OT: USC fires their OC
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/bruce-feldman/21671010/polamalu-out-as-usc-oc
Just in case Lane thought his DB rating was slippin' he pulls this 2 days after kids sign their LOI. I think Polamalu was Ty Issacs lead recruiter.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:36 AM ^
Wrong coach! Fire Kiffin!
February 9th, 2013 at 9:09 AM ^
I disagree, keep Kiffin. Hopefully some southern California recruits look UM's way with the tire fire out in LA.
February 9th, 2013 at 9:17 AM ^
Viva Kiffin!
February 9th, 2013 at 10:15 AM ^
UCLA is going to be the beneficiary, Mora brought in a an excellent class and is turning the ship around.
February 9th, 2013 at 4:27 PM ^
UCLA used to be a quality program year in and year out. A big name. I would like to see it be so again.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:36 AM ^
It's too bad Leon McQuay can't jump off this burning ship. I can't help but wonder if he would have come to UM had he known then all that he knows now.
I wonder a bit about Isaac as well, but with Green and Smith I feel like we're set. However, you can always use more elite playmakers at DB.
February 9th, 2013 at 9:39 AM ^
Why? KP wasn't his recruiter. I get some defenisve players are said but I don't get why that'd make LM more likely to come here.
February 9th, 2013 at 11:55 AM ^
I don't believe he's referring to this situation specifically. He's talking about the big picture.
February 9th, 2013 at 9:46 AM ^
Both had a chance to jump ship and didn't. They can only blame themselves
February 9th, 2013 at 11:19 AM ^
Both Ty Isaac and Leon McQuay-- and their parents -- had plenty of time and resources to discern which college was right for them. If they were as dilligent as they claimed to be, there should be nothing particularly surprising about this move. In fact, as Steve Lorenz put it on Twitter last night, Lane Kiffin firing his OC two days after Signing Day is "the most USC thing ever." The fable of the Scorpion and the Frog has appeared in multiple cultures on multiple continents for literally thousands of years. These recruits and their parents have only themselves to blame if haven't gotten the memo by now,
February 9th, 2013 at 11:54 AM ^
and an even better username.
February 9th, 2013 at 10:29 AM ^
And that Smith and Green are now in the fold. I am going to bet that that duo is going to be a better combo than if Ty was in the backfield.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:38 AM ^
I love this part if the article...
Polamalu, it should be noted, was not USC's play-caller. Lane Kiffin, the head coach, handled the play-calling responsibilities.
Lane is a DB... Plain and simple
February 9th, 2013 at 8:42 AM ^
Although KIFFIN IS A FIVE STAR DOUCHEBAG, it's not uncommon for HC's with an offensive background to call their own plays.
February 9th, 2013 at 10:47 AM ^
Isn't it your fault and not your offensive coordinator's?
February 9th, 2013 at 11:09 AM ^
I mean, the OC clearly has some job function beyond calling plays -- likely preparing the players to execute the plays that are called. It is not inconceivable that an OC with these responsibilities could be doing an inadequate job.
I doubt that's what happened here, mind you, as LK is clearly scapegoating. But in the broader sense I don't think it's indefensible.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:39 AM ^
Id hate to be a kid that chose USC because of him. That's like firing Mattiso after he reeled in some kids thinking they would get coaching from him and then after they sign their LOI they get to here some other chump is replacing the guy you have been recruited by since maybe your sophomore or junior year.
If you're going to fire anyone, make it Kiffen... But retain his wife;)
February 9th, 2013 at 9:19 AM ^
This is where I think kids should be allowed to leave with little penalty when something like this happens. It's BS for them to sign a LOI and bind themselves to that school probably in part due to the coaches there, then have those coaches get fired and they're stuck. Especially the guys that just signed on to USC. I think they should have an opportunity to go elsewhere if they want
February 9th, 2013 at 11:58 AM ^
Hear.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:40 AM ^
Head Coaches follow the same MO as CEO's when they're in trouble. First thing they usually do is fire their VP of Sales (Offensive Coordianator if you will) cause revenue (points) arent where the CEO (HC) thinks they should be.
It's an attempt to buy time by deflecting blame for whatever is going on to subordinates incapable (according the HC/CEO) of following and implementing the HC/CEO's vision properly. Sometimes it works - usually it doesnt.
Kiffin has one more year to get USC back to the days of Pete Carroll IMO. His dad has left the DC job, now Polamalu gets taken out...Lane - you're last man standing.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:41 AM ^
Oops.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:53 AM ^
So, Polamalu returns to his alma mater in 2010 and helps to construct two Top 30 offenses. At that point, Lane Kiffin comes into the picture, the USC offense becomes middling as Kiffin takes on playcalling duties and Polamalu gets canned two days after NSD and after helping USC land some top talent. The Kiffin Effect at its most classic.
February 9th, 2013 at 1:48 PM ^
Just wait till he replaces him with OJ Simpson out on work release, THEN we'll see the full Kiffin Effect.
February 9th, 2013 at 8:55 AM ^
The players are not happy. http://www.conquestchronicles.com/2013/2/8/3969758/usc-players-react-to…
February 9th, 2013 at 9:36 AM ^
goading Pat to fire him. Take his severance pay and find an OC job somewhere.
Zero sympathy for Ty Isaac. He picked Lane's program and now he gets the full experience.
February 9th, 2013 at 9:56 AM ^
Kids these days. I can barely decipher half of what is written.
February 9th, 2013 at 11:44 AM ^
by developing an app that translates Twitter into English.
(in fairness, the tweets in the linked article were actually pretty readable... but I never pass up a "kids today" post on principle)
February 9th, 2013 at 9:01 AM ^
You fired the guy who trained kids on YOUR offensive play calling schemes. Train the trainer maybe? What a douche. When can kids bale on their LOI's back?
February 9th, 2013 at 9:03 AM ^
We got the better back in Green.. Iaasc and McQuay had to know the mess they were getting into..Unless they didnt see the fall of USC last season..Also, Iaasc didnt have to fullly commit till NSD.. His loss. He could have been a wolverine... I cant stand USC and Kiffin.. I have no idea how that man has a job still..
February 9th, 2013 at 9:31 AM ^
I don't feel sorry for or wish we got McQuay & Issac. If we offer you a juicy steak, and turn it down for a quarter pounder, you deserve you food poisoning. This is Michigan. I love our recruiting class and in the end, I you don't fall in love with Michigan we've got plenty waiting in line who already have.
Rant over.
February 9th, 2013 at 9:39 AM ^
Standard reply: They're kids. Kids can be influenced by adults to do things. No need for this response.
February 9th, 2013 at 9:55 AM ^
Seriously. USC is a historical powerhouse that's been an NFL factory. Plus if you're in Michigan, have you looked outside in the past 2 days? KP was also the RBs coach who recruited Issac. I'd be beyond pissed if I were him. This notion that kids committ to a school is BS. Let's say you chose your PhD program based on a professor you want to work with and write you dissertation under, wouldn't you be pissed if he was gone the day after and you had no where to go? This is similar, there isn't a huge difference between USC and Michigan , despite how much we'd like to believe it. At that point kids are choosing based coaches and people, among other factors.
February 9th, 2013 at 11:48 AM ^
It's sunny with a fresh blanket of snow on the ground, mild winter temps and little wind. Absolutely beautiful day here in the state of Michigan.
February 9th, 2013 at 11:58 AM ^
Actually, that's why they tell you not to pick your program solely based on one professor...
February 9th, 2013 at 9:43 AM ^
Kiffin may have saved his 2013 recruiting class by delaying Polamaly's termination until after NSD, but he also exposed his ethics to future recruits.
His short-term gain this year will serve as a warning to future recruits and give competing coaches a weapon to use against Kiffin in future recruiting.
Rather than hoping Kiffin gets fired, we should hope that he stays at USC and runs their program further into the ground.
As for Ty Isaac and Leon McQuay, they made their choices. Had Isaac committed to Michigan, we probably would not have gotten Derrick Green. A committment from Leon McQuay would have been nice but we still have good depth and talent at safety without him.
Let's move on and focus on those choose Michigan!
February 9th, 2013 at 9:58 AM ^
"His short term gain..." Perhaps. But if the past is any indicator, most high school players don't seem too bothered by ethical shortcomings of coaches.
February 9th, 2013 at 10:08 AM ^
Haden isn't stupid, and he has to know that Kiffin is burning down the house.
February 9th, 2013 at 10:38 AM ^
Lane Kiffin is the biggest douche bag in the entire world. I would be furious as an incoming recruit.
February 9th, 2013 at 10:50 AM ^
I'm interested to see what Kiffin's next job will be. There's no way he'll get an NFL head coaching job after the Oakland job and his subsequent college failures, and I don't think he has the mastermind reputation that would get him an NFL coordinator job. I can't imagine any big time college programs would touch him after this (as HC). That leaves options like coaching low profile college teams, which probably isn't his style, being a coordinator/assistant at a top college, which other coaches might not want to deal with, or being a position coach in the NFL, which he doesn't seem like a good candidate for.
February 9th, 2013 at 11:36 AM ^
I suspect he'd actually be good at it. He has to be a hell of a smooth talker to get hired for so many high profile positions at such a young age.
February 9th, 2013 at 12:46 PM ^
Have you ever seen him speak publicly? He makes a deer in the headlights look like Barney Stinson.
February 9th, 2013 at 11:42 AM ^
"training camps" for high-school kids looking to boost their recruiting profiles. If he brought uber-recruiter and all-around crazy man Ed Orgeron with him, he might have some appeal for a certain portion of the high school recruiting base.
February 9th, 2013 at 12:46 PM ^
I think he'll end up getting a job as an assistant in the NFL. I have no clue why though. He hasn't proved anything but once again he will probably be a hot coaching name for whatever reason
February 9th, 2013 at 10:51 AM ^
He probably fired Polamalu for catfishing Manti Te'o.
February 9th, 2013 at 11:33 AM ^
Kiffin is really the OC and calls all plays (as pointed out above). Polamalu was primarily the running backs coach and decent recruiter. I called as many offensive plays for USC this year as Polamalu...zero. But it is still just another example of why Kiffin is a douche.
February 10th, 2013 at 9:42 AM ^
Maybe you should have been fired as well?
February 9th, 2013 at 11:21 AM ^
Coincidence with the timing? I think not. Kiffin is the ultimate douche.
February 9th, 2013 at 12:23 PM ^
I swear it'd probably be easier to list the things he doesn't do shady.
February 9th, 2013 at 12:31 PM ^
Has fired 4 asst. coaches in the last month alone. Kennedy Polamalu was Ty Isaac and Sua Cravens lead guy. Typical deuche bag to wait till after the kids sign!
God I hate Kiffen, I live is Cali and just can't believe the shit he does
February 9th, 2013 at 12:44 PM ^
As he keeps hiring and firing assistants he has to sit down and realize he's the common factor every year and it's not the assistants fault it's his own. His ego is probably too big for that though.
Firing an assistant 2 days after NSD is shady. It seems like he held out so he didn't get even more decommits.
What a douche bag!