FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Winners And Losers Of The Week

WINNERS

The USC elite

Max Nikias, Carol Folt, Clay Helton, Andy Enfield, Coach Bohn. Millions of dollars are flowing to them on a yearly basis. And the daily question remains: Is USC getting its money’s worth? The two-highest paid (Helton, Enfield) did not earn the more than $8 million they made last year.

Daniel Cukierman

The USC tennis player was named Pac-12 singles player of the year. He was also named Pac-12 doubles player of the year with Riley Smith.

Ashleigh Plumptre

The former USC soccer player was named Leiceister City’s players’ player of the year.

Robert Kroener

The 78-year-old finally walked in a graduation ceremony 50 years after earning his master’s degree from USC. The former Air Force lieutenant colonel was called back to active duty in 1971 before getting a chance to attend his graduation.

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LOSERS

Andy Enfield

If you want to know why, read today’s USC newsletter.

USC men’s tennis

Knocked out of the NCAA quarterfinals in a tough 4-3 loss to Texas. Looks like USC misses former coach Peter Smith, who Lynn Swann replaced after he won five NCAA titles.

USC baseball

I really don’t like mentioning them this much, given their scholarship limitations. But an RPI of No. 102 nationally is not cutting it.

USC investigations

How long is it going to take to complete the investigation into swim coach Jeremy Kipp?

  • And just for a diversion, I’m including this catch:
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

45 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Winners And Losers Of The Week”

  1. I really think that Clay Helton is going to have to have a super year in 2021 if he wants to return as football coach in 2022. Luke Fickell is 31-6 in the last 3 years at Cincinnati despite being ranked 47…89…and 39 in the team recruiting rankings in 2018-2020. Clay Helton, on the contrary, was 18-13 in the last 3 years despite all the talent he has at USC. I can’t help wondering why Luke Fickell is still at Cincinnati. Even his defensive co-ordinator moved on to Notre Dame after a great season. Fickell is one of the best up and coming coaches in college football. Surely he’s had opportunities to move up. Why is he still at Cincinnati. Could it be that Mike Bohn(his former boss) has told him privately that CH isn’t getting the job done and SC will soon move on from Helton and he(Fickell) is Bohns #1 choice if he is still available.

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    1. If that’s the case, Bohner should have gotten Fickell before he signed his extension in August of 2020, Gomer is never going to get better and anyone with a clue knows it, now SC can pay Fickell’s buyout, brilliant !!!!!!!

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      1. I tire of the Fickell banter.
        I’m not sure he’s a great coach.
        He did poorly replacing Mr Rogers* at tOSU.
        I was not impressed by his team defense in the few Cincy games I chose to watch in 2020. I find group of 5 football uninspiring and I only watched to see if the plaudits were on target.

        The Power 5 FB landscape is littered with group of 5 geniuses who become mediocre when they face top-to-bottom competition. Footnote–see Scott Frost. Heck, Oregon State could become competitive again.

        *The coach who wore cardigans and never swore, yet ran the dirtiest program in NCAA history. With apologies to all the Mr. Rogers fans.

        Liked by 2 people

  2. Other private schools field excellent baseball teams, Vanderbilt is ranked #3, ND is 8th, Stanford is 15th and Gonzaga, yes GONZAGA is 18th. I’m giving the new coach some time here, he inherited a mess.

    Poor Andy, he has one run and thinks he deserves an extension, sorry buddy, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, not every AD is as dumb as Haden and Swann.

    Swann canned the men’s golf coach as well, how are they doing ? Women’s tennis suck ass, but when you hire a women from a DIV 3 school from Massachusetts what do you expect ?

    Great catch by that young lady !

    And yes friends, their is an EPL, English Premier League, for women, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Though I don’t watch women’s soccer–except when the USWNT wins the World Cup or when Coach McAlpine has the team on a run–I’m still joyfully happy that women’s soccer is getting a worldwide audience and that young girls have more and more positive female athletes to look up to.

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  3. I found this on the interweb thing…The USC football program paid out $32,124,522 in expenses while making $50,046,008 in total revenue. So, the program was a moneymaker for the school, bringing in $17,921,486 in net profit. Mark this down as a good thing.
    I don’t know how accurate it is because it really doesn’t make a lot of sense. However baseball lost $144k and I don’t think the numbers can stay up there with the current losing coach.

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    1. Rialto Trojan,

      the baseball coach had a full year this year. Last year, they shut down the season after 15 games. They were winning last year. He needs pitching. I hope he realizes that. He coached at LMU and did well. Give him a chance.

      Liked by 4 people

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  4. USC tennis (#12) nearly pulled it out against #4 Texas. Cukierman, who is ranked about 50th, upset their best player, winning 6 games in a row in the third set against a guy much higher ranked. Match was about as close as you can get. There is a difference between losing, and being a loser.

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      1. Thanks, Michael. Plenty of critiques to go around at USC, but the tennis team played about as well as they could. Texas lost to #1 Florida in semis, and the news story was that they left it all on the court against USC and didn’t have much left after that against FLA.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Much appreciated distinction between “losers” and “losing.” Some of the greatest sports moments involved contests so close that no one could be termed a “loser”, although someone had to lose.
        Keep it up, 67 —I foresee a day when you personally appear in the “Losers” column…
        #”Losers: Trojan67 for constantly championing USC Trojans…”

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Michael, it is a badge of honor to appear on “Inside USC”. Just to hop that hurdle, to have Scottie the Scribe notice… As long as I don’t join Nikias, Helton, or the homeless guy that particular day. On second thought, I don’t have to worry about the homeless guy, he is always on the “winners” side…

        Liked by 2 people

      4. I know I shouldn’t even dare think it —but MAYBE some day —by some miracle — the whole gang could be mentioned in the Loser’s Column…
        #SurelyWe’veEarnedIt…..
        #….WithTebowInTheWinner’sColumn….
        #[ThatWouldBeSoTight]

        Liked by 1 person

    2. I think we are all flummoxed over some of the hires and fires by the AD’s (HadSwan) in sports which Troy always challenged for Natties. Tennis, golf, Volley. That probably was the point.

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  5. USC baseball has slipped considerably due to poor coaching choices. Limited scholarships for a private school is a bunch of baloney. Stanford, is wining the Pac 12, TCU , and Vanderbuilt has a great program.

    Gill did just OK at Loyola. There were alot better candidates out there. I will give him 1 more year, and that’s it. No way Oregon, Oregon State, Cal, and UCLA have far better programs.

    Gill’s teams look poorly coached. If they don’t improve next year I would hire the guy at TCU, and put some more resources into the program like they did with women’s basketball USC baseball should be in the Top 10-15 every year, and it won’t be hard to get there with all the talent in California.

    As far as Enfield I would give him an extension if he has a good year again next season. Mike Bohn should let him know there was very little revenue in 2019-2020, and because the season was so short due to Covid-19 it was a throw out year yet we paid you and your assistants full salary. Or provid him a huge incentive for next year if he makes the NCAA, and a guarantee of a two year contract extension if he reaches that goal.

    These coaches are way overpaid as it is at SC. They need to win on a consistent basis to justify their salaries, and length of contract. Enfield, has a bit more to prove, and although he has done well with the one and done players he needs to show it again next season that the program is consistently in the Top 5 of the Pac 12 year in and year out. If he does not accept that move on as USC has been very patient with the building process of men’s basketball, and paid him as one of the top paid coaches in the Pac 12 from day 1.

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    1. I’m wondering if anyone successful from Texas would ever leave a high paid job in Texas (with no state income tax and affordable mansions) to live in the dysfunction that is California.

      I emphasize the word, “successful.”

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    2. Actually do a REAL search and hire a coach that can deal with the issues that a private school has to deal with. I’m willing to give Gill a chance but I have to agree with TommyD, they don’t play well in the field and that’s coaching, you can coach your team to play better defense.

      And SC is going to have to pay to get a good coach, like they did in women’s BB.

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      1. I’ll hold my breath until you and tommy decide AND it matters.

        On second thought, never mind.

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  7. I wonder, is Andyain’twinning’s 19 point loss/humiliation in the Elite Eight still smarting – plus it took eight years to accomplish. That’s a lot of cash to spend on Tournament humiliation.

    Enfield’s ROI is barely a blip on the bozo BB revenue radar.

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  8. THEN WHAT! NEW BASEBALL COACH FROM A NATIONAL WINNING PROGRAM. AS BOHN IS SHOWING WE HAVE THE RESOURCES. USC baseball should be a Top 15 program every year with the talent in Southern California.

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    2. Wow.. you must know some people. Everything you say always seems to happen…. or maybe you just have an inflated opinion of your opinions.

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    3. I agree that we should be top 20 in perpetuity.

      I just can’t seem to figure why any HS kid with baseball talent would play college ball–risk injury–when MLB tosses around big contracts to the really talented kids. Most of the College BB players chose the College game due to lack of interest from the Majors.

      Yes, many mature and become future MLB stars. But the numbers are not good.

      Liked by 1 person

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  9. No. 1 in baseball is going to take some time even with a new high coach unless Rod Dedeaux returns from heaven. Probably the greatest college baseball coach of all time, and he did not have Sam Gilbert helping him from the other side of town.

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    2. Coach D benefitted by lousy minor league competition (which made college baseball a smart choice for a talented HS kid), poor finances in the MLB during his decades of dominance, great climate in LA, and the cache which SoCal (the region) previously owned. Few people think of LA as a great place to relocate any longer.

      That era is over. Best we can hope for is a good coach to rebuild a competitive program for kids who value a great education and wish to mature a bit before seeing if they have the right stuff for MLB.

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  10. Memo to: MG and Dear Pisley

    8yearsx3million=24million- The cost Andyain’twinning’s 4peat.

    No Pac-12 BB title; no Pac-12 Championship; no Final Four.

    Only epic BB humiliation.

    Such a deal, as it were.

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    1. My Dear Friend Ownsie,
      If Enfield is the source of “epic BB humiliation”, I’d hate to think of what you’d call UCLA’s failure to beat him the last 2 years…..

      Liked by 3 people

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    2. EPIC‼️

      That’s chippie’s contract that pays $3.3M/yr for an avg of 3.3 wins… and all the donuts he can fit.

      Let me see…
      0-4 + 0-2 = P A I N

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. You can’t put a price tag on the joy non bruin fans (i.e., roughly 99.999% of sports loving public) get every time Chip strolls outta the tunnel, melons bobbling.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. To put “the streak” in historic context,
        JFK and Camelot lived in the White House for fewer than 1000 days.*

        It will be more than 1000 days that the Bruins beat the Trojans in the two sports that matter…

        *more or less

        Liked by 1 person

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