It is such a fascinating contradiction at USC: On one hand, the University of Southern California has to find a new athletic director yet again. The Trojans have had to do this a lot in the past 13 years. The inability of one athletic director to be great in all aspects of the job description and stay for a long time is, ultimately, a negative. Yet, if it seems on the surface that this revolving door at USC might diminish the value of being the Trojans’ athletic director, nothing could be further from the truth in acutality.
Being the USC athletic director right now, in 2023, is one of the most attractive athletic director jobs in the United States. Some might say this shouldn’t be the case, given that Mike Bohn left in a manner neither he nor USC hoped for (it was not a triumphant exit, to be sure), but the condition of USC athletics is undeniably better than it was one, two, three, or five years ago, and no one can dispute that.
Lincoln Riley is coaching a football program which won 11 games last year.
Lindsay Gottlieb got the women’s basketball program back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.
USC baseball is about to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.
Beach volleyball’s dynastic program won another national title. Water polo remains an elite program.
Oh, and Bronny James will be part of a men’s basketball team which will be in the top 15 in most preseason rankings and polls.
Mike Bohn behaved poorly. Yet, the USC athletic director job is very attractive. Both things can be (and are) true.
This was part of the discussion on Trojan Conquest Live at The Voice of College Football:
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