Top candidates for USC’s next head football coach


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Penn State head coach James Franklin answers questions at a press conference.
Penn State football head coach James Franklin has been a common name attached to USC’s head coaching search. Franklin has been at Penn State for nearly 10 years. (Photo courtesy of Creative Commons)

One of the biggest headlines in college football last week was USC firing former head coach Clay Helton. Already on shaky ground coming into the season, the 42-28 loss to Stanford at the Coliseum on Sept. 11 sealed Helton’s fate. He was fired the following Monday. The team promoted cornerbacks coach and associate head coach Donte Williams to interim head coach for the rest of the season. 

In the meantime, USC will conduct a “national search,” according to Athletic Director Mike Bohn in a tweet he put out Sept. 13, for the best person to be USC’s next head coach. 

Here are some current options that USC may pursue. 

No. 5: Urban Meyer | NFL Head Coach — Jacksonville Jaguars

The former college head coach who brought championships to Ohio State and Florida is now testing the waters in the NFL as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coach. 

Although Meyer has a top talent in Trevor Lawrence at his disposal, it hasn’t necessarily translated into wins. The team lost its first two games of the season, and, if it continues this way, Meyer might have an early exit from professional football. 

USC would be an optimal landing spot for Meyer, where he can recruit and transform the program for the better. Obviously, a lot of things need to go wrong for him in the NFL for this to happen, but there is still a chance. 

No. 4: Chris Petersen | Former College Head Coach — Washington Huskies

Even though Petersen no longer coaches, he could elevate the Trojans to reach the Playoff for the first time in the school’s history. Petersen  accomplished this with another Pac-12 school — Washington.  

Petersen only recently left the sport in 2019, so USC may have a chance at bringing him back to the game. Peterson’s experience in elevating a program to the highest level of collegiate play might give the Trojans a chance to win it all. 

Throughout his career, Petersen boasted an impressive 79.5% win rate between his time with Washington and Boise State, totaling 147 wins in 185 games. This type of winning mindset is exactly what the Trojans need now. 

No. 3: Eric Bieniemy | NFL Offensive Coordinator — Kansas City Chiefs

A Southern California native, Bieniemy would be an intriguing hire for the Trojans. USC is known for its air-raid offense, and who better to implement this philosophy than the offensive coordinator of one of the most prolific pass offenses in the NFL currently — the Kansas City Chiefs.

Bieniemy has been a frequent head coaching candidate in the NFL and made the Super Bowl in back-to-back years with the Chiefs. However, CBS Sports reported that he is open to the USC position, if he’s available. 

It would be quite a return home for Bieniemy if selected to bring his professional experience to USC.  

It is also worth noting that Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator at Colorado during Bohn’s tenure as athletic director.

No. 2: Luke Fickell | College Head Coach — Cincinnati Bearcats

Cincinnati’s program has gradually improving every season under Fickell, and the team is now competing in the top 10 rankings. A lot of praise can be attributed to head coach Luke Fickell, who was able to get the Bearcats an AAC title last season and went toe-to-toe against Georgia in the Peach Bowl. 

What makes this hire more intriguing is that Bohn served as the athletic director for Cincinnati when they hired Fickell. There could be a chance for this hire to happen again to help the Trojans consistently make the top 10.

No. 1: James Franklin | College Head Coach — Penn State Nittany Lions

The best candidate for USC to go after for the head coach opening should be current Penn State head coach James Franklin. In his nearly 10 years at Penn State, Franklin has brought great success to the program. Under his leadership, Penn State won the Big 10 and bowl games such as the Cotton and Fiesta Bowls. 

The reason why this pairing works so well is that Penn State constantly has trouble making the playoffs, since it has powerhouse Ohio State in its conference and division. So, to have an easier path to the playoffs through the Pac-12, Franklin will be the perfect match to get the Trojans a playoff berth.