History as a discipline often requires revisionism to accommodate the passage of time and a reflection of facts as they become available.

Once, we thought Christopher Columbus discovered the new world; now that notion is scoffed at.

And sports history is no different.

The Pete Carroll era, as any good Trojan fan will be happy to tell you, was a golden time in USC football history.

Yet, it didn't make its mark unblemished.

And that is where the passage of time and the possibility of facts yet to be discovered come into play.

What won't change, despite the best efforts of the NCAA, is the fact that USC was a ridiculous powerhouse during the Carroll era.

If not for some bewildering losses during the run, the Trojans might have had more national championships than the two AP titles they claim.

However, the specter of impropriety looms over the Carroll era, and try as one might, there is no getting around the doggone thing.

How history looks at the Pete Carroll era depends on who is doing the viewing.

Possessing an MA in history, this author will try to put aside any bias and look at the Pete Carroll era from an objective point of view.

And one that will be shared by history itself.

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Jeff Evans

Lane Kiffin is in his second season as head coach of the USC Trojans, and the Trojans are currently 8-2 with two games left. Kiffin was hired after Coach Pete Carroll bolted for the National Football League and was 8-5 in his first year.

Brian Johnson

Begin Slideshow

Jeff Evans

2010: Gene Chizik, Auburn: still at Auburn

2009: Nick Saban, Alabama: still at Alabama

2008: Urban Meyer, Florida: resigned 2010, working for ESPN

2007: Les Miles, LSU: still at LSU

2006: Urban Meyer, Florida: resigned 2010

2005: Mack Brown, Texas: Still at Texas

2004: Pete Carroll, Southern Cal: resigned 2010, coaching NFL's Seahawks

2003: Nick Saban, LSU: resigned 2004, coaching Alabama

2002: Jim Tressel, Ohio State: resigned 2011

2001: Larry Coker, Miami: fired 2006, coaching Texas-San Antonio

2000: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: still coaching Oklahoma

1999: Bobby Bowden, Florida State: retired 2010

1998: Phil Fulmer, Tennessee: fired 2008, now a CBS analyst

1997: Tom Osborne, Nebraska: retired 1998, now NU's athletic director

1997, Lloyd Carr, Michigan: resigned 2008, now in Michigan athletic administration

1996: Steve Spurrier, Florida: resigned 2002, now coaching South Carolina

1995: Tom Osborne, Nebraska:

1994: Tom Osborne, Nebraska:

1993: Bobby Bowden, Florida State:

1992: Gene Stallings, Alabama: resigned 1996, now retired

1991: Dennis Erickson, Miami: resigned 1995, now coaching Arizona State

1990: Bobby Ross, Georgia Tech: resigned 1992, now retired

1990: Bill McCartney, Colorado: resigned 1994, now CEO of Promise Keepers men's organization

1989: Dennis Erickson, Miami:

1988: Lou Holtz, Notre Dame: resigned 1997, now ESPN analyst

1987: Jimmy Johnson, Miami: resigned 1989, now Fox Sports analyst

1986: Joe Paterno, Penn State: still at Penn State

1985: Barry Switzer, Oklahoma: fired 1989, now retired

1984: Lavell Edwards, Brigham Young: resigned 2000, now retired

1983: Howard Schnellenberger, Miami: Resigned 1984, now coaching Florida Atlantic

1982: Joe Paterno, Penn State

1981: Danny Ford, Clemson: resigned 1990, now retired

Jeff Evans

We all know how quickly things can go wrong for a college football team.

An injury here, a suspension there, and all of a sudden, the season is circling the drain.

For the 2011 USC Trojans, a litany of bad news has already been delivered and those connected with the program, along with their fans, have had plenty wailing and gnashing of teeth and that's before the the first kickoff of the first game has taken place.

So let's not deal with that negativity here.

Instead, this slide show will focus on the positive for the upcoming season and identify a number of scenarios that, if realized, should make USC and their fans very happy.

Let the naysayers and gloomy Pete's wallow in the pits of dreariness.

We have better things to focus on and to that end, here are 10 dream scenarios that will keep Trojan fans smiling all season long.

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Jeff Evans

Jeff Evans

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Al Golden went to that first players meeting armed with an empty notebook.

Not an edict. Not a mandate. Not an attitude. Sure, he was young and hot and made up of all that stuff they say about hot, young coaches. But he was not going into the den of what was left of The U's swagger on his first day with all the answers.

"I did my research, just like everyone else," defensive tackle Marcus Forston said. "Like when your mom brings in a new guy, a new stepdad, you want to know everything about him."

Maybe that's the best label for Golden. Stepdad. Miami's dynasty -- whether you believe it still exists or not -- has not been known for lasting marriages. None of the coaches responsible have stayed for more than six years.

Howard Schnellenberger, the patriarch, bolted for the USFL. Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson and Butch Davis went to the NFL. Larry Coker won the last national championship and seemed never to be totally accepted, to the point that his behind-his-back nickname was "Grandpa."

A native son and loyal 'Cane didn't work out. Randy Shannon lasted four years, a stint during which no one is really sure what happened.

Why not a stepdad? Golden might be inheriting someone else's issues but also a program's soaring triumphs.

"I want all the issues right now," he told that roomful of players. "I want to know all the problems. What do I need to fix?"

Who knows how long Al Golden is going to stay/last, but in that moment Miami's new coach had just drawn up the best opening series of his career. That approach unleashed a flood of emotions.

What did he need to fix?

Start with a quarterback, Jacory Harris, whose interceptions threaten to outstrip his confidence.

A collective ego deflated by an embarrassing loss to Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl.

A national program whose last conference title was eight years and one conference ago.

Defensive back Vaughn Telemaque, among others, spoke up that day: "I hope you're not here to build a championship. We're ready to do it this year."

At that point, Telemaque had stolen Golden's script. This son of Penn State, captain of Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions, fixer at Temple, wasn't going to BS his new team. An immediate championship is exactly what he wanted, what he expected.

"Everybody was sitting there [saying], 'Wow, that's amazing,'" Forston said.

The schedule might be a bear. Florida State might deserve more of the in-state love. Harris still has to get fixed. But on that day the notebook filled up quickly. At the end, "Coach said, 'I want to be able to love and respect you,'" Forston said. "He asked that we love and respect him back.

"That was the first day."

In the 180-odd days since, the mood hasn't changed. Golden is riding high in CBSSports.com's annual Coaches' Hot Seat Rankings. A program has formed around him. Golden created a handout -- "Uphold the Legacy" -- that guides coaches and players on how to live their lives as Hurricanes.

Some of that old Miami swagger is creeping back, which isn't altogether a bad thing. Receiver LaRon Byrd was asked about the new rule that will take points off the board if a player is flagged for celebrating on the way to the end zone. It is a rule that traces its roots back to those old gum-flapping Hurricanes.

"It's going to cost [a team] a game or two," Byrd said. "I hope it isn't us."

You want swagger? Golden was wise enough to hire Art Kehoe as offensive line coach. If it ever comes to such a thing, Kehoe could replace Sebastian the Ibis as the Hurricanes' mascot. A member of the Miami Hall of Fame, he is the school's only coach who has all five of those championship rings. Kehoe had been away since 2006. Until then he had been with the program since 1979 as a player and coach.

During his first meeting with his players, Kehoe called it "Burger King University" because too many players -- wait for it -- had it their way.

"I don't know what you're used to," Kehoe told the players. "But it's all about to change. He's [Golden] backing us all up. He is empowering us all. I said, 'Take the numbers off your chest and put a Whopper. Take the numbers off your back and put OK,' because that's what your are -- OK."

As you can see, motivation will not be a problem.

Six months into this Golden era, Miami truly believes it can win right away under a former MAC coach at his first major-college head coaching gig. It's a big step up, but so was going to Virginia as Al Groh's assistant following the popular George Welsh in 2001. So was taking his first full-time job at Boston College in 1997, following a crippling gambling scandal.

Then there was Temple, a program so bad it got kicked out of the Big East. The Big East.

"To be honest with you, they didn't care where I came from or who I was," Golden said of Temple. "We were 1-16 in my first 17 games. We were getting blistered."

When he arrived in 2006, the Owls hadn't gone bowling since 1979. When Golden left following last season Temple had won 17 of 22 games and played in the 2009 MAC Championship Game. It was Bill Snyder's "Miracle in Manhattan" in miniature. Only faster.

"Not knocking Temple," Byrd said, "but if he can take a program like that to a bowl game, I know he can take the University of Miami, with a lot of talent, to a BCS game."

That is essentially the foundation of the Golden administration: If Auburn can go from 8-5 to a national championship; if Temple can go from joke to MAC title game, then why not the 'Canes? Why not now?

"At Temple it was zero to nine wins [in four years]," Golden said. "Here, you want to go from seven wins to 14."

So, what's harder?

"That remains to be seen."

That's the issue here. It is a place that continues to pull South Florida talent and continues to win, just not nearly enough. It is no longer a program that runs itself, no matter who is coaching. That's what made the dynasty unique. Some have suggested that recently it has been a lack of discipline, a lack of desire. Golden wanted to find out himself when he brought in a series of speakers. Jimmy Johnson came. So did Sean Taylor's dad.

During his visit, former Miami safety Darrell Fullington not-so-politely asked the members of the 2008 recruiting class to identify themselves. It was that class that was ranked No. 1 in the country by at least one outlet and now stands 23-16 going into the senior season of those players. No bowl wins. Not even a single ACC Coastal Division title.

Poll Which coach should be most worried about his job?

"Miami has always been a college powerhouse," Fullington said this week, recreating his speech over the phone. "People think you're in decline. You're not in decline. Ya'll haven't made up your mind to work. You've got the talent but you ain't used to working hard. Ya'll don't hold each other accountable."

"I may have mentioned a few player names," he added, "but I didn't call anybody out. I said, 'Why did you come here?'"

"To be a first-time head coach here is really hard," Golden said. "It's tough because it's not just coaching. You can fill in the blanks. There are a lot of head coaches in America that can focus solely on what happens on the field."

That's what earned Golden some immediate cred. The administration recognized he not only had worked in the ACC, but also had recruited inner-city Philly to get a lot of those Temple players. The foundation of Miami is those local players. That 2008 class featured eight players from nearby Northwestern High.

Forston is one of them, a likeable kid from a family of 18. It is an unconventional family that is made up of five siblings from his mother and 13 from his father, according to Forston. He was raised in nearby Liberty City, which he called "one of the deadliest projects."

Forston still values an etiquette class that taught him which one is the salad fork and how to place a napkin in his lap. The criminology major, on track to graduate in December, would be the first college graduate in his family. Now he has to get past the dinner table and into the opposing backfield more often.

Having won over the existing team, Golden had six weeks to put together his first recruiting class. His ability to turn things around is evident in the last week of June. Miami already has 15 commitments for the class of 2012. It is a recruiting philosophy Golden calls "Guerilla Warfare."

"By that, I mean use any means necessary," he said.

Guerilla warfare certainly worked on Jedd Fisch, the tennis bum who doubles as Miami's offensive coordinator.

"Jersey guy," said Golden. That was all the credentials Fisch initially needed for a boss from Colts Neck, N.J.

Fisch, 35, recently was bedridden for three days with a back problem after playing some competitive tennis. That's part of his background that immediately comes up. Fisch has never played organized football. He did play No. 1 singles in high school and attended the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy.

"Every article, every time," Fisch said of his lack of a football-playing background. "I don't get it from the players, ever. Never gotten it from another coach."

Didn't matter to Golden, either. There was no previous relationship, but Fisch came highly recommended. He had a pro-style background and a definite plan to help Harris (39 interceptions in 36 career games).

Fisch got his break running errands for Steve Spurrier as a student at Florida. His résumé now includes nine years in the NFL having worked under Dom Capers, Brian Billick, Mike Shanahan and Pete Carroll.

Fisch came to the 'Canes from Seattle, where he was quarterbacks coach under Carroll. Shortly after taking the Miami job, Fisch had an unexpected decision to make. The Seahawks' offensive coordinator's job opened up. Was Fisch interested?

"Very," he said.

Carroll lobbied. Fisch wavered, then made a decision that endorsed Golden, Miami and what is going on here.

"I felt we had a great chance to win a championship," Fisch said. "A lot of jobs you take for the job. You come to Miami and say, 'I don't care what the job is, I want to win a championship.'"

Jeff Evans

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Al Golden went to that first players meeting armed with an empty notebook.

Not an edict. Not a mandate. Not an attitude. Sure, he was young and hot and made up of all that stuff they say about hot, young coaches. But he was not going into the den of what was left of The U's swagger on his first day with all the answers.

"I did my research, just like everyone else," defensive tackle Marcus Forston said. "Like when your mom brings in a new guy, a new stepdad, you want to know everything about him."

Maybe that's the best label for Golden. Stepdad. Miami's dynasty -- whether you believe it still exists or not -- has not been known for lasting marriages. None of the coaches responsible have stayed for more than six years.

Howard Schnellenberger, the patriarch, bolted for the USFL. Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson and Butch Davis went to the NFL. Larry Coker won the last national championship and seemed never to be totally accepted, to the point that his behind-his-back nickname was "Grandpa."

A native son and loyal 'Cane didn't work out. Randy Shannon lasted four years, a stint during which no one is really sure what happened.

Why not a stepdad? Golden might be inheriting someone else's issues but also a program's soaring triumphs.

"I want all the issues right now," he told that roomful of players. "I want to know all the problems. What do I need to fix?"

Who knows how long Al Golden is going to stay/last, but in that moment Miami's new coach had just drawn up the best opening series of his career. That approach unleashed a flood of emotions.

What did he need to fix?

Start with a quarterback, Jacory Harris, whose interceptions threaten to outstrip his confidence.

A collective ego deflated by an embarrassing loss to Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl.

A national program whose last conference title was eight years and one conference ago.

Defensive back Vaughn Telemaque, among others, spoke up that day: "I hope you're not here to build a championship. We're ready to do it this year."

At that point, Telemaque had stolen Golden's script. This son of Penn State, captain of Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions, fixer at Temple, wasn't going to BS his new team. An immediate championship is exactly what he wanted, what he expected.

"Everybody was sitting there [saying], 'Wow, that's amazing,'" Forston said.

The schedule might be a bear. Florida State might deserve more of the in-state love. Harris still has to get fixed. But on that day the notebook filled up quickly. At the end, "Coach said, 'I want to be able to love and respect you,'" Forston said. "He asked that we love and respect him back.

"That was the first day."

In the 180-odd days since, the mood hasn't changed. Golden is riding high in CBSSports.com's annual Coaches' Hot Seat Rankings. A program has formed around him. Golden created a handout -- "Uphold the Legacy" -- that guides coaches and players on how to live their lives as Hurricanes.

Some of that old Miami swagger is creeping back, which isn't altogether a bad thing. Receiver LaRon Byrd was asked about the new rule that will take points off the board if a player is flagged for celebrating on the way to the end zone. It is a rule that traces its roots back to those old gum-flapping Hurricanes.

"It's going to cost [a team] a game or two," Byrd said. "I hope it isn't us."

You want swagger? Golden was wise enough to hire Art Kehoe as offensive line coach. If it ever comes to such a thing, Kehoe could replace Sebastian the Ibis as the Hurricanes' mascot. A member of the Miami Hall of Fame, he is the school's only coach who has all five of those championship rings. Kehoe had been away since 2006. Until then he had been with the program since 1979 as a player and coach.

During his first meeting with his players, Kehoe called it "Burger King University" because too many players -- wait for it -- had it their way.

"I don't know what you're used to," Kehoe told the players. "But it's all about to change. He's [Golden] backing us all up. He is empowering us all. I said, 'Take the numbers off your chest and put a Whopper. Take the numbers off your back and put OK,' because that's what your are -- OK."

As you can see, motivation will not be a problem.

Six months into this Golden era, Miami truly believes it can win right away under a former MAC coach at his first major-college head coaching gig. It's a big step up, but so was going to Virginia as Al Groh's assistant following the popular George Welsh in 2001. So was taking his first full-time job at Boston College in 1997, following a crippling gambling scandal.

Then there was Temple, a program so bad it got kicked out of the Big East. The Big East.

"To be honest with you, they didn't care where I came from or who I was," Golden said of Temple. "We were 1-16 in my first 17 games. We were getting blistered."

When he arrived in 2006, the Owls hadn't gone bowling since 1979. When Golden left following last season Temple had won 17 of 22 games and played in the 2009 MAC Championship Game. It was Bill Snyder's "Miracle in Manhattan" in miniature. Only faster.

"Not knocking Temple," Byrd said, "but if he can take a program like that to a bowl game, I know he can take the University of Miami, with a lot of talent, to a BCS game."

That is essentially the foundation of the Golden administration: If Auburn can go from 8-5 to a national championship; if Temple can go from joke to MAC title game, then why not the 'Canes? Why not now?

"At Temple it was zero to nine wins [in four years]," Golden said. "Here, you want to go from seven wins to 14."

So, what's harder?

"That remains to be seen."

That's the issue here. It is a place that continues to pull South Florida talent and continues to win, just not nearly enough. It is no longer a program that runs itself, no matter who is coaching. That's what made the dynasty unique. Some have suggested that recently it has been a lack of discipline, a lack of desire. Golden wanted to find out himself when he brought in a series of speakers. Jimmy Johnson came. So did Sean Taylor's dad.

During his visit, former Miami safety Darrell Fullington not-so-politely asked the members of the 2008 recruiting class to identify themselves. It was that class that was ranked No. 1 in the country by at least one outlet and now stands 23-16 going into the senior season of those players. No bowl wins. Not even a single ACC Coastal Division title.

Poll Which coach should be most worried about his job?

"Miami has always been a college powerhouse," Fullington said this week, recreating his speech over the phone. "People think you're in decline. You're not in decline. Ya'll haven't made up your mind to work. You've got the talent but you ain't used to working hard. Ya'll don't hold each other accountable."

"I may have mentioned a few player names," he added, "but I didn't call anybody out. I said, 'Why did you come here?'"

"To be a first-time head coach here is really hard," Golden said. "It's tough because it's not just coaching. You can fill in the blanks. There are a lot of head coaches in America that can focus solely on what happens on the field."

That's what earned Golden some immediate cred. The administration recognized he not only had worked in the ACC, but also had recruited inner-city Philly to get a lot of those Temple players. The foundation of Miami is those local players. That 2008 class featured eight players from nearby Northwestern High.

Forston is one of them, a likeable kid from a family of 18. It is an unconventional family that is made up of five siblings from his mother and 13 from his father, according to Forston. He was raised in nearby Liberty City, which he called "one of the deadliest projects."

Forston still values an etiquette class that taught him which one is the salad fork and how to place a napkin in his lap. The criminology major, on track to graduate in December, would be the first college graduate in his family. Now he has to get past the dinner table and into the opposing backfield more often.

Having won over the existing team, Golden had six weeks to put together his first recruiting class. His ability to turn things around is evident in the last week of June. Miami already has 15 commitments for the class of 2012. It is a recruiting philosophy Golden calls "Guerilla Warfare."

"By that, I mean use any means necessary," he said.

Guerilla warfare certainly worked on Jedd Fisch, the tennis bum who doubles as Miami's offensive coordinator.

"Jersey guy," said Golden. That was all the credentials Fisch initially needed for a boss from Colts Neck, N.J.

Fisch, 35, recently was bedridden for three days with a back problem after playing some competitive tennis. That's part of his background that immediately comes up. Fisch has never played organized football. He did play No. 1 singles in high school and attended the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy.

"Every article, every time," Fisch said of his lack of a football-playing background. "I don't get it from the players, ever. Never gotten it from another coach."

Didn't matter to Golden, either. There was no previous relationship, but Fisch came highly recommended. He had a pro-style background and a definite plan to help Harris (39 interceptions in 36 career games).

Fisch got his break running errands for Steve Spurrier as a student at Florida. His résumé now includes nine years in the NFL having worked under Dom Capers, Brian Billick, Mike Shanahan and Pete Carroll.

Fisch came to the 'Canes from Seattle, where he was quarterbacks coach under Carroll. Shortly after taking the Miami job, Fisch had an unexpected decision to make. The Seahawks' offensive coordinator's job opened up. Was Fisch interested?

"Very," he said.

Carroll lobbied. Fisch wavered, then made a decision that endorsed Golden, Miami and what is going on here.

"I felt we had a great chance to win a championship," Fisch said. "A lot of jobs you take for the job. You come to Miami and say, 'I don't care what the job is, I want to win a championship.'"

Jeff Evans

Kennedy Pola returned to USC — where he previously played and coached — under somewhat controversial circumstances last year.

That episode and a full season behind him, Pola (Mater Dei High) has settled into the same Heritage Hall corner office he occupied in his first go-round at USC, from 2000-03.

Recruiting wasn't part of the job description in the NFL, where he coached in Cleveland (2004), Jacksonville ('05-09) and Tennessee ('10). That transition is where our conversation began.

Q: You hadn't been at Tennessee very long when Lane Kiffin came calling. Why come back?

A: It's USC. There's no other university (like it). If you'd been here before — and I've been blessed to be here as a student-athlete and been here working for two bosses, been through good and bad — and knowing Lane, knew of the sanctions, there was an opportunity to help our university in some way. If they asked me to stack cups or something (I would have done it) just to help. I was here as a player when we had a two-year ban. It's an adjustment for the student-athletes, the fan base and the coaching staff.

Q: You began your coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Crespi High (of Encino). What do you remember most about that experience?

A: Winning a championship. We won the CIF-Southern Section with Coach Bill Redell. It's funny, but it's kind of reality sometimes: I had the best player in Russell White. He was the CIF Player of the Year, and he was only a sophomore. I realized then that I don't have to be a really good coach — I just have to have really good players.

Q: How old were you when you first started coaching?

A: Twenty-two, 23 years old. I had just finished at USC. Had a cup of coffee in the NFL. Had the eighth knee surgery and realized the NFL's not for me. That's another personal challenge that's helped me become a better teacher to coach a lot of these young men.

Q: What's the distribution of the surgeries?

A: Four on each. Never missed a game, though. I don't know if it was a smart decision.

Q: Why did coaching appeal to you?

A: You're going deep. You're going back to the young man who move from Samoa, who, at 12 years old, didn't know how to speak English. Coaches were like your father figure. That's just the truth. The guardian I lived with who raised me through high school was my basketball coach. He became more than a basketball coach. He became like my father. From Wayne Cochran to Bruce Rollinson to Ted Tollner to John Robinson ... every coach I've come in contact with has been an influence on what I've done.

When I had the opportunity, when Coach Bill Redell asked me to come and help, it helped me to grieve too. ... You're a high school All-American, all that stuff, hyped up, and your dream is to play in the NFL, make some money and take care of your family. But it didn't happen. It helped me with my grieving.

Q: You graduated with a degree in history. You also were born on the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated and were named after him. Is he an important historical figure to you? Or is there someone else you admire?

A: No, it would have to be him because everybody relates to that date. It's amazing. I wish I was a writer because I would record every conversation I've had over the years, the stories. That generation, they can recall to the second, to the minute, everything around them when it happened, where they were, all over the world: "I remember my mom crying, I remember my teacher, everybody just went silent, the principal over the loud speaker."

Q: You seem to have a special relationship with fullbacks because you were one yourself. What does it take to be a great fullback?

A: First of all, you're selfless. It's all in the attitude. Team player. You have to love collisions. I've always said, fullbacks have the best hands on the team. Here at USC, from Malaefou MacKenzie to David Kirtman to Stanley Havili, those guys can catch the football. I've always teased the other guys. I think the reason why, when I first started here at USC, Coach (John) Robinson had that philosophy that before you became a tailback you were playing fullback. That's the movement guy. Once you learn the fullback's blocking point, entry point, what they're doing, I think the tailback sees the game a lot better.

Q: The running backs' production was pretty good last year; Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler combined for about 1,700 yards. But it seemed like Lane Kiffin was seldom satisfied with the running game. What's your take on it?

A: You can always improve. I don't think it's the young men's fault. You've got to understand, they have a new coach. Marc and Allen and Stanley had been with Coach Mac (Todd McNair) for four years. All of a sudden you've got a different voice, a different way of installing, a different way they see things. I think it took awhile for us. Then the rhythm of the play-caller. I think it's going to be a lot better this year.

Q: Because there's a greater comfort level?

A: There's more continuity. I look back at our production here in our first run with Pete (Carroll). We were 6-6. The next year, Sultan (McCullough) had a 100-yard game, (Justin) Fargas against Oregon broke out, and things started jelling. Then the next year was even better.

Q: A few days after spring ball ended, Lane Kiffin released a depth chart. Four guys were listed as co-starters at running back. How much influence do you have on that, and how do you size up the race?

A: It's always the head coach's decision. But he's going to weigh it on everybody, what's your opinion on it. You never say it's my decision. This is Coach Kiffin's team. There's no question about it.

You have to be available as a running back. If you're not taking care of your schoolwork, the way you behave, things like that, (it's a problem). Professional guys, they're pros; I never had that issue. "This is business. I'm going to show up. I'm going to do the right thing." At least the ones I've been around.

We haven't (found) a guy who's going to step up and do everything. You look at Stanford and their identity, they rotated backs as well (last season). It's kind of that way right now. The back that's going to stand out is going to be a back that Coach is going to feel comfortable in (his) doing everything: protecting the quarterback, running the routes, running hard.

Q: What can you tell me about the two guys coming in in the fall, Amir Carlisle and Buck Allen?

A: Amir ... has a good traffic burst. He can go from first to fourth pretty quick. He's not the biggest, but very good football instincts. Real good ball-catching skills. We'll figure out when he gets here and the pads come on how he's going to attack. I'm sure he'll be fine. He's been brought up around football a lot of his life; his dad is a trainer in the NFL and college. He knows what it takes.

The other young man is a big kid. We lose Allen (Bradford), C.J. (Gable) and Stanley (Havili) — there go three big backs. The only one we have left is Marc (Tyler). He comes in, and he's our second big back. He's got a good feel. He can catch the ball. I've always told him it's kind of nice to have an "Allen" in the backfield at USC. He didn't get it.

Q: He didn't get it? He didn't know who Marcus Allen was?

A: He didn't get it at first. It's been awhile.

Contact the writer: mlev@ocregister.com

Jeff Evans

Kennedy Pola returned to USC — where he previously played and coached — under somewhat controversial circumstances last year.

That episode and a full season behind him, Pola (Mater Dei High) has settled into the same Heritage Hall corner office he occupied in his first go-round at USC, from 2000-03.

Recruiting wasn't part of the job description in the NFL, where he coached in Cleveland (2004), Jacksonville ('05-09) and Tennessee ('10). That transition is where our conversation began.

Q: You hadn't been at Tennessee very long when Lane Kiffin came calling. Why come back?

A: It's USC. There's no other university (like it). If you'd been here before — and I've been blessed to be here as a student-athlete and been here working for two bosses, been through good and bad — and knowing Lane, knew of the sanctions, there was an opportunity to help our university in some way. If they asked me to stack cups or something (I would have done it) just to help. I was here as a player when we had a two-year ban. It's an adjustment for the student-athletes, the fan base and the coaching staff.

Q: You began your coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Crespi High (of Encino). What do you remember most about that experience?

A: Winning a championship. We won the CIF-Southern Section with Coach Bill Redell. It's funny, but it's kind of reality sometimes: I had the best player in Russell White. He was the CIF Player of the Year, and he was only a sophomore. I realized then that I don't have to be a really good coach — I just have to have really good players.

Q: How old were you when you first started coaching?

A: Twenty-two, 23 years old. I had just finished at USC. Had a cup of coffee in the NFL. Had the eighth knee surgery and realized the NFL's not for me. That's another personal challenge that's helped me become a better teacher to coach a lot of these young men.

Q: What's the distribution of the surgeries?

A: Four on each. Never missed a game, though. I don't know if it was a smart decision.

Q: Why did coaching appeal to you?

A: You're going deep. You're going back to the young man who move from Samoa, who, at 12 years old, didn't know how to speak English. Coaches were like your father figure. That's just the truth. The guardian I lived with who raised me through high school was my basketball coach. He became more than a basketball coach. He became like my father. From Wayne Cochran to Bruce Rollinson to Ted Tollner to John Robinson ... every coach I've come in contact with has been an influence on what I've done.

When I had the opportunity, when Coach Bill Redell asked me to come and help, it helped me to grieve too. ... You're a high school All-American, all that stuff, hyped up, and your dream is to play in the NFL, make some money and take care of your family. But it didn't happen. It helped me with my grieving.

Q: You graduated with a degree in history. You also were born on the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated and were named after him. Is he an important historical figure to you? Or is there someone else you admire?

A: No, it would have to be him because everybody relates to that date. It's amazing. I wish I was a writer because I would record every conversation I've had over the years, the stories. That generation, they can recall to the second, to the minute, everything around them when it happened, where they were, all over the world: "I remember my mom crying, I remember my teacher, everybody just went silent, the principal over the loud speaker."

Q: You seem to have a special relationship with fullbacks because you were one yourself. What does it take to be a great fullback?

A: First of all, you're selfless. It's all in the attitude. Team player. You have to love collisions. I've always said, fullbacks have the best hands on the team. Here at USC, from Malaefou MacKenzie to David Kirtman to Stanley Havili, those guys can catch the football. I've always teased the other guys. I think the reason why, when I first started here at USC, Coach (John) Robinson had that philosophy that before you became a tailback you were playing fullback. That's the movement guy. Once you learn the fullback's blocking point, entry point, what they're doing, I think the tailback sees the game a lot better.

Q: The running backs' production was pretty good last year; Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler combined for about 1,700 yards. But it seemed like Lane Kiffin was seldom satisfied with the running game. What's your take on it?

A: You can always improve. I don't think it's the young men's fault. You've got to understand, they have a new coach. Marc and Allen and Stanley had been with Coach Mac (Todd McNair) for four years. All of a sudden you've got a different voice, a different way of installing, a different way they see things. I think it took awhile for us. Then the rhythm of the play-caller. I think it's going to be a lot better this year.

Q: Because there's a greater comfort level?

A: There's more continuity. I look back at our production here in our first run with Pete (Carroll). We were 6-6. The next year, Sultan (McCullough) had a 100-yard game, (Justin) Fargas against Oregon broke out, and things started jelling. Then the next year was even better.

Q: A few days after spring ball ended, Lane Kiffin released a depth chart. Four guys were listed as co-starters at running back. How much influence do you have on that, and how do you size up the race?

A: It's always the head coach's decision. But he's going to weigh it on everybody, what's your opinion on it. You never say it's my decision. This is Coach Kiffin's team. There's no question about it.

You have to be available as a running back. If you're not taking care of your schoolwork, the way you behave, things like that, (it's a problem). Professional guys, they're pros; I never had that issue. "This is business. I'm going to show up. I'm going to do the right thing." At least the ones I've been around.

We haven't (found) a guy who's going to step up and do everything. You look at Stanford and their identity, they rotated backs as well (last season). It's kind of that way right now. The back that's going to stand out is going to be a back that Coach is going to feel comfortable in (his) doing everything: protecting the quarterback, running the routes, running hard.

Q: What can you tell me about the two guys coming in in the fall, Amir Carlisle and Buck Allen?

A: Amir ... has a good traffic burst. He can go from first to fourth pretty quick. He's not the biggest, but very good football instincts. Real good ball-catching skills. We'll figure out when he gets here and the pads come on how he's going to attack. I'm sure he'll be fine. He's been brought up around football a lot of his life; his dad is a trainer in the NFL and college. He knows what it takes.

The other young man is a big kid. We lose Allen (Bradford), C.J. (Gable) and Stanley (Havili) — there go three big backs. The only one we have left is Marc (Tyler). He comes in, and he's our second big back. He's got a good feel. He can catch the ball. I've always told him it's kind of nice to have an "Allen" in the backfield at USC. He didn't get it.

Q: He didn't get it? He didn't know who Marcus Allen was?

A: He didn't get it at first. It's been awhile.

Contact the writer: mlev@ocregister.com

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Jeff Evans

Jeff Evans

Jeff Evans

Last December, Urban Meyer resigned from Florida, this time for good, the victim of apparent burnout.

On Memorial Day, the Ohio State scandal finally pierced Jim Tressel. He was forced to resign.

All national championship coaches. All seemingly made men. Yet uneasy lie the heads who have worn the crown.

“I think the business of college sports has been tough for a long time,” said Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione.

Joe C. is lucky. No, not lucky. Castiglione made his own luck. He hired Bob Stoops in December 1998. Castiglione still has his football coach. Still has his national-title winning coach.

Only six coaches remain at schools where they have won titles: Stoops, Texas' Mack Brown, Penn State's ageless Joe Paterno and three Southeastern Conference coaches who have won in the last four years: Auburn's Gene Chizik, Alabama's Nick Saban and LSU's Les Miles.

Only seven current major-college coaches were hired for their post in the 1900s: Stoops, Brown, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz (1999), Fresno State's Pat Hill (1997), Troy's Larry Blakeney (1991), Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer (1987) and Paterno (1966).

College football coaching provides power, fame and untold riches. It also will spit you up and chew you out.

“I don't know what to say about that,” Stoops said when asked about the demise of some of his championship colleagues. “Other than I think it's fair to say, how difficult it is to manage everything that comes our way.

“To manage it the right way, to manage it successfully, to manage it whatever way you want to put it.”

Coaches have to win at a high level, or they're out the door, as elite coaches like Phil Fulmer, Larry Coker and Tommy Tuberville learned. Plus, coaches must stay one step ahead of scandal that can descend like locusts. Cast out the plague quickly, or at least don't cover it up. Such failures eventually cost Carroll and Tressel.

“It's just become more and more challenging,” Castiglione said. “The idea that this is a tough business is correct. Becoming more difficult all the time. It's a challenge for all involved. It's really tough right now.”

More parity among teams. More scrutiny, with the Internet and social networking providing a labyrinth of information that can derail a program. More outside influences as the money associated with college and pro football grows and grows.

“It's hard,” Stoops said of running a program. “And there are a lot of obstacles in your way to have success, to manage it appropriately, to keep it going.”

Stoops has kept it going. Seven Big 12 championships in 12 years. One NCAA rules skirmish, which was dealt with promptly (Rhett Bomar) and looking back was but a blip on Sooner radar.

Stoops stands now with Saban as college football's most successful coaches. Two years ago, they comprised a top five along with Tressel, Meyer and Carroll.

Now only Stoops and Saban are left.

“Any individual, each may have their own story, their own approach that leads to longevity,” Castiglione said. “I can't think of anybody I know gets caught up in assuming too much. As much as trying to have longevity, doing the right thing, we know we're in a very volatile business.”

Nothing is assured this side of Penn State's Happy Valley. Slumps and scandal can come. Coaches grow restless. Fan bases do the same. Breaking up is hard to do but not impossible.

No assurances that Stoops will be at the Sooner helm another dozen years. But he's there now, standing atop his profession.

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at btramel@opubco.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.

Jeff Evans

Jeff Evans

Jeff Evans