Mike Tomlin, Jeff Fisher new names in coaching search

In its second half of the season, the 3-4 Trojans head coaching search heating up. Although, USC may be out of Pac-12 Championship contention and as its bowl hopes dwindle with each loss, the drama surrounding the program and its next head coach continues. 

This past week, former USC quarterback Carson Palmer went on the Dan Patrick Show and resparked the conversation by mentioning Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin. 

Just a day later, Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported former Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher is also a viable candidate. Let’s look at some of the big names and where they stand midway through the college football season. 

Mike Tomlin 

The Carson Palmer and Tomlin saga is not as big of a deal as people make it. It’s a consensus that an NFL coach in one of the best jobs in the league would be crazy to leave. Tomlin made that clear in his press conference this week saying, “That’s a joke to me. I have one of the best jobs in all of professional sport. Why would I have any interest in coaching college football?” Palmer’s comment seems more like a way for USC to show other coaches who are legitimate options that the Trojans have bigger and better names on the table. This may make the job seem more intriguing for those candidates. Tomlin seems to have removed himself from the running for the job.

Jeff Fisher 

Like Tomlin, this report seems just out of touch. Jeff Fisher was shown on Monday Night Football just a couple weeks ago fishing in Tennessee. The USC graduate was interviewed on CBS Sports Radio by Zach Gleb this week and when asked about the job gave an unenthusiastic “We just have to see what happens.” Jeff Fisher is also not in the running for the job. 

James Franklin 

Penn State’s recent woes seem to have cooled James Franklin’s name after he was a popular pick the beginning of the search. This past weekend the Nittany Lions lost a nine overtime thriller against 2-5 Illinois. A loss where Penn St. had many opportunities to win might have brought back flashbacks for Athletic Director Mike Bohn and his hiring staff. 

The former No. 4 team in the country has lost two games in a row, dropped to No. 20 and will play No. 5 Ohio State this weekend. Franklin’s 2-11 record against top 10 teams continues to be a conversation, and it’s most likely going to take another hit. 

Franklin has turned from a home run to a controversial pick in just 2 weeks. 

Matt Campbell 

Campbell continues to do what is expected as Iowa State  comes off its upset win over No. 15 Oklahoma State this past weekend. With a 40-30 record with the Cyclones despite very little resources, Campbell has made himself an intriguing candidate for a USC team with all the resources a coach can dream of and with an athletic director whose shown he’s committed to investing in the program. 

Campbell continues as a strong pick for the job. 

Luke Fickell

Fickell has taken his Cincinnati team from a 4-8 season to begin his tenure in 2017 to a No. 2 ranking this year. The Bearcats’ only ranked opponent left on their schedule is No. 19 SMU, and it seems like a College Football Playoff bid is one for Cincinnati to lose this season. 

Bohn, who hired Fickell at Cincinnati, will have to do some major convincing to get the Midwesterner to come to Los Angeles, but he seems like the strongest candidate for the job. Associate Athletic Director Brandon Sosna also played a role in hiring Fickell at Cincinnati. 

Fickell is currently the strongest candidate for the job. 

Tony Elliott 

A hot name before the season started, Clemson’s Offensive Coordinator does not seem like a legitimate candidate for the job any longer due to the Tigers’ underperformance this season. The Clemson offense is currently ranked No.114 out of 130 FBS teams. 

Jeff Hafley 

A under-the-radar potential candidate, Hafley was a rising star coming into this season and continues to impress at Boston College. Hafley holds a wealth of experience at the collegiate level as an assistant coach with Ohio State, Rutgers and Pitt along with NFL experience with the 49ers, Buccaneers and Browns. 

Boston started 4-0 with injury issues at quarterback but since then, has struggled and lost its last three games to Clemson, NC State and Louisville. The latter two were by large margins. 

Hafley has good experience but would be a surprising pick for the job.