FOOTBALL

USC Rumor Of The Day

I said this morning I would have an example of coaches looking for other jobs. I’ve heard from a source that Clancy Pendergast has put out feelers for the defensive coordinator job at Arizona.

It makes sense for Pendergast because he attended Arizona. Does it make sense for Arizona? Anything is possible.

29 thoughts on “USC Rumor Of The Day”

  2. Wow. Can’t believe it. Clancy’s acting like he’s outta a job or something.
    #ItDoesn’tAddUp…
    #ClaySaidHeWantedToStayAtUSCFor15-20MoreYears…

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    2. One thing makes me kinda sad, though. Cuz of this job search we’ll probably never get to see that special energy that Pendergast exhibited on the sidelines and in post game interviews ever again.

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  4. Top Ten Rules if you work for the USC Athletic Department
    1. Get your resume polished have someone look it over for spelling errors (remember assess and asses are just one letter apart)
    2. Collect 5 or 6 Recommendation letters. you might be able to mix and match per the job you want.
    3. Keep your head down and your mouth shut. Speak when spoken to and don’t pad your answer with platitudes about game film.
    4. Make the Holidays small this year you can give gifts later but if the unemployment department denies your claim it may take a while to move on.
    5. If introduced to the new boss, be polite and offer your hand for a firm handshake.
    6. Bring your lunch in large boxes. Take home the accumulated crap in your office in those boxes the first week. In the second week steal enough supplies to make your job hunting easier.
    7. Take paperwork to lunch, so you will look serious when you are eating and “working.”
    8. Resist the temptation to throw someone under a bus. A common trick new managers use to find out who is worth having around and who repeats gossip is to ask about other employees. If you must throw someone under a bus remember that Dumbass is a noun not a verb.
    9. Do not complain about money for yourself. USC isn’t going broke no matter what you have read. They are about to pay millions to watch four or five clowns walk.
    10. For heaven’s sake stop reading the blogs you have nothing to worry about unless your name rhymes with Smelton, Crackster, Generpast, or Barrell.

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  6. Many (all?) on this site have flayed CP over the past few years.
    (Having sat at the Pac12 championship game where McCafferty torched Wilcox’s D for about 500 yards, I was fine with Wilcox getting fired.)
    A few of the complaints of CP may be justified…

    1. Refusing to recruit? Justified. End of story.
    2. Unable to scheme? Disagree.
    He took away Eno Benjamin last week. Had the pass rush delivered, AZ’s freshman QB would have struggled. CP had a great scheme against Khalil Tate two years ago. When the game was on the line, after Tate had been brutalized gaining 100+ rushing yards and getting physically pummeled, he couldn’t toss the dime to win the game. His passes were all well off target. Recall, Tate was being hyped for the Heisman at that time. I think CP has come up with a good scheme over the past few years. Due to deficiencies on either the D-line (2018), DB’s (2017, 2018), or LB’s (2019) the scheme has not always worked. Finally, the gumbo offense of the past few years with its quick 3 and outs (3 inc passess take about 25 seconds?) has not helped.
    3. Incapable of in-game adjustments? Maybe not.
    I think CP has been limited by marginal remaining “talent” over the past few years. Many of the top D recruits lately transferred away (or ended up incarcerated, for cripesake). It’s been frustrating to watch 2nd and 3rd teamers have to man-up against the ND’s and Oregons, etc. (Would have been nice to have Gustin for at least one full season without injury, no?). Without the ability to mount a pass rush since Leonard Williams left, the defensive solutions have become limited. The blitz and stunt packages are actually well conceived and well-timed. The problem is the “almost sack” which is our specialty. QB gets the throw off under pressure, and the thin defensive backfield left naked by an unsuccessful blitz gets torched. Gotta be frustrating to dial up a blitz only to be rewarded with a
    “near sack” which leads to a “3rd and long” coversion. CP’s also been hampered by poor position coaches in prior years (though Burns and Chad K seemed to be great additions and keepers for the future). CP did take a perpetually lackluster Arizona Cardinal’s D to the Super Bowl. They held a high scoring Steeler’s team to only 20 offensive points. At Cal, he was the only coach capable of slowing down the (previously) high powered Oregon Duck offense.
    4. Unable to develop talent? Not sure. If the HC won’t permit live tackling, how is a DC and his position coaches supposed to teach skills? If all the talent is perpetually injured due to inadequate strength and conditioning and nutrition, how is a DC supposed to develop a smashmouth D?

    My greatest frustration over the past 5 (maybe 10) years has been watching the Trojan offense and special teams gift the opponent with short field opportunities. If I cared to, I’d go back and check on how many TD’s have been so gifted.

    That said, after the Ohio State beatdown in 2017 I started to formulate my own HC search. It went like this…. (in no particular order)
    1. Dave Aranda
    2. Brett Venables
    3. Alex Grinch (sleeper choice–better off as a DC due to lack of experience)
    4. Jim Leavitt (–better off as DC due to prior poor HC experience at USF)
    Kyle Willingham? Never was gonna leave his home state for the SoCal $#itshow.

    Recall, folks, that PC was a defensive minded coach who brought in smart O coaches. Start with smashmouth, opportunistic D full of 5 star recruits and work on the offense later. And yes, Orgeron was a defensive minded coach first. Missed that one, no?

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    2. Bourbon —Apparently you don’t know how we operate here so let me bring you up to snuff. Once someone has established a thesis (e. g., Clancy isn’t worth shit), we all decorate the thesis with ornaments and tinsel. This isn’t really done to bolster the thesis so much as to show our love and support for each other. We’re the Brotherhood of the Flies. When someone like yourself comes along and points out the vulnerabilities of the thesis —well, let’s just say it hurts….
      #LearnToBeOneOfTheBoys,’Kay?

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      2. Roger that, MG.
        Been reading the smack for a few years, hoping for some “inside info” and adroit analysis. Can’t wait to hear from “just owns.”

        (BTW, while I support the UM thesis, who is he gonna bring with him when/if he signs? All that Buckeye coaching talent gonna leave Columbus and their #1 program for the big El Lay? Who’s the choice if UM says, no thanks to rebuilding a mediocre program that kicks off against ‘Bama in 294 days?)

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      3. Bourbon –One of our bloggers has suggested President Folt is interested in some very fine lady coaches —- sure to attract top assistants, tens of thousands of fans and set fire to our recruiting….
        #[IDon’tPutItPastUsToDoSomethingThatAmazing&Wonderful]….

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    3. Haven’t heard Aranda’s name brought up before! Heck, if nothing else he should be given a call to gauge his interest. I’d love to return to the PC days of putting our best athletes on defense!

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  7. Scooter,

    You got to start a clock on the firing of Helton and the rest of the gang of incomptency. We could start pool as well. Winner will get recognintin.

    I will start, I say Helton will be fired the December 1, 2019.

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    1. Pt —This sounds a little like the Mad Magazine contest to guess the exact date Mamie Eisenhower would die….
      #…ItJustSeemsABitUntoward…
      #[Okay,NowThatMyVirtueIsEstablished,PutMeDownFor Nov23]…

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    1. The complaints have been:
      Aloof with the press.
      Refuses to recruit.
      Not dynamic on the sideline.
      (Did you watch the DC Saleh of the 49er’s last night? He looked like he wanted to suit up and jack up some Seahawks.)

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      1. Did you see Pete Carroll —he and the boys were laughing their asses off before the overtime. Fierce game? Nah, it’s fun. Undefeated Division Rival? So what?! Helton tries to emulate this approach with qualified success: He talks about how much fun it is to compete all week —but when the game actually starts, he wets his pants….
        #…AndAllThePlayersAreEmbarrassedByTheGrowingSpot

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    2. He has no run defense. His defense is giving up between 180 to close to 300 yards of rushing per game. You can’t control a game if that happens and you usually lose a game giving up that many yards.

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  11. Bourbon…wow, wow, wow ! Maybe too many Burbons.

    Eno Benjamin taken away, of course, he was the only threat the ASU offense had, the green pea QB had never been in a live DIV 1 game. A high school DC could have figured that scheme out.

    The bulk of your post citing Pendergast’ bona fides is in complete opposition to another board poster, Kevin Bruce a four year letterman Trojan defensive player and guest analyst on the WEareSC BOARD He manages to dissect the good and bad of CP’s defense weekly and it hasn’t been good this or last season.
    I think I trust his opinion more that you.

    As to the Arizona Super Bowl Victory, if anyone took anything to that game it was Kurt Warner, CP’s D was so well thought of at Arizona he was fired 4 days after the SB.

    Your assuaging CP’s deficiency’s with this absurdity “ At Cal, he was the only coach capable of slowing down the (previously) high powered Oregon Duck offense.”
    CP was at CAL in 2010-11-12

    2010 L 13-15 he may have slowed them a bit but not enough to win.

    2011 L 15-43 doesn’t seem to have slowed them down…huh?

    2012 L 17-57 seems like a blow out to me.

    First off, if you want to carry CP’s jock strap that’s cool, but don’t slobber all over the board making excuses and trying to gain support for an obvious Lousy Coach.

    Your milage May vary

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    1. Factor:
      I read Mr. Bruce’s analysis each week. Yep. He’s spot on–a great former Trojan LB and a great analyst. After 5 or so years of reading the posts on THIS site, I’ve turned to weareSC, ROT, and any other site I can find with a few educated CFB and Trojan fans for real technical analysis. I come here to read witty, angry posts filled with rumor and innuendo.

      BTW, which University football team did you play for?
      How many years did you suit up in D1?

      Two for me at USC.

      If you bother to read critically (as most of us well-educated USC grads were taught), you will see that I critically assessed as many of the complaints against the USC defense and CP. The fact remains that for the last 2 years the D line has not mounted a pass rush with 4, necessitating various blitz packages. The blitz packages continue to lead to a “near sack,” which invariably lead to frustrating conversions on 3rd and long.

      Don’t despair, Factor. Next year those near sacks will become sacks, as our young D line improves. I also like next year’s LBS: PG, Goforth, Mauga, Echols. Whomever takes over this young defense in 2020, they will have a lot of experienced talent to work with.

      Don’t worry Factor. Despite my all my “jock sniffing and supplications,” you’ll get to bid CP a hasty good bye this month. I assume you alone have the front track to the next great DC? Didn’t read anything productive in your post, other than some snarky insults. I was able to at least come up with 5 names which I would like to see join “us.” Any troll can just whine for the coaches to be fired. Problem solvers come up with solutions. That’s what we were taught in the USC classroom.

      On two occasions on this site I’ve supported Coach Burns and Coach Chad K. They are an improvement over the CB and DL coaches of the past 2 years (though I also supported that BKU likely would ultimately have been a fine DL coach). They both have been tasked with taking mostly inexperienced underclassmen and making them game ready NOW.
      We can do worse.

      You probably didn’t like Wilcox either. It WILL be interesting watching our O vs Wilcox’s D on Saturday. I know you will be keying on Evan Weaver, just as I will be.

      Regarding CP’s “bona fides”
      Fact: The mediocre 9-7 Cardinals defense gave up 20 points to a high powered Steeler team. (Recall Harrison’s 100 yd rumble for a pick 6?)
      Glad to hear that the Cardinals fired CP after that Superbowl, as their defense was a juggernaut thereafter. Kurt Warner was epic that year, but he didn’t play defense.

      Under Pendergast, the Golden Bears led the conference in total defense, pass defense and fewest first downs allowed in 2010 and 2011. Yes, with the Trojans on probation, Oregon was generally unstoppable.

      Pendergast also helped produce nine NFL players, including first-round pick defensive end Cameron Jordan, and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year linebacker Mychal Kendricks. He gained a reputation for containing the spread offense after his 2010 Bears slowed down Chip Kelly’s No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks, holding them to 40 points below their average in a 15–13 loss.

      The 2013 Trojan defense was top 25 in nearly every category despite scholarship restrictions and a depleted roster. Likewise the 2016 and 2017 Trojan defenses were usually stout.

      As players graduated (or left after their junior yr to the NFL), were incarcerated (at least 3 by my count), were injured, took to the transfer portal, or just didn’t sign an NLI with USC, the defense predictably declined. I think the USC defense has had 1 or occasionally 2 seniors (Rector on occasion) on the field this season. It’s folly or arrogance to think that a bunch of 3-4star Frosh/Sophs will be a juggernaut defense overnight.

      You’ve found your scapegoat. I search for answers.

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