Howard Jones is the godfather of USC football. He built the first great dynasty at the school and developed the Trojans into a national brand. Jones got the Notre Dame rivalry off the ground, working with Knute Rockne to begin a stories series which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026.
Jones won national championships and Rose Bowls at USC, but his influence and legacy greatly exceed his enormous football accomplishments. Jones, who came from Iowa to USC — as we noted in our Big Ten summer podcast series with Hawkeyes Wire — recommended that Sam Barry be hired as USC basketball coach. He was. Barry joined Jones on the football staff as defensive coordinator and also took charge of USC baseball, winning the program’s first College World Series in 1948 and handing the baton to legendary coach Rod Dedeaux.
Jones and Barry both did great things for USC sports. They are the two most important figures in the school’s history of team athletic competition. The 1939 Trojans were the last great Jones-and-Barry team, also the last of Jones’ five Rose Bowl champions at USC.
Let’s relive that 1939 season: