1. John McKay: 1960-1975
Career Record: 127-40-8
Awards and Accolades: 1962, ’64, ’66-’69, ’72-’74 Pac-8 Conference Champions, 1962, ’67, ’72, ’74 National Champions, 1962 & ’72 AFCA Coach of the Year, 1962 & ’72 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, College Football Hall of Fame Class of 1988
The man who took the USC program to the next level from the days of Howard Jones was John McKay. McKay played his college football at Purdue and Oregon and became an assistant for Oregon following the end of his playing days. He spent eight years as an assistant with Ducks and became an assistant for USC in 1959 for Don Clark. Following Clark’s resignation after the 1959 season, McKay was appointed head coach.
His first two seasons were rocky, winning just four games in each season. However, the Trojans exploded back onto the national scene in 1962, winning the Pac-8 championship and the national championship following a Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin. The win cemented USC football as a force to be reckoned with throughout the 1960’s and ’70’s.
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The Trojans won nine conference championships and four national championships in McKay’s tenure as head coach. He also produced star players such as running back Mike Garrett, quarterback Pat Haden, and “The Juice”, running back O.J. Simpson. McKay surprisingly left the Trojans following 1975 seasons and became head coach of the NFL’s expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He coached the Bucs for nine seasons until his retirement in 1985, but his time at USC cemented himself as the best coach in program history.