FOOTBALL

Clay Helton’s Fate Is On Fire

A USC source texted me that they expect Clay Helton to be fired tonight or Monday morning and that the terms of his departure are being worked out. I have not confirmed this with other sources.

  • Sports Illustrated reported this morning it expects Helton to be fired by Monday.
  • But . . . Pete Thamel of Yahoo sports tweeted the report is wrong.

“Just spoke to multiple USC sources. This isn’t right. And USC people are rightfully steamed.”

Is it true Helton has not been fired. Or is USC just trying to control its message?

  • Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated tweeted the following: ” Multiple sources dispute the report that Clay Helton is being fired at USC. Sources tell me no decision has been made and it is still possible — maybe even likely — that Helton keeps his job.”

Helton could be fired and it just hasn’t happened yet.

The USC program has been through so much mediocrity the past few years that frankly, I want to see an actual announcement before any celebrations start.

38 thoughts on “Clay Helton’s Fate Is On Fire”

    1. The podium thing could take a while, Clay — USC couldn’t possibly have foreseen that Utah would win yesterday (why trust the Vegas spread and all the experts?) and, therefore, they’ve probably been caught flatfooted. They’ll need time to digest where they are —-by talking to each other for the next 24 hours about “integrity” and “morality”…and all the other values instilled by Pat Haden…..
      —- and when they’re finished talking and ready to make an announcement….. somebody will suggest they need to talk some more…..
      and, while this is going on, somebody else will grab Meyer and we’ll solidify our Top 75 Recruiting Class Ranking…..

      Liked by 3 people

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      1. I understand, but rampant speculation isn’t really helping anything and I think they need to address this directly. It’s starting to look a little sloppy now.

        Liked by 2 people

      4. Mike good post esp. your noting ‘…that Haden man…’ words to live by “….’integrity’ and ‘morality’….” alas Meyer was a dream at best. There is no way he’s hired – his ‘control’ would be overwhelming and ‘maybe’ with an ‘old guard’ AD like that roadkill Swann, that might work – not with a brand new AD whose skillset is ‘zilch’ in making that move.

        You ‘maybe’ right on delay due to some fools assuming CO had any chance against and @ UT which yes – delay an announcement.

        As to Thamel – typical of a ‘gadfly’ and ‘his’ sources….Thamel has already drawn a strong line in the sand aboput Helton’s future and he’s not going to pull that flag down until he has to.

        Liked by 2 people

      1. Pudly — If Clay has been fired, I’d sure like to know what he told this kid and his parents……
        #”TrustMe,USCIsGonnaBeSoMuchStrongerNextYear…”

        Liked by 2 people

  2. This is just another example of USC mismanagement.

    Thought it would get better under Folt and Bohn, but no.

    Just wait, they’ll keep the Helton and the situation will cause more harm. Losses of $millions, and thousands of loyal Trojans and fans lost. All because no one wants to be accountable?

    Wow.

    Liked by 2 people

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  4. Enough already…Fold and Bone will be forced to keep Helton because no decent coach in their right mind would want to be a part of this S%*t show….They need to pull SC out of the Pacifist 12 and join the Big Sky or FCS or Great West conference…Not one of those conferences schools would want to play Helton’s team right now….USC has become a joke—even if they do fire the boob….

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  5. This writer has it right

    If USC is refuting the report that Clay Helton has been fired and then fires him on Monday, that’s weak.

    If the cat’s out of the bag own it and move on.

    Liked by 5 people

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    1. You have never been more right. If USC’s denials are simply a case of them being pissed that somebody on their own team leaked truthful info (that they wanted to control the timing on), they will look beyond amateurish releasing identical news tomorrow.
      What does this mean? Either USC has kept Helton —which is dumb.
      OR they’ve ALREADY fired Helton and they’re disputing the fact cuz they feel butt hurt that they didn’t get to finesse the timing of the announcement —which is even dumber.

      Liked by 3 people

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      2. Might be ‘x’s’ and ‘o’s’ haven’t been finalized with the new hire or much worse they pull a Guerrero….assume they have a hire and then find out no one’s interested after sacking Holland and get Alford

        Liked by 3 people

      3. Alv —You just hit on the worst case scenario —-that, if true, will turn the new “leadership team” into a giant joke before they even get settled….

        Liked by 1 person

      4. SUCCX debuts its version of “Who’s on first.”: Entitled, “Is he, ain’t he!”

        If Helton is out recruiting today, he’s staying – “How sweet it is.”

        Dysfunction is to SUCCX; as deceit is to Biggy – T.

        #Can’twaitfortheAlabamagame

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  6. One thing I know…this has been handled weird. Either confirm him or advise we’re parting ways. So little time to waste when it comes to recruits.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Folt and Bohn are the ones looking like fools right now. Make up your minds already. Looking like a clown as college as usual. Nothing but incompetents at USC. This fish head starting to rot already and they both were just hired this year. Absolutely pathetic!

      Liked by 1 person

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  9. It’s a bad look either way. Either announce that he is staying and end the corrosive speculation so that the coaching staff can go about the business of recruiting. Or announce that he is fired even if a replacement coach has not been found so that the university focuses on acquiring a new coach. It’s a shit show. I honestly think that the Athletic Dept is sending both messages to test reactions

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. I WISH you were right, Calabasas. But it’s equally possible that USC —AFTER ALL THIS TIME— doesn’t have it’s ducks in a row. It’s possible that even with recruiting tanking faster than Hunter Biden’s job prospects, USC hasn’t inked a deal with Helton….OR their next coach [both of these should have been done deals a week ago —-unless they have some very good reason for needing to wait until the playoffs are finished —in which case they should say so to avoid looking goofier than they now look]……

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. MG, there’s no deal to be inked with Helton as Swann inked him to an extension already. All the sound and fury is coming from the media and the USC fans. We have all assumed that they hired an AD to fire and hire a new coach, but how do we know that? All we know is that USC had an underperforming AD, they fired him and hired another guy. That’s it. What has come out of Heritage Hall that indicates to everyone that they are firing their head coach?

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      2. Clay — IF Helton is leaving (and who the fuck knows? Maybe not even USC), details still need to be worked out — starting with an installment schedule for the next 3 years. The broad perimeters of the agreement are more or less a done deal but now everybody has to agree to the nitty gritty.
        The main thing is — USC should have been prepared to hit the ground running today. Another day isn’t that big of a deal, I suppose —-but more than that will just add to the growing suspicion that maybe we have [more] leadership issues. Not being ready to face the press TODAY (after knowing “today” was coming for a month), reminds me of the situation the Red Cross gets into every time there’s a disaster: “Oh, we can’t get supplies into this area because we don’t have the aircraft —it never occurred to us that we might be in this situation.”

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      3. There’s a reason that many different sports call this time in their year, “silly season,” MG.

        Instead of hitting the gym today, I’m sitting here posting. WTF?
        (And after last night’s artery clogger, I better work to keep a few vessels open)

        Anyway, as I’ve opined previously, there is a hopeful solution which is that the new HC (or under plan B–the splashy DC hire) is involved in a conference champ game or has MAYBE CFB playoff aspirations, and the two parties (USC, coach) have agreed to confidentiality.

        The CEO’s with $Millions at their disposal can be patient another 6 days.
        The fans smelling blood are not.

        #couldbegreatnewssoon
        #wifetiredofthesunshinepumper

        Liked by 2 people

  10. USF, not to be confused with USC, fired their head coach of the last three seasons today…I’ll bet Charlie Strong longs for the Louisville days…now that USF has made the announcement, USC has the stage to itself.—which might be what they are waiting for..or, maybe through bat channel sources, they are finalizing a trade with USF, that would send Helton, JT Daniels, and Helton’s entire staff to Tampa to take over Bulls program with USC paying their salaries for two years…in return for this blockbuster deal, SC would get its apathetic and fleeing fan base back and have the opportunity to hire a real head coach…
    Trojan Nation is watching…

    Liked by 2 people

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  11. Confused has got it right, this has become one gigantic cluster fuck.
    It seems as though everyone in the administration is unwilling to make the tough
    decision; be it yay or nay. Come on Boat and Float man (woman) up!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Scott:
      The “journalists” who make a living “writing” and “trying to break news” are the gigantic cluster f*** here. Don’t trust ’em. They get the story right about 5 times out of 10. Decent odds when compared to a coin flip.

      Liked by 2 people

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    1. Alv,
      Or….this could be like our China Trade Deal —-“we’re getting very close to completing the preliminary negotiations for Phase One…”

      Liked by 1 person

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