USC Contacts Boise State's Chris Petersen About Trojan Head Coaching Job

As I reported two days ago, Boise State's Chris Petersen is a top candidate for the head coaching job at USC.

USC athletic director Mike Garrett has been in contact with Petersen, but it is uncertain whether the latter has expressed any interest in leaving Boise State for Southern California.

Both ESPN and the Los Angeles Times have confirmed that USC did seek permission from Boise State to speak with Petersen and that those discussions are taking place.

Petersen has compiled a stunning record of 49-4 in four seasons at BSU, including two BCS Fiesta Bowl victories in the past four years.

The USC position became available when Pete Carroll agreed to become the new head coach of the Seattle Seahawks over the weekend.

Carroll was officially introduced as the new head man at the Seahawks' headquarters today.

Petersen has often stated that he is very happy in Boise and that he expects to be the head coach of the Broncos for years to come.

Boise State and Petersen agreed on a new five-year contract just prior to Christmas. That contract is expected to be approved by the State of Idaho Board of Education when they meet in February.

Petersen was raised in California and played his high school football there. Chris was a star quarterback at UC Davis following his high school career.

Boise State returns 21 of 22 starters from this year's undefeated team and is expected to compete for a possible run at the national championship next year.

The question remains if Petersen would forego the opportunity to lead BSU in the quest for the first berth in a national championship game by a non BCS school in favor of the USC job.

USC is under investigation by the NCAA for violations within their football program. The severity of those infractions and the possible sanctions that could be leveled against USC are yet to be determined.