[C19fan]

USCs problem is their so invested in only hiring people inside the USC family they have an amateur Athletic Director and a mediocre football coach. Watching the USC v. Notre Dame USC commits stupid sloppy penalties and the ball security is horrible. USC has struggled all season with these problems. To me that is a sign of bad coaching.

[irish guard]

Good, I’m glad they’re keeping him. Go Irish

[morphing libertarian]

When you start with a rookie QB you got problems already. Yes he went to a premier HS, but this isn’t HS. US has always had great receivers and they need a top QB to get the ball to them and someone who can scramble under pressure. He started well last night and then they all faded.

[yarddog]

Agree with that.

I even think FSU should keep Taggart for another year. I just saw his comments after the Florida game and liked what I heard.

[SoCal Pubbie]

All season? How about throughout Helton’s tenure?

Most penalized NCAA teams. USC was ranked:

2015 121st out of 128
2016 115th out of 128
2017 117th out of 130
2018 120th out of 130

As for being “invested in only hiring people inside the USC family” this is nearly a one hundred year old tradition. Elmer “Gloomy Gus” Henderson was brought in as head coach from a high school in Seattle in 1919. That date marks the beginning of “big time” USC football. Since then the school has hired a head coach without USC ties three times. Howard Jones in 1925, Larry Smith in 1987, and Pete Carroll in 2000. Most if not all USC athletic directors have had USC ties as well, save for Mike MaGee hired in 1984. He left the “real” USC to the “fake” one in 1993, and the ADs since then have all been former Trojan football players.

As a Trojan fan it was clear to me that the program was moribund and needed as fresh start after the Sark debacle. At this point fresh blood is essential.

[llevrok]

As long as I don't have to hear that damn Tommy Trojan band salute every 5 minutes in a bowl game, I don't care what they do with their coach.

[Fiji Hill]

The decision to keep Helton seems to be in keeping with USC’s new vision of being a leading Pacific Rim institution with a globalist outlook. After several mediocre seasons leading to a dwindling fan base, it will be easy to phase out football, a parochial and uniquely American sport that is at variance with this outlook.

[Michael.SF.]

Injuries are part of the game, of course, but USC this year has lost a lot of game time from many key players. They were down to their third string QB for one game, and lost their two key LB's (one for the season, the other for two games). They had many other injuries causing them to start second and third string players.

That being said, it is not a complete excuse for a poor season, but it serves to clarify a reason for sticking with Helton one more season.

. USC recruiting was rated nationally as Number 2 in 2018 and #4 in 2017.

They have also had issues at the head coaching spot since Pete Carol fled for the big bucks and to avoid being fired. Not giving Coach O the position was a mistake, but keeping the popular Helton for one more year makes sense.

If they cannot win next year? Well we wish you well Coach Helton.

[hinckley buzzard]

I would agree. I have only seen USC in the ND game, and they just appeared to be a poorly prepared football team. Maybe lacking in talent too, but who knows. In any case, just poor play for the last game of the season.

[Fiji Hill]

I'd like to dedicate a few songs.

To our coaching staff:
Straigten Up and Fly Right--The King Cole Trio

To the two receivers who fumbled:
Don't Drop It--Wilbert Harrison

To the Trojan family:
Ill Wind--Eddie Duchin

[CommerceComet]

Personally, I don't think Clay Helton is the guy to take USC back to their glory years but I don't think he should be fired either. In 2015, he took over mid-season for Steve Sarkisian - I would consider that a freebie year. In 2016, he went to the Rose Bowl and in 2017, he went to the Cotton Bowl. This year, the Trojans disappointed. Two straight NY6 bowl games and then a hiccup doesn't seem like a firing situation. Even a "be good or be gone" speech by the AD seems a bit premature.

High expectations, impatience, and jumping on the coaching carousel is a ticket to mediocrity, even for schools with tradition like Southern Cal.

Helton should be retained because he hasn't failed to a point of being fired but I'm happy to see him stay for the reason I stated in the first line. Go Huskies!