By LaMarr Fields, SuperWest Sports
September 15, 2021
It may not have been a tarmac moment, but it didn’t take long for USC athletic director Mike Bohn to fire Trojan head coach Clay Helton after Saturday night’s embarrassing 42-28 loss to Stanford.
Helton became USC’s top guy in 2015, compiling a 46-24 mark that peaked in 2017, with an 11-3 overall record, a Pac-12 Championship and a Cotton Bowl appearance.
But beyond that, Trojan fans haven’t had much to cheer about.
Consequently, Helton had been on the hot seat the last couple of seasons. Just two games into the 2021 campaign, it finally became too hot to sit on.
So where do the Trojans go from here? Plenty of names have been tossed around by insiders, experts, and fans alike.
At this point, anyone’s guess is probably as good as any other.
In the spirt of speculation fueled mostly by guesswork—with some logic thrown in for good measure—here are my Top 5 choices to replace Helton as the next head coach of USC, in reverse order of likelihood.
5. Urban Meyer, Head Coach, Jacksonville Jaguars
This may be a big reach—if not a pipe-dream—with Urban Meyer in the midst of his first season with Jacksonville.
But the Jaguars coach has a history of sudden and unexpected career changes, with his departures from Florida and Ohio State being well-documented.
If Jacksonville continues to struggle, there will be speculation all year about Meyer’s future.
Whatever the odds, USC will at least have to put a feeler out to a coach with a 187-32 college record to go with with three national championships.
Obviously, if the Trojans were to land Meyer, it would make a huge splash.
4. James Franklin, Head Coach, Penn State
James Franklin is another highly attractive candidate, having posted a 62-28 record two games into his eighth year at Penn State.
His $4 million buyout is no small matter, but having already committed to an estimated $10+ million to show Helton the door, that shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.
In any case, he would come less expensively than Meyer.
Off campus, Franklin would give USC a successful recruiter at the top to complement interim coach Donte Williams (assuming he stays). On the field, his rah-rah coaching style is sure to get players excited to compete.
But would Franklin be willing to leave his “dream job” at PSU? The Trojans won’t know the answer until they ask.
USC could be one of only a few jobs that seems dreamier than State College.
3. Matt Campbell, Head Coach, Iowa State
This much is clear: Current Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell knows how to build a program, having taken the Cyclones from 3-9 to 9-3 and a No. 9 postseason ranking in five years.
But while he has done an outstanding job at Iowa State he may have maxed out his winning in Ames after compiling a 26–19 record two games into his sixth season.
Campbell employs a player-first style, much like that of Pete Carroll did at USC, and would be a good fit.
The time might just be ripe for Campbell to move on, and the Trojans would be a big jump.
2. Eric Bieniemy, Offensive Coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs
Eric Bieniemy’s name has popped up quite a bit in the USC search rumor mill over the past few days.
Despite being passed over many times for NFL head coaching jobs, Bieniemy seems primed to lead his own program. Heading up the Trojans would make good sense.
Having played high school football in California and led Colorado to a 1990 National Championship, Bieniemy is a proven leader with experience recruiting the west after coaching running backs at UCLA from 2003-2005.
Beimimey’s experience coaching under Andy Reid for the past six years is a big plus, as is the work he’s done in developing young Patrick Mahomes into a star quarterback.
Those attributes could go a long way in persuading talented quarterbacks to become Trojans.
1. Luke Fickell, Head Coach Cincinnati
Current Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell is an intriguing candidate because he and USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn have a history together.
Fickell, who has a 37-14 record in his five seasons at Cincinnati, was hired by then-UC AD Bohn in December 2016.
Since leaving for USC in November 2019, Bohn has watched him transform the Bearcats from a 4-8 team into a perennial winner and a Top 10 team.
Fickell appears to have Cincinnati positioned to make a Playoff run this season, which makes the prospect of changing jobs a big distraction.
But if his old buddy calls to offer one of the most glamorous jobs in college football, can he really say no?
- Fields: Championship Week West Coast Top 10 - December 1, 2021
- LaMarr Fields’ Week 13 West Coast CFB Top 10 - November 23, 2021
- LaMarr Fields’ Top 5 Washington Coach Candidates - November 18, 2021