USC is NOT Firing Clay Helton

[nzm136]

The attendance is what I thought might be the final nail. Just under 60k for ND. Didn’t draw 60k once this year. That’s bad (by their standards). I admit I didn’t realize how bad their attendance problem had become.

They flew a plane overhead during the game demanding his firing? Stay here Dino. You don’t want any part of that. Just one more advantage of having a Dome.

Yeah, you can’t see the planes here!

 

[nzm136]

That and when the players are going to the media wanting better and tougher practices you know you have a problem. You can’t bring in first time assistants either. He himself was an assistant for two bad coaches...Sark and Kiffin. They aren’t a young team either. That’s baloney. Sure Daniels is but he’s more than fine.

I’m not sure Sark was a bad coach. He was an alcoholic, no doubt. But I don’t think he’s a bad football coach.

 

[Chip]

Nah, not buyout related at all.

 

[SU94]

The attendance is what I thought might be the final nail. Just under 60k for ND. Didn’t draw 60k once this year. That’s bad (by their standards). I admit I didn’t realize how bad their attendance problem had become.

They flew a plane overhead during the game demanding his firing? Stay here Dino. You don’t want any part of that. Just one more advantage of having a Dome.

While there are no certainties in life, ... USC is a program that plays out of the pro set. I think it is going to be a long while before you'll see any college spread offense (or Baylor offense) featured at the Coliseum. Almost assuredly, not next season.

I am nervous about many things, but not about Dino and USC next year.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Nah, not buyout related at all.

Apparently a bunch of mega boosters had the buyout money ready to hand to him but he wouldn’t budge. I don’t think the BoT right now and with an interim Pres were simply ready to make a move right NOW. Plus there is some specualtion that USC is caring less and less about the football program as a whole right now. But I know for a fact that the mega boosters were overruled and are livid. I think Swann wasn’t allowed to make the move, frankly.

These are all Helton’s buddies and bumpkin friends who were fired today. More will come. Swann had to do SOMETHING. He made him fire his best friend also a month ago the OL coach, Neal Callaway. But it all stinks. When Swann says this and keeps the coach; you have real problems. You can’t make this stuff up. Swann: “We acknowledge and understand our deficiencies in areas that include culture, discipline, schemes, personnel, and staff. We agree that changes will be made, and they will.” I mean it’s unreal, LOL. The coach is retained after all those said issues and problems. Crazy. He’s the source of it, duh!! The issue now is how big is Helton’s rolodex? He’s a nobody. Who can he bring in now as an OC? Someone experienced like what should have been done instead of first cracks ever at the jobs coming from Conf USA? Will they give Helton $1M and and say go get us a top OC who has done it before and knows what they are doing?

 

[Hoo's That]

Apparently a bunch of mega boosters had the buyout money ready to hand to him but he wouldn’t budge. I don’t think the BoT right now and with an interim Pres were simply ready to make a move right NOW. Plus there is some specualtion that USC is caring less and less about the football program as a whole right now. But I know for a fact that the mega boosters were overruled and are livid. I think Swann wasn’t allowed to make the move, frankly.
{snip}

This is really tiresome. Seriously, just about every school’s board I visit has 2 standard complaints -

“Why doesn’t the administration support the ________ team like it used to?” and

“Why don’t the students show up for the _________ games like they used to?”

Either no administration is showing any support for any sports team at any school or fans have less than zero idea how much support was shown in the past and how much is shown now. I do know for a fact that the Haverford and Swarthmore alums can say their administrations are showing less support for their football teams now than they did in past because they disbanded the teams in the 70s and 80s.

 

[SoBeCuse]

This is really tiresome. Seriously, just about every school’s board I visit has 2 standard complaints -

“Why doesn’t the administration support the ________ team like it used to?” and

“Why don’t the students show up for the _________ games like they used to?”

Either no administration is showing any support for any sports team at any school or fans have less than zero idea how much support was shown in the past and how much is shown now. I do know for a fact that the Haverford and Swarthmore alums can say their administrations are showing less support for their football teams now than they did in past because they disbanded the teams in the 70s and 80s.

Because the former Pres was a Euro the BoT loved and he hated football. He never went to games and academic standing vaulted tremendously into consensus top 25 territory. He was an amazing fundraiser as well. Why else would a ‘factory’ like USC hire a guy like Swann and bring a lame duck coach in like Helton with no HC experience? Athletic Dept just does not open up their purses especially for football. It is what it is.

 

[Hoo's That]

Because the former Pres was a Euro the BoT loved and he hated football. He never went to games and academic standing vaulted tremendously into consensus top 25 territory. He was an amazing fundraiser as well. Why else would a ‘factory’ like USC hire a guy like Swann and bring a lame duck coach in like Helton with no HC experience? Athletic Dept just does not open up their purses especially for football. It is what it is.

I don’t know if she went to the games or not, but folks on Da U’s board talk the same way about Donna Shalala.

 

[bpo57]

I don’t know if she went to the games or not, but folks on Da U’s board talk the same way about Donna Shalala.

You don't think a school's top administrators can have an impact on a football or basketball program?

 

[HOFCeluck]

I’m not sure Sark was a bad coach. He was an alcoholic, no doubt. But I don’t think he’s a bad football coach.

Last I heard he hasn’t really endeared himselfnwith the fans at his current job.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I’m not sure Sark was a bad coach. He was an alcoholic, no doubt. But I don’t think he’s a bad football coach.

He couldn’t handle the gig because of that and other issues. Thus, another bad decision.

 

[Hoo's That]

You don't think a school's top administrators can have an impact on a football or basketball program?

Of course they can. But on every board I visit, including ND’s, there’s a constant drumbeat that their administration is out to sabotage the program. I could understand if one school here or one over there was complaining. That would definitely indicate a subtle or not-so-subtle deemphasis of some sport. But for multiple sports on multiple boards? It’s very difficult to imagine that the new coaches at Louisville won’t be on short leashes, but it’s understandable why they’ve been put in that position. A lot of folks on our board were dissatisfied with the support our last president gave to football, but she was at nearly every game and was always enthusiastic.

If Father Jenkins is trying to destroy the football program at ND, as many on their hard-core board allege, he certainly was asleep at the switch this year.

 

[nzm136]

He couldn’t handle the gig because of that and other issues. Thus, another bad decision.

Maybe, but that wasn't your OP. It was that he wasn't a good coach and therefore a good mentor.

I have a hard time accepting that assistant coaches couldn't learn from him because he was an alcoholic. I'll buy that he probably wasn't the right guy for USC to hire. But that doesn't make him a bad coach.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Maybe, but that wasn't your OP. It was that he wasn't a good coach and therefore a good mentor.

I have a hard time accepting that assistant coaches couldn't learn from him because he was an alcoholic. I'll buy that he probably wasn't the right guy for USC to hire. But that doesn't make him a bad coach.

We’ll just agree to disagree. He was a poor leader and that covers a lot, obviously. Doesn’t mean the guy doesn’t know football but he was too much of a train wreck on/off the field to truly validate.

 

[bpo57]

I’m not sure Sark was a bad coach. He was an alcoholic, no doubt. But I don’t think he’s a bad football coach.

He's been a train wreck with the Falcons.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[721Comstock]

OK, that's actually a GREAT hire.
Which is kinda surprising for USC, but hey - bling pig, meet acorn.

 

[Trueblue25]

And so ends the Dino USC conspiracy

 

[Whitey23]

 

[Trueblue25]

I think he’d be an idiot not to accept this offer from USC.

 

[SoBeCuse]

This would be huge to get him. Helton’s overmatched so a guy like him to help out is a major addition. I was wondering if they would actually offer a guy like him and make a big splash Coordinator hire. Many of us were thinking they would go low ball and bring in another of Helton’s Conf USA rube buddies. I can get down with this!

 

[orangepassion]

Can't imagine Kingsbury comes if he thinks Helton's almost out the door, unless he succeeds him

 

[Trueblue25]

Can't imagine Kingsbury comes if he thinks Helton's almost out the door, unless he succeeds him

Am I wrong in thinking this is a hire to succeed Helton and Helton’s only not gone due to his buy out?

 

[djorange1989]

He couldn’t handle the gig because of that and other issues. Thus, another bad decision.

and considering the guys they could have hired (Peterson etc), and also considering his alcohol issues were not a secret up in Seattle, Haden just completely screwed the pooch

 

[SoBeCuse]

Can't imagine Kingsbury comes if he thinks Helton's almost out the door, unless he succeeds him

His agent will try to get him a 3-yr deal I would guess. It’s a win-win getting Kingsbury in there. I’ll give Swann some credit here. Helton was way in over his head calling plays too. He took over those duties 4 weeks ago. Three of those games they didn’t score a TD in the 2Hs and were outscored something like 45-3 in the 3Qs, lol.