture, you can be drunk and chase bimbos and be a legend. That goes for out West and in the South (or anywhere else). We all heard about the CPC stuff but Pete was the man, he is 100% California.

          Look at our hires to this point. Petrino would probably be the best personal behavior moral representative of any coach we’ve had for decades.

        • So what’s your plan Fred? You’re SC’s AD for the next four months. Who do you hire and why? If you don’t have any answers, you’re as bad as the rest of us.

          • I’m all on board for the obvious, and that’s Tom Herman. But since LSU has come into play he’s not going to be a lock for USC. And there’s a slight chance Texas may come into the picture unless Charlie Strong picks it up a notch . The only advantage SC has over the other schools for Herman’s services, is that he’s a California guy. The Trojans need a winner with strong leadership skills, and that can come in the former of a nfl coach, we have the money, and lifestyle to pry somebody away. An established head coach in the nfl, or college level will attract the best coordinators, and assistants available. I personally like the Shaun Peyton rumor, and I know it’s a long shot, but let’s hear him come out, and say no.

          • Sean Payton rumor…I haven’t heard that one until now. Is he looking to get out of New Orleans?

          • Colin Cowherd Said He Heard From A Inside Source, THAT Lynn Swann may approach him.

          • Yeah that makes sense – might as well have Vin Scully in to – we can use all the egomaniacs there are out there cuz’ they’re all experts.

          • Personally, I think we have to empty the vault since we’re looking for the guy who needs to be here for about 10 years and win big most the time.

            We need Herman and he’s from southern Calif. He’s perfect. He’s got the background and experience and youth to make him the guy we shouldn’t let anyone beat us out for. Simple as that. If we let someone outbid us for Herman then we obviously aren’t ready to be ALA, OHIO ST or MICH. All those programs stunk before they said enough is enough. Herman’s a much better option than Peyton who doesn’t know diddly squat about the college game or recruiting. I’d go for super long shot Petrino way before I’d go for Peyton, who is just another NFL also-ran as of now. Jimbo Fisher’s FSU team is getting routed again. Good. Maybe he’ll finally say yes to LSU and take them off our hands as a competitor.

          • Before people start going crazy over Jimbo Fisher, they may want to ask themselves why is his cookie is crumbling at Florida state. And as far as Sean Payton goes, he actually spent 8 years at the college level. And he even had a hand in Marshall Faulks development during his record breaking years at San Diego State. Bill Parcells recognized his leadership skills, and hired him as an assistant for the New York Giants.

          • You take Payton, fine. The guy hasn’t been in the college game in 20 years and for the last three in the NFL, the Saints have been horrible, not even making the playoffs. Marshall Faulks didn’t need Peyton to be great. Are you serious or just going soft on me?

            Peyton knows zilch about the current college game. It looks like he knows nothing about the current NFL either, which is the only reason his name comes up. Cowherd was talking him up before the Gomer hire too. He’s not only a coaching retread, he’s a rumor retread.

            I’ve gotta laugh though that you say he developed Faulks. Faulks would have been just as good if he never saw Peyton in his life.

          • Pete Carroll had many years go by since he was a college assist, and he was also a victim of bad circumstances when he was a nfl coach. And that made no difference in his success at USC . But again, I’m not pushing for Peyton, I just said he would be a great candidate if SC can’t hire someone away from another college gig.

          • Pete Carroll has nothing to do with Peyton and never will. You could pick 100 names out of a hat who were successful as coaches and make an argument that they somehow justify a hiring of Peyton on the downslide.

            If we get stuck with also-ran Peyton, it wouldn’t surprise me since they’re getting sick of his track record in NO.

            The problem is, USC usually, make that always, settles for second, third or fourth choice because we have to and usually it doesn’t work out. We’re on a particularly bad streak of the worst HCs ever and we need a shot in the arm in the worst way.

            And here we have a unique opportunity. We have the greatest young coach in the game (it’s unanimous and that’s rare) and he’s from southern Calif. If he were from Alabama, Michigan, Florida, Texas or Ohio, I’d say big long shot, we probably won’t get him.

            But people raised in southern Calif know how great it is out here. And if you’re good at USC, the world’s your oyster. Herman is the guy. Would Peyton be a big improvement? Sure. But if Peyton were coaching HOU, the Cougars wouldn’t be near what they are under Herman. I just wish we’d stop settling because the Pete Carroll Hail Mary’s are getting old. Peyton isn’t some future college PC. Pete was unique, as in one-of-a-kind.

            And Pete didn’t have a damn thing to do with the greatness or development of Reggie Bush or Lendale White. In fact, the biggest impact he ever had on Reggie was when he kept him out of the game on the biggest play of Pete’s career and USC got stopped and lost a NC.

        • $10 million seems reasonable if it helps get SC football back to competing for championships again.

    • Louisville vs Clemson should be fun to watch. I curious to see how Wisconsin’s defense holds up.

  13. Will they sign top coach asap to stop player transfers and return usc to top 5 and top recruits as previous yrs. Lakers similiar as top talent is dissing them. Usc fired coaches for alot less than helton. Its so embarrasing. But ulumni shuld pull out check books and end this play lower than mediocre. Any rumors?

  14. Jesus H. Chr***. Keyshawn Johnson actually said today that he thinks Lane Kiffin might be a good choice to come back and coach USC. He said that he has asked Kiffin if he’s ever considered it and Kiffin said yes because his kids are in Los Angeles. Keyshawn needs to put down whatever he’s smoking.

    Just thought I’d run that by the Trojan nation. Goodnight. I don’t really know why, but I’m waking up early for the commute to the Coliseum.

    FIGHT ON!

    • Most alumni support the school, but some alumni think they are the school. Johnson needs to shut up and take care of his personal business.

          • Nobody rooting for USC wanted Gomer except our underachieving players and the Times’ Bill Plaschke, the same guy who claimed ucla owned L.A. football right when USC started on a 13-4 win streak.

            Gomer will be put out of his misery soon by Swann, though I’m not convinced we won’t have to see him in 2017.

            Before long TEXAS and ND will also be looking for new coaches. The competition for savior coaches is going to be fierce.

          • Plaschke is a bandwagon hopping fool who will jump ship at any minute with anyone.

            The consensus after only an hour at the Coliseum is that Helton is getting fired.

            USC needs to wink Herman’s way.

    • I said it before and I’ll say it again.
      One day SoCal fans will look back at Lane Kiffin’s reign as “The Good Old Days”
      St. Pat was a fireman. You needed him to put out the NCAA fire but you don’t let the firemen stay and run your business after they put out the fire.
      Now you have St. Pat II as your A.D.
      Good luck.

  15. I’ve been saying this for awhile now that we are going to regret not hiring Petersen for a long time to come. But I can understand Haden’s reasoning. He(Petersen) didn’t interview well. Forget his record (92-12) and the fact that he had no 5 star recruits and only one 4 star in 8 years at Boise State. We don’t bother with minor details like what he has done in the past and whether he can really coach. All we care about is whether he will fit into our mutual admiration society country club with Max and Pat and the boys. You know what Pat said after he passed over him for Sark….”it’s all about fit”. Forget the fact that we not only didn’t hire him but we opened a job up for him right here in the Pac-12 at Washington where the Husky fans were trying to rid themselves of Sark. Now we have to face him for years to come. I hear they are thinking seriously of putting up a statue of Pat Haden on the Husky campus. But don’t sweat it, trojan fans…..we won in womens beach volleyball. THANK YOU PAT AND MAX!

      • I said it before that we would pay a price for missing on this guy and a lot of people just said “ah, he’s not that good….he’s just beating up on all those weak sisters in the WAC”. The people who said that are strangely silent right about now. Hopefully, Swann can reverse some of the damage caused by PH by hiring a really great coach this time around. But I think that it is a little too much to ask that Swann reverse all of the damage. Hiring two mediocre coaches and passing up on Peterson was damage that is reversible. Those two coaches will have only lasted one year each when the smoke clears. But you can always get a great coach the next time around. But if you are going to pass up on a Chris Peterson, you don’t hire a mediocre coach from the Pac-12 that Washington was trying to get rid of, thereby opening up a job for him right here in the Pac-12. That’s irreversible…at least for the next 15 years or more. If Peterson wants to move on, let him go to the Big-12 or the Big-10 or the SEC or ACC. You don’t want him right here in the Pac-12. PH did a lot of damage to this program. Hopefully, Swann can straighten out this trainwreck to some degree.

        • Yeah – grabbing someone from inside your own conference is fraught with risk one being why is he leaving that program if he is that good? And yes we blew it big time not hiring Petersen or let’s be exact Haden did.

          Herman looks like the next best light on the horizon – let’s wait and see what the rest of the year pans out – regrettably I’d say a big number of fans want more losses to accelerate Helton’s launch out.a’ here.

          • Gomer’s never gonna be great. Will be mediocre forever. Why hold on? Because he’s a nice guy? We need to pay for our mistakes and fix them with a guy everyone in the world wants to be their new coach – Herman. He’ll be gone by 2017.

          • Probably will (Herman snatched that is) which is why Swann had better be listening to some smart people outside the program that are making him understand how few the stellar coaches are in this business or in any business and get on it and he better have some 3 – 4 others in mind to look at from the NFL etc..

          • I’d much rather have Hotshot Herman than some NFL retread. I’d probably make an exception for Kelly, but that’s only because he was uber-successful at ORE recently.

          • Most NFL decline to go to the colleges due to recruiting and alumni dinners.

            Having said that rare the man who does well in both – Johnson, Switzer and Carroll and Harbaugh got oh so close as did Devine but it is NOT easy succeeding in both the NFL and NCAA Div. 1 – it is not which is why Kelly would be a good fit (think Sabin – LSU to Miami and AL).

          • I love SC, but just like when Kiffin and Sark were struggling and I was ok with the losing because I wanted to see them gone, I have to admit that I’m starting to feel the same way towards the Helton tenure.

          • Helton is gone – he didn’t have a long lead time coming in post UCLA victory but even allowing for that he should have been thinking of putting together a solid staff of assistants knowing as he did he wasn’t going to retain the ones he got from Sarkisian. Helton doesn’t have that skill set and worst of all save for USC he really hasn’t coached anywhere else – this is not the program where one learns as they go up – that’s Bowling Green or Tulane – what you see is as good as Helton can be – nice guy and that’s his game plan.

          • Hiring Herman would reverse a lot of the damage, IF WE CAN GET HIM. That needs to be done because PH did a lot of damage to this program. The NCAA deliberately wanted to destroy this program like they did with SMU in 1983 and they weren’t able to do it. But PH did a lot more damage than then the NCAA did. SC has a lot of work to do.

          • No one is denying the incredible damage Haden left – no one. USC isn’t SMU….much deeper in legacy and support which is why Swann had better be listening to the best ‘outside’ the program and make the decisions leaders have to make – tough decisions – and not go jumping around to cocktail parties and once a month foundation meetings to be ‘see and be seen’. The AD job is full-time

          • It is a full time job but he has no experience and I think that’s the way they wanted it. They don’t want anyone who will rock the boat, including a head coach. That’s why they keep on hiring mediocre people at head coach. The great head coaches run their program and nobody tells them what to do, including the school president. They have more power than the school president. Can you tell me who is the AD or the president of Michigan, Ohio State or Alabama without doing some research? Nobody knows and nobody cares. But all football fans know who the head coaches are at those schools. They have immense power. If you want a great HC you have to be willing to give them that power. Great HC’s are not going to let anyone run their program including the school president and if the school president or anyone else object to that, they’ll be standing in the unemployment lines. The fans, boosters and alumni will demand it. The administration at SC doesn’t want to give that kind of power to anyone. They want somebody that they can control. So they keep hiring “yes” men.

          • True then again don’t surprised if said coach is successful he not only runs the school he runs everything i.e. Paterno @ PA St., Osborne @ NE or Dooley @ GA.

            There has to be a bit of a balance and I’ve no problem with a strong head coach a bit more powerful than a academician ‘but’ always have a ‘clause’ of final control to prevent what Kelly has squeezed out of ‘The Princess’ – they gave more control over the discipline of his players and it’s been telling the rising thuggery at So. Bend.

          • Granted. There does have to be some balance. I don’t want SC to become a Florida State or a Miami(back in the 90’s) where the criminals rule the roost and if you are a football star you get away with anything(ALA Jamais Winston). But I also don’t want educational elite academics who know zilch about football(as Nikias has admitted) putting so many parameters on the coach that he can’t do his job.

          • Frankly I think Nikias realizes his buddy Haden is a lousy athletic director and also a phony philanthropist – if anything he’s backing away on this one which I have to believe was part of Swann’s coming on board.

          • How would you like to be Nikias – 1st October 2016 – reviewing the carnage that this ‘boy’ of his has wreaked not just for the football program but the reputation of the university?

            BTW where is Pat Haden? Why isn’t he being queried on all this mess and I don’t mean just the football program?

          • Nikias? I guess he thinks that his job is secure no matter what he does. And he’s probably right. He’s an academic. You can’t fire an academic. Haden? He’s a MIA. Understandable.

        • You’re exactly right, and the one thing fans, and athletic director’s fail to identify, is leadership skills. And that was Chris Petersen’s strong point, and one of the things the last three USC coaches never will have. Lane Kiffen decorates himself with circumstances, and the media runs with it without looking at the big picture, which happens to be, Kiffen has zero leadership skills. So if he gets hired again, I guarantee he will fall on his face once again.

          • I always thought Kiffin was a good coach. Kiffins big problem was Kiffin. He had the maturity of an 18 year old. I’m not convinced that he’s that much more mature now. He’ll get another chance at being a head coach. We’ll see how well he does this time.

          • Kiffen is a good classroom coach, but lacks everything else. And you’re right, he is extremely immature, and a perfect example of that, is when he tweeted about being fired at the airport right after Alabama defeated USC last month. Can you imagine Nick Saban, or Urban Myer doing such a childish act like that ? I’m looking forward to Kiffen getting jis next head coaching job, because I can mark on my calendar when he will be fired.

          • I don’t know but I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t work out the next time. When you are the HC, the players look to you for confidence that they will win. Kiffin is a great play caller. He learned that from Norm Chow and Jeff Tedford. But at Bama they look to Saban for leadership. But when you are the HC, you have to show some maturity.

  16. Now I really wonder how many people would want the USC job. Yes, I know, USC recruits itself. Since PC left the program has been a mess and we all know it. I still cannot see a new hire this season, USC needs to show stability and that the BOT and Nikias is 100% behind the program. Swann so far has done nothing wrong, this is all a result of a horrible, lazy, and egotistical AD.

    • The Swan has done nothing wrong because he’s done nothing period.
      He is a deer in the headlights.
      He has one shot and that is to hire a big name coach and stay out of his way. Question is will he go the Garrett route and let him violate NCAA and any other rules in order to win.

  17. So was Mike Garrett really all that bad then? Sure, everyone bad mouths him now, but he built a good program and made good hires. I am an alum and also had the opportunity to teach at USC for 4 years. I have been reading this blog for longer than I care to admit and I see that we as fans are quite reactionary in calling for change. I do not believe Helton is the answer, and it would appear Haden was not a friend of the program, but I also recall a lot of positive talk on this board when he was hired. I hear that same talk now regarding Swann, and while I would like to keep hope alive that he will turn this program around I do not believe he will. We need a professional AD who can operate with some autonomy in making hiring decisions and who has years of positive experience in putting together a program. I guess CH got his wish, because this morning our program looks a lot like Stanford’s…blown out by a PAC-12 rival with a great head coach!

    • Garret was a very unlikable individual – anyone that had to work with him and esp. for him had little good to say about him. Aside from Daryl Gross convincing him to hire Pete Carroll there were few if any decent hires by Garrett.

    • I too was guilty of believing the hype around Haden’s hiring. I even defended him for a while, but then the lights came on and I saw what a tragedy he was. My turning point was when he fired Kiffen at the airport. Pretty low class move and even though Kiff deserved it, Haden showed what a lousy person he is.

  18. Haden is to be pitied – he’s 63 years old, in declining health and here is his legacy – not just a failed athletic director but the foundation scandal – the latter is never going away – never.

    This is his especially as the scandal came out in May, his sole reply to his misuse of the foundations funds was to claim Wells Fargo signed off on it and the unnamed bank spokesman echoed that comment – looking back after the recent credit card scandal no mystery now why Wells Fargo did ‘echo’ it. Someone (Haden) found someone (Wells Fargo officer) and they mutually liked what they were hatching.

    The football mess is bad but what he did to that foundation is indelible. Somehow somewhere Haden deemed himself exempt from that which the ‘hoi polloi’ are made to understand they must follow – this was and is as patrician a move as they come.

      • Wells Fargo now has a 3rd item aside from their collaboration on the Mayr Foundation and the major scandal per the phony credit card accounts – now the charge of seizing military personnel automobiles as they are deployed from CNN

        “Active-duty members of the military cannot have their cars repossessed
        without a court order, according to the DOJ, which just charged Wells
        Fargo with illegally repossessing 413 vehicles from members of the U.S.
        military.”

        Haden’s mess just got messier and someone inside Wells Fargo isn’t going roll over for him.

        • I was aware of the other connections. The military repo issue has been a huge fiasco for decades. I also read about recent home loan modification fraud lawsuits pending against Wells.

          • Wells Fargo has been led into a black hole of their own making and you have to wonder would another bank do and agree with what Pat Haden was doing at Mayr Foundation after he sunk his talons into it when his father-in-law passed away leaving a vacuum that Haden immediately grabbed?

    • Yes, people who steal their wealth from charity caufers are to be pitied. I hope you’re on my jury if I’m ever accused of a crime.

      • He’s done – he is destroyed – whatever damage control he’s coming out with – paying back 2.5 what he took for himself and his relatives doesn’t matter. It’s the original theft that matters no different then a baseball player confessing after he tests positive for roids – there it is

        In Haden’s case he is destroyed – he has no credibility left in the public eye and as such it is why he is to be pitied – his public power, his going to top tiered meetings, his ‘face’ being ‘seen’ at major events, his hope to return to broadcasting – all of it – done gone – he brought it all on himself and no explanation nor ‘restitution’ will ever expunge what he did.

        This is all his – all of it – no one to blame no one to hide behind – it’s his

  19. Scotty, Do we know who actually hired Hellton? I have heard rumors that Max is responsible for the current coaching grease fire. Any truth to this?

  20. What is done is done. Stop crying about it. crying will not fix it or make the pain go away. Get on board to fix the problems or get out of the way
    Fight On

    • Until the problem is fixed (which is difficult since the disease is systemic) you will find most Trojan fans crying, as the loses pile up.

  22. Watching the Huskies dismantle Stanford, I was daydreaming that Washington was actually USC.

    Perhaps Petersen was not going to go to SC even if SC had hired him. Who knows? But it would have been nice to have him.

    And what was worse?– Alabama over SC, or Washington over Stanford? The losses were not surprises, but the way both SC and Stanford were slaughtered was shocking.

    Still, the season has 2 months to go, and I will continue to root for the Trojans, win or lose.

    • “Haden did some good things for SC. And that’s all I have to say on the subject.”

      – Sounds like the SC brass. Just because you say it’s so, it must be so. Yes, everybody is stupid but you. No need to support your point with facts, examples, or any other logical explanation.

  23. Pat Haden had three chances to rectify the situation, and he blew all of them . What kind of lame brain, idiot does that? What is the criteria to earn a Rhodes Scholarship? Haden has proven to be a greedy thief, a liar, and he definitely has questionable character across the board. Former Trojan great, Riki Ellison blasted Haden several times on his Facebook page, and everything he said about him turned out to be true. Ellison is an accomplished businessman himself, and probably would have been 10 times the athletic director then Haden.

    • Isn’t it four? I mean isn’t it established he did the CLK hire and let CLK not hire Chow? So that’s CLK, Sark, CEO (who he screwed just by how he handled it) and Gomer. Haden is extraordinarily consistent, you gotta give him that. I’m not even mentioning the hiring a baseball guy that got caught for NCAA violations, keeping on an alky with the hoops program too long. I still wonder what happens when the PAC 12 gets good and they can’t pad the schedule for Andy.

      • Actually, the Kevin O’Neill situation was the first sign of Pat Haden being a delusional, idiot, buffoon of a athletic director .

  25. I thought CP said he wanted to stay in the Northwest.

    IMO, there are two things that make it tough for SC to bring a truly talented HC to the program:

    1. The program stinks like 10 day old fish, thanks to a string of bad hiring/firing decisions. Why would someone willing become part of such a toxic environment, with immediate pressure to WIN BIG?

    2. Salary aside, living in LA has obvious drawbacks. Cost of living and housing + unbearable traffic / commute times + air pollution + poor public education = something less than desirable for an HC, especially if he has children.

    I’m blown away every time I think of how the “powers that be” have let the program deteriorate so badly.

    • Agree it is remarkable how the university has let this happen, year after year after year….

      On the other hand, in terms of the potential benefit of being HC at USC: the pay for a top coach exceeds $5 million per year, which goes a long way towards dealing with LA housing costs and paying for private schools. And if the candidate required more to sign on, then USC, as a wealthy private school, should be able to close the deal.

      And USC still (at least for now) can recruit at a high level and has a strong fan and alum base. I would view the USC job – with the strong proviso that the HC be given sufficient control to do the job – remains a top 10 destination.

  26. By the time I came to this party 109 people had already joined. I have two thoughts to add. If I recall Chris Peterson wanted to stay in the Pacific Northwest, but I could be wrong.
    Then there’s Pat Haden I agree with people saying he did nothing but damage to the program. Starting with his refusal to take the NCAA to court. What lawyer wouldn’t have loved the odds? He showed he had no guts. And he took in millions for renovation of the stadium but has made zero zip non renovation. He should hide his face.

  27. Has anyone noticed that former Oregon State head coach, USC assistant, SD Charger NFL head coach – and former perennial USC head coach candidate Mike Reilly has Nebraska at #15 before today;s game, and won again to day at 4-0 ???????

  28. Pat Haden is worse than anything that EVER hit the program! His USC legacy is the dumpster fire he created.

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