Let’s review this passage from the federal documents into the college admissions scandal, which could indicate someone else besides Donna Heinel might have known something strange was going on. The key phrase here is “The coach also e-mailed a member of the USC athletic department.” Who was that member? It might be Heinel. But it might have been someone else. It might be something that … Continue reading An Interesting Plot Point In Admissions Scandal

Finally, football practice returns today. Meanwhile, USC placed a hold on the accounts of all enrolled students connected to the college admissions scandal. That means the students cannot register for classes or receive their transcripts. The hold on transcripts would prevent the students from transferring. The university said it would take “proper action” after reviewing each case including potentially expelling students. USC said it has … Continue reading Morning Buzz: USC Finally Takes Steps Against Scandal Students

I’m hearing rumors the Board of Trustees voted to hire a new president and they are sitting tight with the announcement. Hmmm. Will it be an academic like Northwestern president Morton Schapiro or a corporate CEO type like Bob Iger of Disney? Continue reading Has USC Hired A President?

What great timing! USC announced today it would raise tuition 3.5 percent next year from $55,320 to $57,256, a 3.5 percent increase. The increase was approved by the Board of Trustees, of course. USC spins this by saying, “The increase is one of the lowest in five decades.” Maybe they wanted to announce it before the next scandal breaks. The Board of Trustees probably feels … Continue reading USC Raises Tuition 3.5 Percent

Since Lynn Swann is finally under the microscope, here’s another story of how he acts. I heard a USC donor approached him recently about the state of the baseball program and Swann did not want to listen and then became argumentative. This is consistent with many other stories I’ve heard about Swann not wanting to interact or respect others. Continue reading Bad Athletic Directing 101

I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from radio interview with Softy Mahler last week. A USC donor even called me to day I made his weekend when he heard it. That’s what it takes these days to make a USC fan’s weekend: Point out how incompetent and ridiculous Lynn Swann is as athletic director. What else is there to celebrate? Making the NCAA Tournament? Continue reading How Do You Make A USC Fan’s Weekend?

Don Barrett of LARadio.com reports USC’s radio deal with 710-AM (KSPN) is over and the Trojans could be moving to KABC-AM (790). Depending on whether you can get good reception for 790-AM, this might be a good move for fans because basketball games are often bumped for Lakers games. KABC no longer has the L.A. Kings, so that should not be an issue. They could … Continue reading USC Radio On The Move?

A USC coach told me an interesting story: An athlete he recruited as a walk-on with good grades was presented to Donna Heinel. The coach said Heinel told him the athlete’s test score was too low. About 12 hours later, the athlete went over to Westwood and was immediately accepted by UCLA. The coach is now fairly certain he lost a walk-on so that a … Continue reading A College Admissions Scam Story

Lynn Swann finally spoke about the college admissions scandal and it was as delusional as when he discusses Clay Helton and USC football. “I think everybody was blindsided by this,” Swann told the Los Angeles Times. “Everyone was completely shocked, caught off guard and taken by surprise.” Especially the out-of-touch athletic director who ceded day-to-day duties from Day 1 to his subordinates. The worst part … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Lynn Swann Says He Will Not Resign

I spoke to a USC coach and asked them to go back and see how many athletes were denied admission by Donna Heinel? The coach said 8-10 athletes were denied by Heinel through last year and that at least three might have been denied to open spots for those admitted under the scam run by William “Rick” Singer and Heinel. That can really affect certain … Continue reading How Many Legit Athletes Never Got Into USC?

I’m starting things a little different today. Here’s my radio interview with Dave “Softy” Mahler from KJR-950 in Seattle. You need to listen to the part where you can hear Softy ask me, “Do you think Lynn Swann would ever just step down or does he just have no soul at all? And he just feels like, you know what, they’re paying me, nobody’s watching … Continue reading If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

TMZ with another scoop: Olivia and 20-year-old Isabella Giannulli have decided not to return to USC for fear of bullying. They are the daughters of actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and the most prominent figures in the case. “Our sources say the family feels certain, if the girls went back to USC, they would be “viciously bullied.” So, the decision has been made.” How will the … Continue reading Report: Lori Loughlin’s Daughters Not Returning To USC

If Lynn Swann is notoriously not involved in day-to-day operations, were there other employees who had a suspicion something might be going on? The court documents revealed an admissions official asked Donna Heinel why one of the students was not on a team? Heinel said the student was injured. USC women’s soccer coach Keidane McAlpine asked who a female student was that was allegedly on … Continue reading Was Anyone Suspicious Of Donna Heinel’s Activities?

This is turning out to be a great week for Clay Helton. Who is talking about football? No one. That’s what you want when you are incompetent. Meanwhile, it looks like Donna Heinel was even running a side business for high school coaches, counselors and administrators and used the Galen Center for workshops. Again, where was the oversight? Everyone just seems to do what they … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Privilege Knows No Limits

TMZ reported that Lori Loughlin’s daughter, Olivia Jade Giannulli, spent the night in the Bahamas on a yacht owned by Rick Caruso, chairman of the USC Board of Trustees. She was with Caruso’s daughter, Gianna. Caruso gave TMZ a statement: “My daughter and a group of students left for spring break prior to the government’s announcement yesterday. Once we became aware of the investigation, the … Continue reading No Conflicts Of Interest At USC

What will today’s scandal be at USC? USC has become a freak show. Part of it stems from the entrenched and entitled attitude that exists for a segment of the university and its well-heeled donor class. Donna Heinel and Jovan Vavic were long-time employees. Vavic did whatever he wanted and was keeping USC relevant when it came to winning NCAA titles. Heinel was the No. … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Culture Change Must Come Soon

UPDATED: USC water polo coach Jovan Vavic and senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel were fired this afternoon by the university. Here is the statement: Following Vavic’s dismissal, Casey Moon is USC’s interim women’s water polo coach and Marko Pintaric is the interim men’s water polo coach. Below is my original post. Vavic was arrested in Hawaii this morning, according to a published report. Vavic was … Continue reading USC Fires Jovan Vavic And Donna Heinel

How many internal investigations does USC have going right now? I’ve lost count. I can’t tell you how many USC coaches are amused over today’s news. Donna Heinel was not a popular figure within the athletic dept. A USC administrator tells me Jovan Vavic makes somewhere in the neighborhood $300,000-400,000 per year. So he could make a pretty good living without taking bribes. Wake Forest … Continue reading Some Quick Thoughts On USC Scandal

Get ready for the latest USC scandal. The athletic dept. is at the center of the college admissions bribery scandal as senior associate athletic Donna Heinel reportedly received more than $1.3 million in bribe payments to fabricate athletic credentials for prospective students. Heinel, men’s and women’s water polo coach Jovan Vavic and former women’s soccer coach Ali Khosroshahin have been indicted. Heinel was in charge … Continue reading One More Scandal As USC Athletic Dept. Involved In College Scandal

I spoke to a USC player on Thursday about the new Friday depth chart policy promised by Clay Helton. I asked the player what difference he thought the depth chart would make? “It won’t mean anything,” the player said. “The team won’t worry about it.” This goes back to a recurring theme for the Trojans: The players are pretty much over listening to Helton. So … Continue reading If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column