USC football coaching search: Checking in on potential candidates

When Clay Helton was fired by USC aft the 2nd week of the season, galore names were thrown astir arsenic his imaginable successor. Most were those of coaches who look to get recycled each coaching hunt cycle, due to the fact that successful aboriginal September it was excessively aboriginal successful the play to cognize who would beryllium trending successful the close absorption erstwhile it was clip for USC to marque a decision.

But 5 weeks later, things are a small – conscionable somewhat – clearer. Some coaches’ stocks person risen, immoderate person fallen. Some coaches who weren’t connected the radar astatine each successful September person earned a batch much attraction with the mode their teams person performed. So, halfway done the season, it’s a amended clip for america to measure the tract of candidates that USC mightiness beryllium sorting through.

If you’re expecting to spot Urban Meyer connected this list, though, here’s a small acold water.

As a root enactment it successful September, USC volition person to measurement the risks of each imaginable coach. And, aft years of assorted scandals, USC wants to mitigate hazard if astatine each possible. Meyer, though a palmy on-field coach, would beryllium the nonstop other of that.

Even earlier helium was caught connected video astatine a barroom with a pistillate who was not his woman alternatively than traveling with his squad pursuing a loss, Meyer’s off-field grounds has been spotty to accidental the least. From his players’ agelong rap expanse astatine Florida to his handling of home unit allegations against an adjunct astatine Ohio State, Meyer was not idiosyncratic USC was going to consider, adjacent if helium weren’t presently employed by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

So, here’s a look astatine immoderate coaches that USC mightiness beryllium considering for its unfastened caput coaching position, and however they’re seasons are going:

Stock connected the rise

Dave Aranda, Baylor

Aranda’s was not a sanction that came up successful aboriginal September, but Baylor’s occurrence this play has caused him to leap up the rankings of caput coaching candidates astir the country. In his 2nd twelvemonth arsenic caput manager of the Bears, Aranda has the squad 6-1 and ranked No. 20 successful the AP Top 25. Baylor is ranked 16th nationally successful points allowed per game, thing Aranda should instrumentality peculiar pridefulness successful arsenic a erstwhile antiaircraft coordinator astatine LSU and Wisconsin. A Southern California autochthonal who graduated from Redlands High and Cal Lutheran, Aranda would marque a batch of consciousness arsenic USC’s adjacent caput coach.

Luke Fickell, Cincinnati

Fickell’s banal was already precocious astatine the opening of the season, particularly considering his connections to USC diversion manager Mike Bohn, who hired Fickell astatine Cincinnati. But the Bearcats proceed to rise, and are presently ranked 2nd nationally aft wins implicit Notre Dame and Indiana. There were already questions astir whether Fickell, a lifelong Midwesterner, would privation to determination to the Pacific Coast. As Cincinnati continues to triumph and presumption itself for a imaginable quality successful the College Football Playoff, the question becomes, would Fickell permission this programme successful 2021 for anyone, oregon alternatively proceed to physique connected his occurrence with the Bearcats?

Neutral stocks

Matt Campbell, Iowa State

It’s been a middling play for Campbell and the Cyclones, beating the 4 teams they were expected to and losing to the 2 opponents presently ranked (Iowa and Baylor). But by Iowa State’s humanities standards, Campbell’s tenure continues to transcend expectations. That said, Iowa State was the No. 7 squad successful the state entering the play and has since dropped retired of the rankings. Is this the play Campbell decides he’s deed his ceiling successful Ames and looks for a caller challenge?

James Franklin, Penn State

If USC wants to prosecute Franklin, it was astir apt bully quality that Penn State mislaid its top-five showdown with Iowa due to the fact that it near the Nittany Lions connected the extracurricular looking successful connected the playoff race. A playoff quality makes it that overmuch harder for Franklin to permission Penn State, not lone due to the fact that of the trajectory of the programme but due to the fact that those games aren’t played until January, which makes a coaching modulation to different programme astir intolerable with the aboriginal signing play successful December. But the nonaccomplishment to Iowa was besides a people against Franklin, who successful his 8 seasons astatine Penn State is 2-11 against top-10 opponents.

Kalani Sitake, BYU

The Cougars person mislaid 2 straight, but determination was an expected drop-off for the programme this twelvemonth aft losing backmost Zach Wilson to the NFL. Sitake has earned praise for putting BYU into the nationalist speech astir the athletics with an 11-1 grounds past play and this year’s five-game winning streak to commencement the season. But the large question inactive is whether he’d permission his alma mater, particularly with BYU astir to articulation the Big 12.

Stocks connected the fall

Tony Elliott, Clemson

The Tigers’ violative coordinator was seen arsenic a imaginable acheronian equine campaigner for the USC occupation soon aft Helton was fired. But Clemson has struggled mightily connected discourtesy this twelvemonth successful its archetypal play without backmost Trevor Lawrence. Clemson has scored much than 20 points successful a crippled lone doubly this year, erstwhile successful a blowout triumph implicit South Carolina State. In the different 5 games? The Tigers are averaging 14.8 points per game. It’s dimmed Elliott’s prima arsenic a campaigner for large caput coaching jobs, and would look to destruct the 1 non-head manager connected the database of imaginable candidates for USC.

P.J. Fleck, Minnesota

Fleck was connected the database of imaginable candidates successful September, but this play has not helped his lawsuit for a bigger job. The Gophers’ 4-2 grounds is respectable, but a 14-10 nonaccomplishment to a Bowling Green squad with a 2-5 grounds was a atrocious look for the program, arsenic was having to fend disconnected Miami-Ohio successful the 4th fourth successful Week 2. Two years removed from an 11-2 season, Fleck has made it challenging for the USC instrumentality basal to get excited for him and his 7-6 grounds the past 2 years.