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USC Football: Top 10 coaches in program history

By Quinn Douglas

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 05: Coach Pete Carroll of the USC Trojans leads his team to the field prior to the start of the NCAA college football game against Arizona Wildcats at the Los Angeles Coliseum on December 5, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 05: Coach Pete Carroll of the USC Trojans leads his team to the field prior to the start of the NCAA college football game against Arizona Wildcats at the Los Angeles Coliseum on December 5, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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5. Jeff Cravath: 1942-1950

Career Record: 54-28-8

Awards and Accolades: 1943-’45, ’47 PCC Champions, 1943 and ’44 Rose Bowl Champions

The Trojans were one of the few west coast schools who were able to harbor success throughout the World War II period thanks to coach Jeff Cravath. Cravath played his college football at USC under legendary head coach Howard Jones from 1924 to 1926. Upon his graduation in 1927, he joined the USC staff as an assistant for two seasons. He then spent three years as head coach at the University of Denver, compiling a 14-11-1 record.

Cravath returned as an assistant for USC from 1933 to 1940 and was again hired as a head coach, this time at the University of San Francisco in 1941, before returning to USC to take the head coaching job in 1942. Following a shaky start, Cravath’s teams won four out of the next five PCC Championships and had four Rose Bowl appearances as well.

The end of Cravath’s tenure was anything but successful, following back-to-back three loss seasons, his tenure bottomed out with a 2-5-2 record in 1950. Cravath was asked to resign following the season and never coached college football again following his departure from USC.

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