USC-Seahawks Staff: ESPN Gets It Wrong

Earlier today the Sports Center update on ESPN Radio here in Los Angeles reported that James Cregg was joining Lane Kiffin’s staff at USC as the offensive line coach.

The report was originally filed by Mark Saxon on ESPNLosAngeles.com

Saxon also reported that USC’s current offensive line coach, Pat Ruel, was going to join Pete Carroll’s staff as the offensive line coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

Wrong!

Pete Carroll’s first hire outside of the assistant coaches he brought with him from USC was Alex Gibbs from the Houston Texans.

Carroll didn’t bring Pat Ruel with him to Seattle because his offensive coordinator, Jeremy Bates, wanted a zone-blocking specialist to coach the offensive line.

Alex Gibbs is known as the guru and Godfather of zone-blocking schemes. He is a 23-year coaching veteran, most of that time in the NFL. He spent the last two years with the Houston Texans.

In addition, the official USC press release announced only that Cregg has joined Kiffin’s staff as an assistant coach. It made no mention that Cregg had been hired specifically as the offensive line coach.

Saxon assumed that Cregg, who was Kiffin’s offensive line coach with the Raiders and then with Tennessee, would take over the same position at USC.

However, Cregg has also coached tight ends and the defensive line prior to joining Kiffin in Oakland.

While the report may indeed eventually prove true, it is not yet official, and Pat Ruel remains on the official roster along with those assistants who did not follow Pete Carroll to Seattle.

In fact, the official coaches’ roster is a bit of a mystery as far as actual position coaches are concerned. Only Lane Kiffin, Monte Kiffin, and Ed Orgeron have official titles. The rest are merely listed as assistant coaches.

Lane Kiffin - Head Coach

Monte Kiffin - Defensive Coordinator

Ed Orgeron - Assistant Head Coach

Brennan Carroll - Assistant Coach

James Cregg - Assistant Coach

Jethro Franklin - Assistant Coach

Todd McNair - Assistant Coach

John Morton - Assistant Coach

Pat Ruel - Assistant Coach

Rocky Seto - Assistant Coach

Chris Carlisle - Strength and Conditioning Coach

Justin Mesa - Wide Receivers Graduate Assistant

Matt Capurro - Director of Football Operations

It seems obvious that the recruiting process is far more important than finalizing the staff. No doubt Kiffin is keeping Carroll’s assistants on his staff until that process is completed. 

Each assistant has established rapport with certain recruits, and Kiffin understands just how crucial that is. It could be the difference between a four-or-five-star recruit signing with USC or another university.

So I don’t expect Kiffin’s staff to become set any time before National Signing Day and probably not much before spring practice.

Between that time, expect attrition to reduce the staff. Coaches like Ruel, John Morton, Jethro Franklin and Todd McNair have all had NFL experience and could find the grass greener in the No Fun League than at USC.

There could even be some surprises, and not only among Carroll’s former assistants. When Kiffin left Tennessee and Tennessee hired Louisana Tech’s Derek Dooley to replace him, it was rumored that Ed Orgeron was interested in the Louisana Tech job.

Orgeron previously had an unimpressive stint as head coach at Mississippi and may still be interested in a head coaching position in Division 1.

The one Pete Carroll hire that I believe to be a lock for Kiffin’s staff is Strength and Conditioning Coach, Chris Carlisle. In fact, Carlisle begins his official duties this Friday when the strength and conditioning program gets started for the 2010 season.

But as far as solidifying the entire staff, don’t expect too much too soon.

THURSDAY UPDATE: Although Lane Kiffin still has not officially named James Cregg as his offensive line coach, he did fire Pete Carroll's offensive line coach, Pat Ruel.  Ironically, Kiffin tried to hire Ruel away from Carroll's staff last year.  Overall, Ruel did a fairly good job with the o-line during his five years at USC.  Could the firing have occurred because Ruel turned down Kiffin at Tennessee last year?  Or does Kiffin truly feel that Cregg is a better o-line coach than Ruel?  

Needless to say, I am quite troubled by the move.  Cregg has far less experience than Ruel, who has turned out some All-Americans and high NFL draft picks.

In any case, Ruel will not be joining Pete Carroll in Seattle as reported since Carroll and Jeremy Bates have already selected their o-line coach.  Instead, Ruel will look elsewhere in the NFL for work.  He should have no trouble landing a spot.