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Archive for the 'Mike Riley' Tag

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USC football: Coaching search update

January 12th, 2010, 1:51 pm by Michael Lev, staff writer

We’re just a couple of days into USC’s coaching search, and already the list has morphed. Here’s a quick review of where things stand (coaches listed in alphabetical order):

NO LONGER VIABLE

  • Jack Del Rio
  • Jeff Fisher
  • Mike Riley

STILL IN PLAY

  • Herman Edwards
  • Steve Mariucci
  • Chris Petersen

ALSO POSSIBLE

  • Jim Fassel
  • Lane Kiffin
  • Steve Sarkisian

More from the USC blog:

Posted in: Football • • • • • • • • • | 20 Comments »

5 thoughts on Carroll’s departure, USC’s transition

January 11th, 2010, 7:00 am by Michael Lev, staff writer

carroll0111

Goodbye, Pete Carroll. Hello, chaos.

How many different angles are there to this story? Let’s put it this way: Vegas set the over/under at infinity.

Fortunately for you, dear reader, I’ve narrowed it down to these five thoughts:

1. All good things …
Carroll’s departure for the Seattle Seahawks truly is the end of an era. No matter who the next coach is (more on that in No. 5, if you want to skip ahead) or how well he does, it’ll be all but impossible to match what Carroll accomplished. But beyond his ridiculous record, Carroll brought an energy to USC that was, to use one of his favorite words, “unique.” (I guarantee you’ll hear him say it at least half a dozen times during his introductory news conference.) He was the perfect coach for the Los Angeles market — just as at ease talking zone defenses as chatting up Will Ferrell or Flea. Carroll rallied not only young football prospects but troubled young people on the L.A. streets. How many other football coaches are deified on “60 Minutes”? Pete was the Pied Piper of L.A. He will be missed by many. (By the way, kudos to anyone who recognized the “All good things …” headline as the title of the series finale of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” I was going to do a whole Trek analogy, but Carroll is much more Kirk than Picard, so it didn’t really work.)

2. Not all hope is lost
Some believe dark days are ahead for the USC football program, if they aren’t here already. But before you bury the 2010 (and ‘11 and ‘12) Trojans, consider this: There’s plenty of talent left on this team, assuming Carroll’s resignation doesn’t prompt a rash of transfers. USC has an up-and-coming quarterback in Matt Barkley and a senior backup in Mitch Mustain who might get a fair shot to play next season with a new, unbiased coaching staff making that call. Tailback Allen Bradford has star potential. Center Kristofer O’Dowd is an All-Pac-10 performer if healthy. Six-sevenths of the front seven on defense will be back. Even the youthful secondary has a senior leader in Shareece Wright and promising safeties in sophomores-to-be T.J. McDonald and Jawanza Starling. Recruiting new talent is a bit trickier and obviously critical to sustaining any level of success. That’s why it’s imperative for the USC administration to act quickly and hire the right guy. But does ‘SC have the right guy doing the hiring? Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Football • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 20 Comments »

Mike Riley gets 3-year extension with Oregon State

January 10th, 2010, 10:04 pm by Michael Lev, staff writer

Well, you can scratch Mike Riley off your USC wish list.

Riley agreed to a three-year contract extension through 2019 with Oregon State, the school announced.

“Due to the fact there is a lot of speculation on my future, I want to make it known that I’m very excited to be coaching at Oregon State University and I anticipate doing so for a long time,” Riley said in a statement.

Riley’s contract includes a provision that adds a year to the deal every time the Beavers qualify for a bowl game.

More from the USC blog:

Posted in: Football • Oregon State • Pac-10 rivals • | 6 Comments »

OSU to give Riley lifetime offer

January 10th, 2010, 12:58 pm by Mark Whicker, ocregister.com

Oregon State is doing what it can to keep Mike Riley at home, offering what amounts to a lifetime contract to the Beavers’ choice and potential USC candidate. Of course, there was little danger of OSU firing Riley anyway as long as he keeps the Beavers competitive. Too many people up there remember what it was like when they were not.

Posted in: Football • • | 2 Comments »

USC football: Coach Seto addresses Carroll’s exit

January 9th, 2010, 4:25 pm by Adam Maya, staff writer since 2006

As of Saturday afternoon, defensive coordinator Rocky Seto had not spoken with Pete Carroll about reports of Carroll becoming the next coach of the Seattle Seahawks. He did talk to some USC players about it, however.

“Don’t allow it to be a cancer,” he told them.

Seto, who has been with the Trojans as either a player or coach the past 13 years, said he was initially “shocked” to hear Carroll might be leaving.

“I still got to sort through my feelings about that,” he said. “I’m happy for him. It’s been a blessing to know him the last nine years. It’s been awesome to be a part of it.”

Carroll’s end at USC might mean the same for Seto, whom Carroll promoted as defensive coordinator a year ago after several years as a position coach. Seto said he is unsure what his involvement with the program will be moving forward.

“It maybe zero to some. There’s a lot of possibility,” said Seto, who also mentioned getting more involved in his Christian faith. “I might be out of coaching.”

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Posted in: Football • • • | 5 Comments »

Why Mike Riley might stay put

January 8th, 2010, 5:58 pm by Mark Whicker, ocregister.com

Mike Riley was USC’s offensive coordinator in John Robinson’s second term, and he wants to win a national championship as much as anyone. But he’s also quite attached to Oregon State, as Paul Buker of The Oregonian points out, and there’s no assurance he’d come south even if USC quadrupled his salary.

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Posted in: Football • • | 8 Comments »

USC football: Five observations from Oregon 47, USC 20

November 1st, 2009, 10:51 am by SCOTT M. REID, OCREGISTER.COM

1. USC is no longer the premier program in the Pac-10.

USC is no longer the hip, cool program on the West Coast. You can’t stay hip and cool when you get rolled over for 613 yards total offense and completely embarrassed on national television no matter how many times Pete Carroll goes to the Michael Jackson film. This Is It? This is the new reality in the Pac-10: Oregon had better talent and was better coached. The Trojans will rebound, the remaining schedule all but guarantees it, although a December 5 game with Arizona could be problematic, especially if the Trojans don’t solve their numerous problems on defense. But USC program will have a harder time recovering from Saturday night’s debacle. The program where image is everything all of sudden has a major image problem and the whole country knows it. The Ducks shattered USC’s aura of invincibility with opposing teams and just as importantly with recruits. Sure Matt Barkley is only a freshman. But so is Oregon tailback LaMichael James. The Ducks also get quarterback Jeremiah Masoli back next year. Oregon has two tailbacks better than anyone at Tailback U. even without LeGarrette Blount, although Joe McKnight could probably start for UCLA. And Oregon isn’t the only Pac-10 school that has closed the talent gap. Jacquizz Rodgers and Mike Riley will both be back at Oregon State next year. Arizona and Stanford both have talented young quarterbacks. Washington is on the rise with Steve Sarkisian. The Trojans will contend for the Pac-10 title in 2010 but USC’s complete dominance of the league, a dominance unmatched in conference history, is over. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: BCS • Football • Pac-10 rivals • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 84 Comments »

USC football: End of an era

October 31st, 2009, 10:26 pm by SCOTT M. REID, OCREGISTER.COM

USC beat a hasty retreat Saturday night, rushing off Autzen Stadium just ahead of the flood of Oregon fans storming the field to dance through the rubble of a fallen empire.

Oregon toppled the Trojan empire, the greatest dynasty in Pac-10 football history and arguably college football’s most successful program this decade, with 47-20 pounding that might have been even more one-sided than the score suggests. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Football • NFL draft • Oregon • Pac-10 rivals • • • • • • • • | 50 Comments »

Report card: Grading the Trojans (vs. Oregon State)

October 26th, 2009, 7:00 am by Michael Lev, staff writer

Was USC 42, Oregon State 36 a solid victory over a quality foe? Or an underachieving performance against a big underdog?

The grades tell all.

OFFENSE

  • The good: Junior tailback Allen Bradford rushed for a career-high 147 yards and two touchdowns that provided badly needed breathing room in the third quarter. … In his second game back from a shoulder injury, receiver Ronald Johnson looked much more like his usual self, catching six passes for 99 yards and a score.
  • The not-so-good: Freshman quarterback Matt Barkley threw two interceptions, giving him four in the past three games. … Brice Butler failed to corral an underthrown but catchable ball over the middle, leading to a punt on the first drive of the third quarter; the Beavers scored on the next possession.
  • The grade: B-plus

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Grade USC's offense vs. Oregon State:
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DEFENSE

  • The good: Josh Pinkard and Everson Griffen teamed up to cause and recover Oregon State’s first lost fumble of the season, setting up the game’s first touchdown. … The defense limited the Beavers to four field-goal attempts in the first half, three of which were successful.
  • The not-so-good: After limiting Jacquizz Rodgers to 18 yards in the first half, the defense yielded 95 and a touchdown in the second. … The pass defense revealed cracks for the second game in a row, surrendering 329 yards and three touchdowns to Oregon State QB Sean Canfield, who directed four second-half TD drives.
  • The grade: D-plus

Your turn:

Grade USC's defense vs. Oregon State:
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Posted in: Football • Grading the Trojans • Oregon State • Pac-10 rivals • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 16 Comments »

USC football: Five observations from Trojans 42, Beavers 36

October 25th, 2009, 8:00 am by Michael Lev, staff writer

Here are my top five observations from USC’s 42-36 victory over Oregon State:

1. Defensive deficiences
Any discussion of this game has to start with the Trojans’ defense, or lack thereof. The past six quarters have not been pinkard1025pretty: 47 points and 728 yards. That was a month’s worth of games last season. So what’s going on? First of all, remember that USC basically has an entirely new front seven. As talented as the new starters are, they’re bound to be inconsistent; that’s just the way the vast majority of young players are. Second, as good as Josh Pinkard (far right) is, he’s still a safety masquerading as a cornerback. He’s a darn good college corner, but as Saturday night proved, he’s vulnerable at times against quick-footed receivers in man coverage. Third, Mike Riley knows how to attack Pete Carroll’s defense. How many times did Riley dial up the perfect play for QB Sean Canfield? When USC dropped into zones, Canfield threw checkdowns or hit Joe Halahuni (9-127) leaking out from his tight end spot. When USC played man, Canfield threw slants, seams and skinny posts, often picking on Pinkard. What’s really odd about the past two games is that the Trojans usually are the ones who make the second-half adjustments. Maybe we’re all just spoiled.

2. Barkley’s feet > Barkley’s arm
Speaking of young players prone to inconsistency … Matt Barkley again mixed great moments with not-so-great ones. He was wild at times, overthrowing or underthrowing receivers, sometimes with dire consequences. He was brilliant at others, hitting Ronald Johnson on deep corners and Damian Williams in traffic. What impressed me most about Barkley on Saturday wasn’t his arm but his feet. If he has needed to work on any one fundamental at USC, it’s footwork. Against Oregon State, that work paid off. Late in the third quarter, with USC facing third-and-8 and its lead just five points, Barkley dropped to pass. Beavers DT Stephen Paea dove at his legs and should have had a sack. But Barkley slipped out of Paea’s grasp and hit Johnson for 9 yards. On the next play, Allen Bradford went 43 yards for a touchdown. Late in the fourth quarter, on a pivotal third-and-2, Barkley deftly rolled to his right and hit Williams for 7 yards. Barkley and play-caller Jeremy Bates said afterward that that was a classic West Coast offense play. Joe Montana coudn’t have executed it any better. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Football • Oregon State • Pac-10 rivals • • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 37 Comments »

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