Danny Kanell shares his thoughts on USC hiring Clay Helton as its head football coach and the importance of stability and consistency for the Trojans.
Every coaching hire offers four stages of evaluation, and USC's decision to drop the "interim" tag from Clay Helton's title will be no different.
First, there is the immediate, emotional reaction, one that is often guided by the fan message boards and media. A program hires Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Chris Petersen, Chip Kelly, etc., and everyone leaps into the air, clicks their heels together and begins signing Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus."
Or if it hires a 43-year-old offensive coordinator with name recognition only developed because he'd been promoted to "interim" coach when the former head coach got fired at midseason because of an alleged alcohol problem, then the enthusiasm is more muted and in some quarters ranges from disappointment to outrage.