USC coaching carousel moves at a gentle pace

The NCAA has a simple rule for college football staffs:

"There shall be a limit of one head coach, nine assistant coaches and two graduate assistant coaches."

I'm pretty sure Pete Carroll has the head coaching gig locked up (the NFL rumors are inevitable, but I still contend that those teams can't afford him). He will also handle defensive play calling.

As for the assistants, USC has officially announced the following:

• John Morton: Offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach
• Rocky Seto: Defensive coordinator, secondary coach
• Carl Smith: Assistant head coach for offense, offensive play calling duties and quarterbacks coach
• Ken Norton Jr.: Assistant head coach for defense and linebackers coach
• Jethro Franklin: Defensive line coach

Four coaches seem likely to stay on board from 2008:

• Pat Ruel: Offensive line coach
• Brennan Carroll: Tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator
• Todd McNair: Running backs coach and special teams coordinator
• David Watson: Defensive line coach

Despite a number of new titles and role adjustments, the Trojans' coaching personnel really had only two changes in their full-time staff. Smith essentially replaced Steve Sarkisian (now Washington's head coach) and Franklin essentially replaced Nick Holt (now Washington's defensive coordinator).

Graduate assistants are limited to two years. Kris Richard is expected back to help with the secondary. Yogi Roth has wrapped up his duties with the quarterbacks, and there is no timeline on his replacement.

There's no indication that strength and conditioning coach Chris Carlisle is going anywere, but Sarkisiain did hire away a couple of USC's other strength coaches.

Keep an eye on what Carroll does with his special teams -- a unit that doesn't have a full-time coach. McNair heads up those responsibilities, with most of the other assistants contributing. Watson has played an important role and may be able to give the unit more attention in 2009.

Watson could potentially be freed up because Franklin will focus exclusively on the defensive line, while his predecessor, Holt, had to split up his focus with defensive coordinator duties.

-- Adam Rose

Comments

[Juice22]

Willie McGinest was spotted around Heritage Hall recently. Any chances they are looking to hire him on as a GA or Linebackers coach? Imagine both Norton and McGinest, two excellent LBs, All-Americans and Pro-Bowlers, on the same coaching staff? Wow! What recruit wouldn't want to sign his LOI immediately? Fight On in 2009!

[Adam Rose]

Seems very unlikely. I don't know why he was around, but it's not unusual for prominent alumni to stop by. He was also at the Rose Bowl, as his NFL season was done.

But he may not be done playing:

http://blogs.nfl.com/2008/12/14/mcginest-now-unsure-about-retirement/

I wouldn't say he's acting like Favre, but certainly like Junior Seau. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Bill Baldwin, Jr.]

Do you think we've now seen the reason behind Norm Chow's refusal to talk to the new coach of the Huskies? Who on the USC coaching staff or office didn't Sarkisian try to lure up north?

Am I wrong, or did Nick Holt's departure come as a surprise? That's the impression I got and with Carroll not being available for comment, it just seems kind of swarmy.

And so after UCLA and Notre Dame next season, my desire is to see us crush Washington because the new coach and some of his staff deserve no less.