USC football: Pete Carroll does not expect NCAA sanctions

Former USC coach Pete Carroll, appearing Tuesday on Dan Patrick's radio program, said he would be surprised if the NCAA handed down sanctions against the athletic program.

Carroll attended USC's appearance before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions in February.

Carroll, preparing for his first season as coach of the Seattle Seahawks, also said he was "just disappointed as can be" when he heard that former Trojans linebacker Brian Cushing had been suspended by the NFL for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Asked if Cushing ever tested positive at USC, Carroll said:

"We can't talk about stuff like that. I would never say that anybody ever did. We can't ever say something like that. He was a great kid in our program ... did everything that we wanted him to and it carried into the league. And unfortunately this issue's up."

A transcript of the interview is here.

-- Gary Klein