After What He's Done, Ed Orgeron Deserves a Chance to Be USC's Head Coach

Ed Orgeron is no longer just a good story, a boisterous personality wining and dining his team with chicken, waffles and smiles. We’re past that.

He's now a semifinalist for the Maxwell Football Club Collegiate Coach of the Year Award, the first interim coach to ever be recognized this deep in the process.

"

Per the Maxwell Football Club, Ed Orgeron is the first interim HC to be named a semifinalist for the Maxwell COY award.

— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) November 20, 2013"

The fun, expectation-less honeymoon phase has given way for success—both on and off the field. And with that, USC athletic director Pat Haden suddenly has a difficult decision to make with sand tumbling down the hourglass. Quite frankly, it’s only difficult if he makes it so.

Less than 48 hours after Orgeron led the USC marching band in song following a victory over Stanford—Tommy Trojan’s sword in hand and hopefully no unfortunate band member within reach—USC picked up the commitment of a 4-star lineman.

Landing a verbal commitment in November shouldn’t expedite a full-time coaching contract to his desk, but there’s significance here beyond an eventual depth at offensive line. Viane Talamaivao, a 4-star guard according to 247Sports, was previously committed to Alabama before his change of heart. The Corona, Calif., native attended the USC-Stanford game, and he pledged his verbal shortly thereafter.

In the last six weeks, Orgeron has largely displayed the anatomy of the ideal USC coach: winning (of course), recruiting and owning Southern California with a little bit of flare. Not too much flare, but just enough.

This 48-hour window is not the reason USC should hire Orgeron. It’s part of the reason, another plus in a small sample size that’s turning the pros versus cons into a lopsided affair.

Under Orgeron, the team is 5-1 and entering the home stretch playing its best football of the year. Excluding a cross-country trip to South Bend, the performance has been night and day since he took over. There is excitement in the program that has been absent really since Pete Carroll left for the NFL.

The team is ripe with young talent and it is developing right before our eyes. This talent—and the full roster for that matter—has completely bought into what Orgeron is selling, something that has become quite clear as the season has progressed.

"

Cody Kessler on Ed Orgeron: "We would run through a wall for that man." #USC

— InsideUSC (@InsideUSC) November 17, 2013"

Yet behind the curtain, USC is preparing as if it will still make a change following the season. Haden celebrated the USC win in style, leaving his feet in celebration, but he’s also operating with the bigger picture in mind—as he should.

Broncos assistant Jack Del Rio has interviewed for the job, as first reported by Jay Glazer of Fox Sports.

It was also reported by ESPN’s Travis Haney last week that USC is prepared to pay its next head coach up to $6 million a year if necessary. And no, such salary requirements wouldn’t be necessary if the interim tag was removed.

While the shuffling behind the scenes is expected, Orgeron has embraced the role of underdog, a role that’s easy to get behind. Haden has become well aware of this groundswell, as his email is beginning to suffer because of it.

"

Pat Haden just now on Trojans Live: "I counted. I had 136 pro Coach O emails today. And that didn't count tweets."

— Pete Roussel (@coachingsearch) November 20, 2013"

Of course, Orgeron is pitching to stay on, but his campaigning isn’t exactly that of your local government official leading up to an election. He’s letting his performance and that of his team do the talking while expressing his desire to stay when asked.

"

"I want to be the head coach at USC," Orgeron said courtesy of ESPN.com. "I love being a head coach. I think that it's something I'm able to do, and do well. And I want to be the head coach at USC when I get the chance. I think I can perform on a very high basis to do what the Trojan family wants me to do."

"

There will be bigger names and salaries that can be had, potentially the likes of Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin, Boise State’s Chris Petersen, Vanderbilt’s James Franklin and others. These are just a handful of names that have been brought up in the “throw things against the wall” phase.

This process is only in its infancy, but this will attract interest from plenty of successful, employed coaches.

The coaches that will garner looks from Haden will almost certainly be more “qualified” than Orgeron, having extensive success in other places or showcasing potential that could trounce “the guy that bombed out at Ole Miss.”

What Orgeron had done, however, shouldn’t just be taken for granted. And the past is just that.

Finding the perfect fit for a program is not something that can be bought. It’s easy to bury this initiative in salary and bonuses, but chemistry in the community and with the players often is overlooked for more resume-boosting accomplishments.

Hiring a head coach—regardless of track record and past accolades—is a leap of faith. It is a combination of comfort, knowledge, setting, talent and the ability to motivate current and future players.

Orgeron has thrived in his brief opportunity, exhibiting the unidentifiable and difficult-to-obtain “it” factor. Whether he can sustain it over the long haul is the question, but there are reasons to believe he can be much more than quick-fix elixir. He’s shown that in the little time he’s had.

This isn’t about beating UCLA in the final game of the season—although don’t think this won’t loom large in the decision. It's not about one-half of a season and the short-term buzz that has stretched well beyond the West Coast. It’s also not about past failures or how other interim coaches have done when handed the keys to the car. And it's not about landing the big name, the headline-grabbing hire that guarantees nothing but short-term press.

This is about fit, and at this point it’s becoming increasingly difficult to argue that anyone fits this program better than the sword-wielding coach making the most of his opportunity.