USC athletic director Mike Bohn claimed he did not speak with any other head coaching candidates before deciding to stick with Clay Helton, but a report claims the school got to the point of contract negotiations with at least one high-profile candidate.
According to Scott Wolf of the LA Daily News, USC entered contract talks with former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, but the deal eventually fell through due to a dispute over how much money Stoops’ coaching staff would be paid. Wolf believes the fact that USC waited until Wednesday to formally commit to Helton proves they were trying to hire someone else, and that person was apparently Stoops.
Stoops stepped aside at Oklahoma to make way for Lincoln Riley after the 2016 season. His name has been mentioned for many potential coaching jobs since, but he is currently serving as the GM and head coach of the XFL’s Dallas Renegades. After his name was mentioned in connection with the Florida State job, Stoops made some interesting remarks about potentially returning to college football.
Many USC fans are furious that the school decided to retain Helton rather than going after a bigger name, and the report about Stoops is not going to ease their frustrations. For what it’s worth, USC could still pursue Urban Meyer depending on what happens next season with Helton. In fact, there’s reason to believe the Trojans could have a better chance of landing Meyer if they wait until after next season.
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