Ad Disclosure
Multiple B1G head coaches reportedly considered candidates for newly-available USC job
Published:
A Power 5 head coaching position needs to be filled — open the replacement-speculation floodgates.
Now that USC has fired head coach Clay Helton, it’s time to start looking at the list of replacements. It’s no secret that Helton has been on the hot seat. He led the Trojans to double-digit win seasons in 2016 and 2017, but USC hasn’t managed to muster more than an eight-win season since.
After the Trojans dropped last weekend’s game to Stanford, 42-28, while entering the game as a 17-point favorite the move really wasn’t much of a surprise. So the lists have likely been in the works within various saved documents on the computers of football writers for a day or so now.
Among those names being bounced around are a pair of B1G head coaches — Penn State head coach James Franklin and Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck.
Early list for USC: James Franklin, Matt Campbell, Bill O'Brien, Luke Fickell, P.J. Fleck, Mario Cristobal, Greg Schiano and Tony Elliott. Former coaches who could be sought include Chris Petersen and Bob Stoops.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 13, 2021
Of course, both coaches need to be interested in the move. Running a program in sunny Southern California could have more appeal than spending the fall in Pennsylvania or Minnesota, so who knows?
Scott Schultz covers Michigan State Football, along with Breaking News for B1G Football & Basketball for Saturday Tradition. He also serves as an Automotive News Editor & Writer, and Softball Writer elsewhere on the web. Follow him on Twitter @SRSchultz.