Game Preview: USC
A Fresh Face
Interim coach Ed Orgeron
is recharging the Trojans during
his honeymoon as USC's head man
T
By Dan Murphy
he final straw for USC head coach
Lane Kiffin came during the third
quarter of a blowout 62-41 loss
to Pac-12 rival Arizona State
on the last Saturday in September. It
was then, during a 28-0 run by the
Sun Devils with a bye week looming
ahead for USC, that athletics director
Pat Haden decided to cut ties with the
fourth-year head coach.
Kiffin's bosses let him know he was
no longer employed when the team
arrived at the airport in Los Angeles
early the next morning. Later that day,
former defensive line assistant and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron took
over as the interim head coach. He has
since filled the Trojans' (3-2) locker
room with the fresh air it needed.
Simple and subtle changes like inviting media back to practice and adding
butter and dessert to the training table
meals have made for a more hospitable atmosphere in October, according to Scott Schrader, who covers the
Trojans for 247Sports.
"All the players are extremely excited. The words 'pumped up' and
Orgeron spent his first week in charge trying to
restore some of the loose, fun atmosphere that
former head coach Pete Carroll became known for
during his time (2000-09) at USC.
photo by john mcgillen
