Posted on 12/02/2013 3:30:23 PM PST by Hotlanta Mike
USC athletic director Pat Haden had two months to decide on the best possible candidate to replace disastrous coach Lane Kiffin. Should it concern Trojans fans that the guy he chose, Washington's Steve Sarkisian, has a lower career Pac-12 winning percentage (.539) than the guy Haden fired (.586)?
It's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Kiffin took over a program just a year removed from a streak of seven straight BCS bowl seasons, albeit one that would soon be hit with crippling NCAA sanctions. Sarkisian, Kiffin's close friend and former co-offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll (aw-kward), inherited a Washington program that had just gone 0-12.
But that was five years ago. While no one would question Sarkisian had it much tougher rebuilding the Huskies than Kiffin did reloading the Trojans, Sarkisian's landmark achievement this season was that he finally won eight games at a major West Coast university with sparkling new facilities and a 1991 national championship trophy on its mantle. With that as his pedigree, Sarkisian now moves to a program where eight-win seasons are cause for termination and national championships are an expectation, not a fleeting moment in history.
(Excerpt) Read more at sportsillustrated.cnn.com ...
They could have had Muschamp. ;)
Mike Leach was about to overtake him in the State, so it probably was a good time to get out of Washington.
USC Should have stayed with coach O. Another bad move by Hayden. When this hire tanks, we can kiss Hayden goodbye with him.
“Mike Leach was about to overtake him in the State, so it probably was a good time to get out of Washington.”
You are right again, as usual.
We may get lucky and end up with Jim Mora here in Seattle. It would be funny to see UCLA on the outside looking in at this thing.
Kiffin’s assistant went 9-1 after Kiffin left. Very strange year in the Pac-12.
Mike Leach was about to overtake him in the State, so it probably was a good time to get out of Washington.
Franklin (Vandy) might be a good fit in Seattle.
Orgeron was Muschamp-Like at Ole Miss, so I don’t see how this isn’t an upgrade.
No, it’s the right choice. Sarkisian has huge recruiting ties in SoCal, and being an ex QB, this will help attract top QB’s to USC. This will prove to be a great choice for the long term for USC football.
NOOOOOOOOOOO! We've got dibs!
Pardon my ignorance, but what sport?
“Mike Leach was about to overtake him in the State, so it probably was a good time to get out of Washington.”
You are right again, as usual.
We may get lucky and end up with Jim Mora here in Seattle. It would be funny to see UCLA on the outside looking in at this thing.
Kiffin’s assistant went 9-1 after Kiffin left. Very strange year in the Pac-12.
Might end up being a circus maximus in the PAC 12 this holiday season.
Yep, watch out for Washington State next year, I think they will challenge for the Pac 10 Title.
I’ve read your posts. How do you really feel about Muschamp?
Non-Texans might think Leach's old stomping grounds of Lubbock is out in the middle of nowhere. Well, his current stop in Pullman is well beyond nowhere.
Leach gained a lot of national prominence while at TTU, including a feature segment on 60 Minutes, but has vanished from the national stage which coaching the Cougars. Thank you so very much Craig James. Maybe Kliff Kingsbury will turn things around but, under Leach, the Red Raiders were always must see teevee.
Oh this is about sports. OK. I saw the surname Sarkisian, and I thought, isn’t that Cher’s maiden name? Not that she was ever an actual “maiden”.
Halliday is leaving. Leach will bring in his kids, and you will start seeing WSU dominating like TTU did. He’s an amazing coach.
WSU will break out next year. They got back to a bowl again this year.
ASU is looking good too.
Oregon is on the downhill slide. I watched the UW/OSU game, and it wasn’t even close.
How did Oregon lose to Oregon State? Incredible.
So, ASU, WSU, and likely USC (they’re stacked) next year? If Jim Mora comes to Seattle, UCLA won’t do as well.
They didn't. Oregon won 36-35.
How's fan reaction to him out here? In spite of being a nominal Conservative, to this day Craig James remains immensely unpopular here in Texas for his role in Leach's firing.
Sark is a perfect fit for the Spoiled Children. Let him take them all the way to 7 wins.
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