FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Can Firing An Assistant Make Difference?

How many times can you fire assistant coaches, get no significant improvement, and think it is the solution?

What amazes me is there are even a few USC fans who think firing Tim Drevno is a solution. I’ve criticized Drevno since he was first coached at USC in 2014. Go back to 2018 and read the comments from USC homer media/over-the-hill pundits who championed Drevno’s return. I did not.

But that’s not the issue. It’s about establishing a culture change. USC replaced its entire defensive staff a year ago and couldn’t change the culture in 2020. A new offensive line coach will not either.

If I wrote some of the stuff I’ve heard this week from within the team, it would shock some fans. At least one player has/is turning pro because of the poor culture.

But all this escapes the administration, which either refuses to buy out Clay Helton’s contract or thinks he deserves to stay. Pathetic.

70 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Can Firing An Assistant Make Difference?”

  1. I think that it has a lot to do with that ‘Air Raid’ system that they run. You will never have a great running attack with that system. In that sense, it is unfair to blame Tim Drevno. While it is fair to criticize him as not being a very good recruiter, it is probably unfair to say that he doesn’t develope O-Linemen. If Vera-Tucker is a first round draft choice in the coming draft(as a lot of pundants say he will be), that will be 2 years in a row that SC has had a O-Lineman drafted in the first round so, at least, some people are being developed. It has a lot to do with the culture and only the head coach can change that. Stanford was a finesse team that got pushed around a lot in games until Harbaugh went there. He completely changed the whole culture into a smashmouth football team although it took him about 3 years.

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    1. Some kids have talent that even Gomer & Co can’t ruin, the exception being QB’s, they all get ruined by Gomer,

      Harbaugh was successful at Stanford because not one team is tough in the WOKE12. How has Jimmy done in a conference where most of the teams don’t play pussy ball ? Tell me when he beats Ohio St. And Jimmy may be unemployed by next week.

      Folt & the BOT are perfectly happy with Gomer

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    3. Texas wants to hire Steve ” 7 Win ” Sarkisian.

      LMFAO!

      Texas announced Saturday it has parted ways with football coach Tom Herman after four seasons, with sources telling ESPN’s Chris Low that the Longhorns have zeroed in on Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian as his replacement and hope to finalize a deal with him soon.

      A PROVEN LOSER AS A HEAD COACH!

      THE DUMMIES ARE BIGGER IN TEXAS!

      OH MY SIDE HURTS FROM LAUGHING SO MUCH!

      AHA HA HA HA HA!

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      1. I gotta agree with you. I wish 7-win Sark well but I have zero confidence he will return UT to the CFP.

        He might keep some Texas kids from coming to SC which sucks.

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  2. As someone said, the problem won’t be solved in the rotten apple remains at the top. And USC has become a one trick pony. One can only hope that Bohn is working up a buyout. But sans that solution, we’re still going to sound like Christians in the apocalypse. ” How long oh Lord? “

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      2. Those of us who play chess have been working on this move since 2018, buddhakarma. The dimwits keep praying for the Urban Meyer miracle.
        I’ve stopped praying for USC FB miracles since Tollner’s 1983 season.

        Maybe Campbell at Iowa State would take the chance, but I am still not enthusiastic. He loses a bunch of games to lesser opponents in the Big 12.
        We already have a coach who is notorious for such a crime. Why would you leave a solid FB home (Iowans love their football. Californians tolerate CFB)?

        Jeff Brohm at Purdue was a brilliant coach–last year. Losses to Rutgers and Nb make him look like a “mere mortal.”

        We’ve seen plenty of “brilliant coaching minds” leave the American Conference and fall flat on their face when they faced real competition in the power 5. Scott Frost?

        So, beyond the Urban Miracle, who’s it gonna be folks?

        Liked by 3 people

      3. I like your post, Bourbon —but I don’t have an answer to your question….
        …Cuz…
        #..ThereIsNoAnswer
        #[We’reAtStageWhereWeNeedAREALMiracle]….

        Liked by 1 person

    2. I like to call it a rotten fish head instead, and theirs plenty of those at the top at SC right now. Nikias, gnome Folt, BOT’s, Bohn and then Helton. I hope I nailed the hierarchy here. Can someone else that’s more familiar with the University please chime in. If I left any other rotten fish heads out that are affecting the SC football program.

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      3. Actually, in todays world, your role model the crackhead whoremonger Hunter Biden is much more appropriate because both have never accomplished a thing. And actually in today’s world, your impersonating other posters is inappropriate, Charlie Bucket the Preachy Libtard Loser.

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    3. “Fifty bucks the Smails kid picks his nose.”

      “Come on kid, take your time….”

      “Ahhhhh.

      “Ok, fifty bucks more he eats it.”
      –Brian Doyle Murry

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  4. The culture starts and ends with Clay Helton and Mike Bohn. They both came to USC from losing football programs. No Bohn did not build the Cincinnatti program Luke Finkle did. Helton, replaces assistants every year who would want to to work for him. USC, should be talking about competing for national championships each year, and figure a way to make that happen. All I hear from Helton is competing for competing for Pac 12 South Championships in a very mediocre Pac 12 Conference.

    The ship has too many leaks to fix, and will finally sink in 2021. Here’s my prediction for next year’s Pac 12 South: Many players will enter the portal and transfer, or turn pro… Hopefully, the pandemic will be more under control next season so no games can be canceled, and no excuses made for a poor season. Graham Harrell will accept the Head Coaching Job at North Texas State, and take his air raid offense with him. The USC Board of Trustees, Folt, and Bohn will finally pull the trigger on Helton, and replace him with Luke Finkle from Cincinnatti or Chris Peterson the former coach at Washington. Let’s hope they are not stupid enough to hire Graham Harrell. There is no question that bringing Graham Harrell to USC along with his air raid system was the worst decision of them all, and there have been many.

    1) Arizona State
    2) Utah
    3) UCLA
    4) Colorado
    5) USC
    6) Arizona

    Winner of Pac 12- Washington or Oregon

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    1. Why do you people keep insisting that Fickell, not Fickle, will be USC’s next coach ? The guy just signed a new contract

      “Fickell’s new agreement includes a $4 million buyout if he were to leave Cincinnati before Jan. 1, 2021. The buyout drops by $500,000 in each subsequent year of the deal.

      Do you really think USC is going to pay his buyout of $4 million as well as Gomer’s ? Folt isn’t going to Wayne Hughes or any other booster for $$$, she’s not going that route. And they are that stupid, they very well could go the Harrell route, he’s a USC asst and he’ll come cheap,.

      Petersen ?? The guy couldn’t handle the pressure at UDUB, you think he can handle USC ? And Petersen doesn’t like the big city. And name ONE Boise St coach that has been successful after they left BSU.

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    2. Your terrifying “Final 2021 Pac 12 South Standings” is a possibility —you ranked the teams by coaching staff….
      #…AndThatAin’tABadWayOfDoingIt

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    1. It isn’t that amazing. Folt is a loser. Bohn is a loser. They don’t know what a winner looks like. Or acts like. When Helton says, “Gee, don’t make me fire Drevno—he’s my friend”, they think that logic makes sense. So instead of giving Drevno the bad news, they allow Helton to tell kids that USC is the place to be. Folt doesn’t suffer. Bohn doesn’t suffer. Helton doesn’t suffer. Drevno doesn’t suffer. In fact, they ALL get to feel good about themselves (part of being woke).
      #TheONLYOnesWhoSufferAreTheKids

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    2. Oh wow. They are not standing for mediocrity in Texas. As Troy continues to crumble. Kind of like the politics in Texas compared to California. The sign of the times.

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    3. Guess we can add Tom Herman to the list of “BRILLIANT COACHING MINDS” coming out of the AAC and falling flat on their face. Should have been 11-1 every year with the money, recruiting pipeline, and support which UT brings.

      Hmmm, sounds a little like the Los Angeles scene?

      I think Sark will do a good job at UT. He had some GREAT RECRUITING years at USC. Saban likely worked on a bunch of Sark’s weak points and made him into a solid HC. I suspect Sark had the humility to deal with his failures.
      Now, Kiffin? I’m not certain.

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      2. BINGO! He already has his former DC here. Why not. Anything but Helton right now. Give him a 3 year take it or leave it contract at 5 million a year. Fuc it anything but this garbage the last 6 years.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Our athletic endowment is bigger, near the top (which I think is Stanford). Money hasn’t been the issue, we’ve turned down INDIVIDUALS who offered to buy out and pay for a new coach, just because of Board of Trustee politics. Speaking of, I wonder what that tribal war is like right now… Are they just gonna sell the university to China or no? The Chinese may be communist but they aren’t big into the Cultural Marxist stuff, so who knows?

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    3. Texas athletic department has a LOT more money than USC not to mention that they have their own TV network AND when their boosters talk, the administration listens AND they aren’t afraid of being a football school

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      2. Folt isn’t exactly “afraid” of being a football school —she’s only 100% against it….
        #FootballIsn’tOnHer”PathToLove&Justice”….
        #[…Which,Let’sFaceIt,SheDoesn’tBelieveInEither…
        #…ButIt’sMoreFunToTalkAbout]….

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  7. Helton was nothing but a Coffee boy for Kiffin and Sarkisian. Haden and Swann, F@&$ the program real good! I can’t stomach the product, Helton has no clue and the local high school coaches don’t want to deal with him. We’re F%#& unless Bohner grabs his balls and fires Helton, like now!

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  8. I will glibly admit that I favored Drev back in 2014 and upon his return in 2018. He coached teams at the CFB and NFL level that consistently ran the ball at the top of their league. It wasn’t a bad choice at the time for a HC who has no connections to the elite assistant coaches at the CFB.

    It has been said, the rolodex is empty.

    I haven’t made it a habit to gripe about USC coaches without offering an option.

    Give me some rationale HC to replace HC CH.
    Give me some proven O-line coaches to replace Calloway, Drev, etc.

    Otherwise, it’s just griping. Plenty of that to go around.

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  9. Sarkisian expected to be hired as new TX Longhorns coach!
    Now that is pretty funny. He has done well since leaving USC but the pressure of being a head coach is insane. I wish him luck and thankful that Urban is not going to UT!

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    1. Sark looks good, looks like he has lost 40 pounds. He should stick where he is. Life is going well for him. Why tempt the fates by going back to being an HC.

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      1. You are so fucking right, 67. The difference between employing your first rate football mind to run an offense….and being the guy who takes the hits for EVERY loss is the difference between zero and everything.
        #SarkIsAskingForTroubleIfHeLeavesAlabama

        Liked by 2 people

  10. Why would Clown U hire the Bearcat’s Luke Fickell to replace Helton.

    Didn’t Coach Fickell squandered away a Bearcat bowl victory, and a perfect season by mismanaging the 4Qtr game clock vs Georgia?

    The only HC’s that might help SUCC regain its self-appointed FB prestige are candidates from the ACC, Big-12 and SEC. But, why would they leave the bosom of happy FB Conf.’s and relocate to Clown U’s quicksand FB Program?

    Hey, Mike Leach may be available soon. He might give SUCC a shot!

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      1. You’re both on target. [And….next year we can use the “last year was the time” excuse for not hiring Urban].
        #ThisCouldGoOnInfinitum….
        #TimesHeadline:”HeltonBreaksThatcherLongevityRecord!”

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Owns, Chip’s record – 10 W and 20 L – is last among all Power 5 coaches in the last 3 years.

      What happened to the ucla natty that was predicted in year 3 for chip? Recruiting class around 35 or 40 for this year.

      The only reason that Chip is still around is because ucla athletics is in deficit $20 million, they lost their big $ UnderArmour contract, and it would be politically unacceptable for them to do yet another HC buyout, particularly at this time.

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  11. Texas AD just won idiot AD of the year award hiring that pos Suckisian. When will these morons figure out Goat Kiffin and Suck are just frauds , stealing money like a Trump.
    Over/under of Suck getting canned at ruthless Texas , 2 ? nowhere to hide there for that mental midget. It will be ugly lol.

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      1. On second thought, this will inevitably fizzle into nothing, just like all the attempts to overturn the most secure election in American history.
        Why do I even bother?

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      2. On second thought, Charlie Bucket the Lying Libtard Loser has nothing else to do in his last months on Earth but spam a blog he is supposed to moderate. Why doesn’t Charlie Bucket stop wasting more food and put himself out of his own misery?

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      3. Hopefully, none of Hunter’s massive money laundering operations for his daddy or his thing about little girls ever comes out…..
        #ItWouldMakeDems&ChinaTooSad

        Liked by 1 person

      6. Imagine how the minds of our youth could be corrupted if they discovered all the Biden Crime Family Secrets!

        Liked by 2 people

      7. Well, if that’s their intent —they sure got the right guy…
        #..And,WhenHeKicks,TheySureGotTheRightBackUp..
        #…YouKnowWho:The”IWasThatLittleGirl”Chick

        Liked by 2 people

      9. Everybody’s bimbo —which is why she got chosen, gt. Like her or hate her, Stacey Abrams is a smart, tough woman that the pussy Biden people wanted no part of.
        #KamalaIs”ThatLittleGirl”…AndThat’sWhatTheyWanted

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  12. Graham. Harrell. Has. To. Go. But no one wants him. In a way USC ruined his career. He sucked at North Texas but no one noticed. At SC he was in the spotlight, and should have left after his first year, when he could blame a Helton hangover… Plus people didn’t see what happens to the Air Raid when there is an opposition defense present (ask Miss State in the SEC), nor ask about how it harmed your own defense, destroyed your running game.

    (One thing about Harrell is that he likes a clone of himself– non athletic kids with mediocre arm strength who don’t like complex offenses. An uber talented and developed dual threat could have covered for coaching incompetence.)

    There’s a weird angle to a lot of hiring, people want a son or a boyfriend at SC, not good coaches. Helton sucks, no one questions that. But SC has to get back to an OC that likes the a bone rattling blockers for TEs and H-Backs (which are really Fullbacks– surprise, the Fullback is the new-old in thing!) and a running game that can demolish inside and out. A QB has to know how to line up under center and at least have the threat of passing on play action from that formation. The blocking has to be coordinated: the Air Raid you are always overmatched and trying to figure it out each play! No wonder the NFL wants our OL, they basically spent 3-4 years overmatched, living by their wits.

    Probably the greatest CFB OC in history asked to volunteer to help out, the Notorious Norm Chow, but SC treated him like he wanted to interfere. lool It’s insane. How dysfunctional is SC football right now?

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    1. Spectacular post. Not enough people ask why USC is so deathly afraid of putting an athlete at QB. Helton spent half of his energy being mad at Sears for trying to use his athleticism (and Sears isn’t even what I’d call a serious dual threat).

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      1. You have to remember where these guys come from.
        Gomer, when he did play, was a drop back QB who didn’t run. Harrell played in a schoolyard offense that doesn’t use a RB and the QB doesn’t run.

        It’s not hard to se why the kid from Bosco went to Clemson

        Liked by 3 people

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