When compiling an all-time list, one of the harsh realities of such a project is that some names will be left off the list, unless it is especially long and can accommodate everyone. In this edition of the all-time USC football roster, there are a few notes worth making about inclusions and exclusions.
First, an inclusion: Reggie Bush was able to make this roster even though — with only two running backs allowed on the roster — he got excluded from his primary position. We had to put Charles White and O.J. Simpson on the two-deep at running back. It doesn’t mean Reggie Bush wasn’t great — of course he was! — but that White and O.J. were even greater.
Bush on special teams gives him a rightful place on this Trojans Wire roster while honoring the distribution of recognition to various positions on a football team.
Next, the exclusions: Hudson Houck is a legendary offensive line coach, one of the greatest to ever teach offensive line play. The member of John Robinson’s elite USC coaching staffs in the late 1970s (which also had Norv Turner and Paul Hackett, among others) is an all-time-great USC assistant coach. However, the two on this list were even greater and contain more importance in the larger story of USC athletics.
Finally, with only two head coaches making the cut, we obviously had to leave two iconic USC head coaches off the list. If only two can make the cut, that means two of these four legends — Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson, and Pete Carroll — have to be excluded.
These are the tough decisions we had to make. Enjoy this list of elite USC coaches (two head coaches, two assistants) and special-teams stars (three punters and kickers apiece, two punt returners, two kickoff returners).
See USC’s all-time offense and all-time defense.
Check out our other College Wire all-time lineups: Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Nebraska / North Carolina / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / Wisconsin