Trojan War: Time To Check In On USC Coaching Search
USC fired head coach Clay Helton in September following a 42-28 loss to Stanford, abruptly ending his seventh season leading the Trojans program.
After just two games, USC and Helton parted ways. The Los Angeles Times went through a few names that could be possible candidates in the unique coaching search, with Penn State head coach James Franklin seeming like a natural fit.
The LA Times reports Dan Patrick said he has a source that says there is mutual interest between Franklin and USC — Franklin did nothing to dispel the report, going out of his way to not confirm or deny it.
“I’ve tracked this over time, that really no matter what you say, people aren’t happy with, so I’ve decided I will handle this internally, talk to our team,” Franklin said. “I’m not worried about distractions in the media, and with the fans. I’m worried about my team.”
The Nittany Lions are 5-0 on the season and No. 4 in Week 6.
Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell's name came up in the LA Times' reporting but said he's unlikely to uproot his family. The article states that Fickell will likely be considered a candidate by many until USC athletic director Mike Bohn — who hired Fickell at Cincinnati — says it’s someone else.
"Cool"
Iowa State coach Matt Campbell's name can't be left out either, the LA Times reports. The Cyclones began the season ranked No. 7 but have lost to Iowa and Baylor. Other notable names the LA Times reports: