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Report: Ed Orgeron won’t replace Steve Sarkisian at USC

By Patrick Schmidt

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USC fired Steve Sarkisian on Monday so will former interim head coach Ed Orgeron be the leading candidate to replace him?

The Steve Sarkisian era is over at USC after Trojans athletic director Pat Haden announced on Monday afternoon that he was terminating his contract.

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“After careful consideration of what is in the best interest of the university and our student-athletes, I have made the decision to terminate Steve Sarkisian, effective immediately, Haden said in a statement via the school’s website.

“I want to thank Clay Helton for stepping into the interim head coach role, and I want to add how proud I am of our coaching staff and players and the way they are responding to this difficult situation.

“Through all of this we remain concerned for Steve and hope that it will give him the opportunity to focus on his personal well being.”

Sarkisian was asked to take a leave of absence on Sunday night after showing up to Sunday’s practice under the effects of alcohol in the latest in a long line of alcohol-related transgressions for the now former USC head coach. The concern for Sarkisian’s health and well being will still be there for Haden, but now the Playoff committee member needs to focus on hiring a head coach that won’t blow up in his face like Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin before him.

Both of these coaches were part of the Pete Carroll coaching tree and fired five games into their last season at USC. Could Haden turn to another Carroll assistant in Ed Orgeron who served as the interim head coach after Kiffin’s firing? According to Arash Markazi, he will not be on the list of candidates USC will pursue.

Orgeron went 6-2 in 2013 but wasn’t retained by Haden who hired Sarkisian and Orgeron is in his first year coaching the defensive line at LSU.

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