USC is NOT Firing Clay Helton

[SoBeCuse]

Its only his third year and they were good his first 2 seasons. It was clearly a rebuilding year. They have plenty of recruits. You give him one more year IMO. Coaches don't want to work for ADs who fire coaches after 2-3 years.

Yes but there are already a couple of decommitments and some players may transfer. Two games in a row they couldn’t score in the 2H and this is when Clay Helton took over as playcaller for good. He demoted Tee Martin. He just got schooled by Chip Kelly and there is absolutely no juice in the program. I’ve heard that current players are telling other recruits to not come to USC. After his latest Monday meeting with Swann he wasn’t as gung-ho and confident with the media when they met him on Tues after practice and asked about his job security. He didn’t mention the “I’m going to be coaching here for 15 years” lunacy like he said on either Sat or Sun.

Swann ideally would not want to do anything but his hand has been forced. The fan base is irate and all you see at games now are Fire Helton signs and person after person going up to Swann and offering coaching suggestions, lol. I have also heard that a couple of major boosters are threating pulling out of a couple of huge promise$ if he stays on. If not for the medical lawsuits and such on campus he would be done already but I’m 99% sure he’s fired at some point after the season.

Darnold masked a lot of issues. And for the last time posters need to stop talking about their success lately. It’s the PAC-12 South. Garbage. You should be in the Top 4 discussion every year playing in this league with the fourth most 4/5* guys on rosters in college football. Any time Helton and USC face a top coach or name program especially OOC they are completely outclassed and embarrassed.

 

[721Comstock]

Seriously... If ND rolls them this weekend, as expected, and they finish 5-7, he can't come back. Especially after losing to a losing record UCLA in Chip Kelly's first year.

If he beats ND and they finish 6-6, then I'd bet he's back.

I don't read much into anything sources are saying right now.

Huh? ONE meh year after TWO 10+ win seasons, and he "can't come back"??
He's 32-16 for his career so far.
That's absurd.
10-3
11-3
5-6

Meanwhile, Dino still isn't above .500 in his P5 career, yet.

...Of course, Lynn Swann isn't exactly the Einstein of AD's, so that means it'll probably happen anyway.

 

[OrangePA]

Kind of find it hard to believe that USC is going to bring back a 5-7 coach.

He went 10-3 and 11-3 in 2016 and 2017 and went to the Rose and Cotton Bowls.

I would like to think that he's earned more time - sometimes teams simply do not play well for reasons other than the head coach.

I suspect that that is the case this season at USC.

 

[Rocco]

Now we just have to dodge Colorado, Purdue, Louisville and Illinois

Babers is not leaving for one of those jobs. IF he ever did, I'll be done rooting for SU Football and shift to being a PSU fan.

I mean, not really in a million years, but you get the idea.

 

[OrangePA]

Huh? ONE meh year after TWO 10+ win seasons, and he "can't come back"??
He's 32-16 for his career so far.
That's absurd.
10-3
11-3
5-6

Meanwhile, Dino still isn't above .500 in his P5 career, yet.

...Of course, Lynn Swann isn't exactly the Einstein of AD's, so that means it'll probably happen anyway.

What do you know about Lynn Swann?

My law partner has lived next door to Swann for years and knows him well.

This is the first time I have heard someone question his intelligence.

What do you know?

 

[SoBeCuse]

Huh? ONE meh year after TWO 10+ win seasons, and he "can't come back"??
He's 32-16 for his career so far.
That's absurd.
10-3
11-3
5-6

Meanwhile, Dino still isn't above .500 in his P5 career, yet.

...Of course, Lynn Swann isn't exactly the Einstein of AD's, so that means it'll probably happen anyway.

You don’t get it either. It’s the way they are losing. Two games in a row now they couldn’t score in the 2H. Gave up 298 yds on the ground last week to Josh Kelly. Players asking for better and tougher practices to the media repeatedly. Helton’s refusal to change anything about practice since July/Aug (i.e. barely any full pad practices all season) and you wonder why they have ZERO physicality? You can’t even make this stuff up it’s so crazy and bad. I could go on and on with how bad the conference is and how their records recently are irrelevant but I won’t.

 

[Chip]

Huh? ONE meh year after TWO 10+ win seasons, and he "can't come back"??
He's 32-16 for his career so far.
That's absurd.
10-3
11-3
5-6

Meanwhile, Dino still isn't above .500 in his P5 career, yet.

...Of course, Lynn Swann isn't exactly the Einstein of AD's, so that means it'll probably happen anyway.

For the record, I'm not giving my opinion on it. I'm just saying what I think will happen. USC isn't Syracuse. The standards are a little higher. Cross town has a head start and a proven head coach who just beat him in year 1 of their rebuild.

Basically I don't believe the report. If he goes 5-7 and is embarrassed by ND this weekend, the pressure will be too great on Swann.

Last game I saw on TV there were a ton of empty seats too. I know it's LA, but I don't recall USC having the same consistent empty seat problem that UCLA enjoys.

 

[OrangeinBoston]

For the record, I'm not giving my opinion on it. I'm just saying what I think will happen. USC isn't Syracuse. The standards are a little higher. Cross town has a head start and a proven head coach who just beat him in year 1 of their rebuild.

Basically I don't believe the report. If he goes 5-7 and is embarrassed by ND this weekend, the pressure will be too great on Swann.

Last game I saw on TV there were a ton of empty seats too. I know it's LA, but I don't recall USC having the same consistent empty seat problem that UCLA enjoys.

I don't ever recall seeing that stadium without a ton of empty seats. You think we're bad!

 

[SoBeCuse]

He went 10-3 and 11-3 in 2016 and 2017 and went to the Rose and Cotton Bowls.

I would like to think that he's earned more time - sometimes teams simply do not play well for reasons other than the head coach.

I suspect that that is the case this season at USC.

Wrong. That C of theirs STILL can’t snap the ball. Helton still won’t make a change. What does that say to the second or third string Centers who were the top C recruits in their respective classes? Because Toa Lohbendahn is like a son to him and “one of the loves of my life?” Yes he said that to the media, lol! It says that failure is accepted. In the one game earlier in the season when Toa was out with an injury, the backup C (forgetting his name) graded out better on PFF than Toa has all season. There are so many other examples of players regressing, not being put in better positions, etc. Putting everything on JT Daniels making him throw 50 times game and not being able to run the ball is doing Daniels a terrible disservice. Daniels also can’t run around like Darnold did improvising because the OLine cannot hold up (a problem last year). Helton is a horrendous coach. He’s a good man but a terrible coach.

 

[djorange1989]

anyone who thinks Helton can survive 5-7 is a crackhead. if I am wrong, then, well, call me crackhead, it's kind of a catchy nickname anyway

 

[djorange1989]

Wrong. That C of theirs STILL can’t snap the ball. Helton still won’t make a change. What does that say to the second or third string Centers who were the top C recruits in their respective classes? Because Toa Lohbendahn is like a son to him and “one of the loves of my life?” Yes he said that to the media, lol! It says that failure is accepted. In the one game earlier in the season when Toa was out with an injury, the backup C (forgetting his name) graded out better on PFF than Toa has all season. There are so many other examples of players regressing, not being put in better positions, etc. Putting everything on JT Daniels making him throw 50 times game and not being able to run the ball is doing Daniels a terrible disservice. Helton is a horrendous coach. He’s a good man but a terrible coach.

SoBe, since you are so connected to SC, I want to ask you: do you agree that it is unlikely that Swann would go after Dino, because they are unlikely to want to run his offense at Tailback U? seems they have always been a pro-style/USC connected/NFL coach kind of school, and Swann being an old school SC guy, I would think he may stick with that profile and hire Jack Del Rio or someone like that. what do you think?

 

[Moontan]

One less year on Babers' buyout?

Or 6 years more...

 

[SoBeCuse]

SoBe, since you are so connected to SC, I want to ask you: do you agree that it is unlikely that Swann would go after Dino, because they are unlikely to want to run his offense at Tailback U? seems they have always been a pro-style/USC connected/NFL coach kind of school, and Swann being an old school SC guy, I would think he may stick with that profile and hire Jack Del Rio or someone like that. what do you think?

It’s really dicey there now. Swann’s job isn’t safe either. The have an interim Pres right now and I believe in the summer they will have a full-time new Pres. Also, there are the lawsuits that are a higher priority for the USC Administration. I know for a fact that the Boosters and certain BoT members are NOT pleased and want both Swann and Helton out. Helton will be gone but I think it could be quiet until the summer sometime.

Sorry, but to finally answer your question. If it is Swann making the decision for a new coach I think you’re right. Babers’ style of offense isn’t what Swann ideally would want. Babers would kill it though there. He’s a great teacher , tough nosed, and instills confidence in his players. Something Helton has obviously failed at on all those levels. Personally, I’ll take anybody who isn’t a USC guy or a Fisher/Del Rio.

It’s Tailback U but they literally cannot run the ball this year, lol. The OLine was supposed to be good and should have growed from that beatdown the Ohio St DLine gave them. They have Stephen Carr and Aca’Cedric Ware who are 5* guys but they can’t do anything.

 

[djorange1989]

It’s really dicey there now. Swann’s job isn’t safe either. The have an interim Pres right now and I believe in the summer they will have a full-time new Pres. Also, there are the lawsuits that are a higher priority for the USC Administration. I know for a fact that the Boosters and certain BoT members are NOT pleased and want both Swann and Helton out. Helton will be gone but I think it could be quiet until the summer sometime.

Sorry, but to finally answer your question. If it is Swann making the decision for a new coach I think you’re right. Babers’ style of offense isn’t what Swann ideally would want. Babers would kill it though there. He’s a great teacher , tough nosed, and instills confidence in his players. Something Helton has obviously failed at on all those levels. Personally, I’ll take anybody who isn’t a USC guy or a Fisher/Del Rio.

Didn’t know that about Swann’s status. No doubt they need to break away from the USC guy thing, so many good coaches would want that gig. They should have hired Chris Peterson a few years back and they would be all set

 

[SoBeCuse]

Didn’t know that about Swann’s status. No doubt they need to break away from the USC guy thing, so many good coaches would want that gig. They should have hired Chris Peterson a few years back and they would be all set

Yup. Peterson is an alpha though. He wanted certain coaches and demands but Swann/USC wouldn’t give it to him. Peterson wanted that gig, too.

 

[OrangePA]

Wrong. That C of theirs STILL can’t snap the ball. Helton still won’t make a change. What does that say to the second or third string Centers who were the top C recruits in their respective classes? Because Toa Lohbendahn is like a son to him and “one of the loves of my life?” Yes he said that to the media, lol! It says that failure is accepted. In the one game earlier in the season when Toa was out with an injury, the backup C (forgetting his name) graded out better on PFF than Toa has all season. There are so many other examples of players regressing, not being put in better positions, etc. Putting everything on JT Daniels making him throw 50 times game and not being able to run the ball is doing Daniels a terrible disservice. Daniels also can run around like Darnold did improvising because the OLine cannot hold up (a problem last year). Helton is a horrendous coach. He’s a good man but a terrible coach.

My goodness, how in the world did the guy win ten and eleven games the last two years?

And why would USC hire such a pitiful coach in the first place?

And why didn't they hire you?

Just kidding SoBe.

You are certainly convinced.

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

 

[bpo57]

Yes but there are already a couple of decommitments and some players may transfer. Two games in a row they couldn’t score in the 2H and this is when Clay Helton took over as playcaller for good. He demoted Tee Martin. He just got schooled by Chip Kelly and there is absolutely no juice in the program. I’ve heard that current players are telling other recruits to not come to USC. After his latest Monday meeting with Swann he wasn’t as gung-ho and confident with the media when they met him on Tues after practice and asked about his job security. He didn’t mention the “I’m going to be coaching here for 15 years” lunacy like he said on either Sat or Sun.

Swann ideally would not want to do anything but his hand has been forced. The fan base is irate and all you see at games now are Fire Helton signs and person after person going up to Swann and offering coaching suggestions, lol. I have also heard that a couple of major boosters are threating pulling out of a couple of huge promise$ if he stays on. If not for the medical lawsuits and such on campus he would be done already but I’m 99% sure he’s fired at some point after the season.

Darnold masked a lot of issues. And for the last time posters need to stop talking about their success lately. It’s the PAC-12 South. Garbage. You should be in the Top 4 discussion every year playing in this league with the fourth most 4/5* guys on rosters in college football. Any time Helton and USC face a top coach or name program especially OOC they are completely outclassed and embarrassed.

SoBe what do you think of the line this Saturday at 10.5? I did a double take and thought that was a typo. What do bettors see in USC that that line isn't much larger?

 

[SoBeCuse]

My goodness, how in the world did they guy win ten and eleven games the last two years?

And why would USC hire such a pitiful coach in the first place?

And why didn't they hire you?

Just kidding SoBe.

You are certainly convinced.

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Easy. They play in the P12S and feast on cupcakes. They had Darnold. They also have the fourth most 4/5* players on their roster in the country.

Good question. They turned down Peterson for Helton, lol.

 

[SoBeCuse]

SoBe what do you think of the line this Saturday at 10.5? I did a double take and thought that was a typo. What do bettors see in USC that that line isn't much larger?

Yeah that’s crazy. Some players have given up for sure. They have some injuries. Notre Dame is playing well and will really want to put a beatdown on them for style points, IMO. I’m expecting something like 38-10 BEST case for USC.

 

[OrangePA]

Easy. They play in the P12S and feast on cupcakes. They had Darnold. They also have the fourth most 4/5* players on their roster in the country.

Good question. They turned down Peterson for Helton, lol.

So, he won with good players.

And he played in a mediocre conference.

I'm not sure what has changed. Helton is the same guy - I presume.

Maybe the players he has are not as good as folks figured.

 

[TheCusian]

Yup. Peterson is an alpha though. He wanted certain coaches and demands but Swann/USC wouldn’t give it to him. Peterson wanted that gig, too.

Dino isn’t going there then.

 

[anomander]

Babers is not leaving for one of those jobs. IF he ever did, I'll be done rooting for SU Football and shift to being a PSU fan.

I mean, not really in a million years, but you get the idea.

I know this.

 

[Symphony Steve]

Davy Jones of The Harrisburg Patriot-News makes a strong case as to why James Frankin might head to USC. 10 reasons--about 7 of which could also apply to Dino:

Ten good reasons that James Franklin could leave Penn State for the USC Trojans

 

[corpjet]

Babers is not leaving for one of those jobs. IF he ever did, I'll be done rooting for SU Football and shift to being a PSU fan.

I mean, not really in a million years, but you get the idea.

PeD State? Id cheer for the international table tennis league before I'd ever cheer fro anything from that disgusting school...

 

[kjb120]

I’ve become a USC fan after my brother went to school there and have watched plenty of their games under Helton and could not agree more with SoBe, those 10 wins season are mostly attributed to an easy schedule and having a player like Darnold, you could tell they were winning despite the coaching. Things are bad this year and it probably won’t be getting better under Helton so why keep him around and just dig yourself deeper in a whole. Only thing I worry about is that they probably will hire a Fisher type coach who will be mediocre at best.