Tag: Carol Folt

With Carol Folt’s retirement, Lincoln Riley is the last man standing at USC

The athletic director, the chief of staff, a key board figure, and now the president. The people on stage with Lincoln Riley in 2021 will all be gone next year.

Three years ago, when Lincoln Riley made the stunning decision to leave Oklahoma for USC, he mentioned the Trojans’ strong administrative alignment as one of the biggest factors that motivated him to do so. Three years later, he might be starting to question that decision a little.

One of the biggest X-factors in USC’s wooing of Riley was chief of staff Brandon Sosna. However, Sosna left for a front office job in the NFL before Riley even coached his first game in Cardinal and Gold.

USC certainly does not hire Riley without athletic director Mike Bohn. Under Bohn’s leadership, USC’s athletic department went from being a scandal-driven laughingstock to one of the premier operations in the country. However, Bohn resigned after Riley’s first season amidst reports of inappropriate conduct.

One of the speakers at Riley’s introductory press conference was USC Board of Trustees President Rick Caruso. However, Caruso resigned just a few months later to pursue a campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles.

And of course, spearheading the entire operation was USC President Carol Folt. While Bohn and Sosna may have done most of the dirty work, ultimately it was Folt who had to sign off on Riley’s nine-figure contract. Just last week, Folt announced her plans to retire at the end of the academic year.

At Riley’s introductory press conference in November of 2021, the head coach posed for a photo with Folt, Bohn, Sosna, and Caruso. Now, Riley will be the only one of the five still at USC next year.

Is this the end of the world? Not at all. Ultimately, Riley’s job is to coach the football team. It is not as though he is spending multiple hours with the president and athletic director on a daily basis.

But given that Riley was promised strong administrative alignment when he signed on, the fact that the four biggest people responsible for hiring him will be gone less than four years later is not exactly a great sign.

It is too soon to know what this will mean for Riley’s long-term future, but if he does not feel he has the support of the new administration, he could potentially decide to jump ship for the NFL sooner rather than later.

After all, there is a very good chance Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears will need a new head coach this offseason. Just saying . . .

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USC President Carol Folt plans to retire in 2025, and Lincoln Riley is paying attention

Carol Folt retiring in 2025 will focus attention on the new USC president’s view — and handling — of the Lincoln Riley situation with Trojan football.

On Friday, USC President Carol Folt announced that she would retire at the end of the academic year, which is in the summer of 2025. Folt’s legacy as a steward of USC football will earn mixed reviews, but this much needs to be said: USC successfully hiring Lincoln Riley in November of 2021 showed that Folt cared about football success more than a lot of her fiercest critics thought she did. Folt received a lot of apologies — and goodwill — from USC fans after the Riley hire. Until then, a lot of USC fans and alumni reasonably thought she didn’t care about the sport, given that Clay Helton stayed on the job far too long.

Lincoln Riley knows that the next USC president will step into a situation where Riley will be coaching under intense pressure. This season is a bust. The 2025 season needs to deliver the goods; it always did need to become a strong statement about the health of USC football. Riley was always going to need a big 2025 at USC. Now, with a new president coming in the door next year, it becomes even more important for Riley to correct the mistakes and address the shortcomings we have seen this season at USC. His buyout is still large, which might mean he will coach USC in 2026 regardless of who becomes president, but a change in leadership is certainly a plot point to pay attention to for the USC football program and its embattled head coach.

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Discussing Carol Folt’s leadership of USC football requires nuance

Carol Folt has done a lot to support USC football, but the program isn’t yet where it needs to be. This is a difficult debate.

On our recent USC call-in show at The Voice of College Football, we had a debate with a caller at the 28-minute mark of the video, posted below. Our discussion revolved around USC President Carol Folt and her leadership of USC football. We discussed the various details and dimensions surrounding how much she is prioritizing the program and, in the caller’s opinion, is not being as supportive or effective as she should be for USC football.

One notion which figured centrally and prominently in this discussion was Folt’s belief that USC needs to win the right way. The caller felt that was a coded way of saying USC won’t try to be extra-aggressive in the arenas where Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and Oregon regularly succeed. The contrary point to that claim is that Carol Folt hired Mike Bohn and Brandon Sosna, who brought aboard Lincoln Riley. Folt helped broker the Big Ten move which will give USC a lot of new and needed revenue. She oversaw the ground breaking on a state of the art football-only facilities.  Now with the hiring of Athletic Director Jenifer Cohen and the hiring of a new and improved defensive coaching staff USC has positioned itself to make a run at the top of the Big Ten Conference.

Have Folt and USC made the changes to allow USC to compete at the highest levels of college football? That is to be determined. Has President Folt committed to helping USC reach the expected standard? Certainly to a point. Callers and critics might say it simply hasn’t been enough. Where we can all agree: Let’s give Folt some credit even while we note where USC is still falling short. Folt cares. Now we need to see if she and Cohen can improve on what they have established. There is certainly room for improvement, even while needed fixes have already been made and paid for.

Here’s our segment:

https://www.youtube.com/live/WIczn-l-zmw?si=jXiGrwo5Qb78sgq-&t=1681

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Why USC’s timeline for new AD hire might be longer than previously thought

USC, by bringing in some big hitters from the world of college sports administration, might not be in any hurry to hire an AD.

The news broke last week that USC hired a temporary administrator (not an interim athletic director) to handle the athletic department. This move was accompanied by the hire of a transition team comprised of major power players in college sports.

We wrote about these moves last week:

“In order to replace Bohn’s working knowledge of the Big Ten and the vision Bohn had for USC’s move to a new conference, Folt has brought aboard a transition team of consultants: former Cal and Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour, former Duke chief financial officer Mitch Moser, and former Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg.

“These are all heavy hitters with ample high-level experience in college sports administration. You will note that the Barbour-Moser-Weiberg trio has connections to every Power Five conference other than the SEC: Barbour to the Pac-12 and Big Ten, Moser to the ACC, Weiberg to the Big 12.”

What does this mean for the timeline attached to the USC AD search? Consultant Tony Altimore explained midway through the most recent edition of Trojan Conquest Live, the USC YouTube show which airs Sundays at 8 p.m. Eastern, 5 p.m. Pacific, at The Voice of College Football.

Spoiler alert: This search might take a little more time than previously expected, but let Tony offer the fuller explanation below.

The next episode of Trojan Conquest Live airs on Sunday, June 4, at 8 Eastern and 5 Pacific. The special guest on this Sunday’s show will be USC legend Anthony Munoz. He joins co-hosts Tim Prangley and Rick Anaya for a one-hour conversation you won’t want to miss!

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USC President Carol Folt names interim administrator, Big Ten transition team

Carol Folt has initiated not only a transition phase for USC’s athletic department, but for the school’s move to the #B1G.

We have finally seen some internal movement within the USC administration and the school’s athletic department after the resignation of previous athletic director Mike Bohn. USC President Carol Folt has made some moves to create multiple transition teams to serve as a bridge to the selection of the school’s permanent athletic director.

On Wednesday evening, Folt released a letter to the athletic department detailing her plans. Dr. Denise Kwok, executive senior associate athletic director, has been named the interim executive administrator of the athletic department.

Meanwhile, a Big Ten transition team has been created by Folt, given that Mike Bohn’s expertise with — and involvement in — the move to the Big Ten is no longer something the Trojans can draw from with Bohn out the door. In order to replace Bohn’s working knowledge of the Big Ten and the vision Bohn had for USC’s move to a new conference, Folt has brought aboard a transition team of consultants: former Cal and Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour, former Duke chief financial officer Mitch Moser, and former Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg.

These are all heavy hitters with ample high-level experience in college sports administration. You will note that the Barbour-Moser-Weiberg trio has connections to every Power Five conference other than the SEC: Barbour to the Pac-12 and Big Ten, Moser to the ACC, Weiberg to the Big 12.

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If you could interview USC AD candidates, which questions would you ask?

Hiring the right candidate is the main point, but ensuring a candidate succeeds is done by asking the right Qs in the job interview.

We have spent plenty of time focusing on the candidates USC President Carol Folt can and should consider in her search for the next athletic director of Trojan athletics. To be sure, picking the right candidate is the ultimate point. Getting someone who can blend Mike Bohn’s talent for picking great coaches with a personal ability to provide better leadership, organization, and management in office settings — without drama or controversy — is the goal for USC. Getting the good parts of Mike Bohn without his negatives is Carol Folt’s pursuit.

Naturally, the conversation will gravitate toward the names of the top candidates USC should look at. To be sure, that’s important. Yet, Folt and USC — like any other school considering a huge hire — can significantly improve the odds that their new hire will do a great job if they ask the right questions in the interview room.

Let’s explore this point a little more, noting that we mentioned it on our recent live show with Mark Rogers at The Voice of College Football.

As you look at the questions we raise below, ask yourself: “If I could interview USC’s next AD candidate, what questions would I ask?”

Here we go:

Trojans Wire joins national YouTube show to discuss USC athletic director job

We talked to @MarkRogersTV at the @VoiceofCFB about the #USC athletic director search and a lot more.

The USC Trojans need a new athletic director. They still haven’t appointed an interim or acting athletic director (as of Wednesday morning). So, any exploration of the candidates, the big board, and the various categories of candidates is still relevant and timely for any USC fan.

We looked at some of the dimensions of the USC athletic director search, and we also analyzed both the downfall of Mike Bohn and his undeniable talent in hiring great sports coaches for USC athletics, in our newest live show with Mark Rogers at The Voice of College Football.

We also looked at the mess in the Big Ten with its television deal and how former commissioner Kevin Warren seemed to get out while the going was good. He did not leave behind an orderly and fully aligned situation, but as we note on the show, the checks are going to cash for the conference’s TV deals, and that’s why Warren will not be severely punished for his sloppy management.

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USC athletic director search: the ‘make them say no first’ list for Carol Folt

#USC’s AD search can be divided into several tiers of candidates. Consultant @TJAltimore has details. Force these 6 to say no first.

Much like a coaching search, the search for a new athletic director or any top candidate for a very important leadership position within a university should have a few tiers.

There are the exciting, young, new candidates who might offer a fresh perspective if it is needed. There are outsiders on the rise who might give new energy and vision to a job. There are proven veterans in the profession who offer needed experience. There are in-house candidates who might want the job and have the institutional knowledge needed to bring about a smooth transition. There are candidates who might simply meet the moment in terms of knowing how to handle a specific set of current or upcoming challenges. Then there are the rock stars, the people you simply have to make a phone call to and force them to say no.

Consultant Tony Altimore has his big board for the USC athletic director search, dividing candidates into several different tiers on Sunday night’s edition of Trojan Conquest Live with co-hosts Tim Prangley and Rick Anaya. You can watch the full show, but in the meantime, let’s look at different tiers of candidates from Tony, starting with the people Carol Folt simply has to make a call to. She has to force these people to turn down the job:

Troubling details emerge about Mike Bohn’s management of USC athletics

.@Ryan_Kartje of @LATimesSports produced detailed reporting on the deeper story inside #USC athletics.

What has happened inside the walls of the USC athletic department under former athletic director Mike Bohn’s leadership? Speculation flew across the internet and the USC community when the explosive news of Bohn’s abrupt resignation hit the wires on Friday afternoon. Just exactly what was going on, and why?

We don’t have all the answers, and more details are probably going to be revealed in the coming days and weeks, but we at least know what the fundamental issue was and is.

Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that according to multiple sources inside the USC athletic department, Bohn made inappropriate remarks about the physical appearance of female colleagues. Additional sources told Kartje that Bohn did not attend meetings he was supposed to attend.

Kartje pointed out that on Thursday, Bohn and USC were asked by the L.A. Times about internal department criticisms of Bohn’s management and leadership practices. The fact that Bohn submitted his resignation on Friday, one day later, is notable.

Let’s go through a number of the details raised by the Times’ reporting on this story:

How Twitter reacted to Notre Dame-USC: Trojans side

Lot of happy people in Los Angeles and beyond.

If you’re a USC fan, you have to be feeling high and mighty right about now. The Trojans’ 38-27 win over Notre Dame meant a lot of things. It snapped a skid over their biggest rival, and it provided more Caleb Williams fodder for the Heisman Trophy voters. On top of that, this win, coupled with LSU’s loss to Texas A&M, put them in position to make the College Football Playoff provided they win the Pac-12 title game.

The Trojans are nationally relevant for the first time in years, and their fans will tell you it was worth the wait. They already are prepared to induct Williams into their Heisman quarterback club alongside Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer. Even with the stiff competition the playoff is sure to have, the confidence for both the Trojans and their supporters has to be through the roof. After reading these tweets, it’s hard to think otherwise: