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Haden To Replace Garrett As USC Athletic Director

Patrick Crawley |
July 20, 2010 | 11:50 a.m. PDT

Sports Editor

Former USC quarterback Pat Haden will be the university's new athletic director, according to a report Tuesday in the Los Angeles Times.

Haden will take over for Mike Garrett beginning Aug. 3, the same day that Max Nikias is scheduled to replace Steven Sample as USC president. Nikias is expected to formally introduce Haden as athletic director later Tuesday.

Garrett's 17-year stint as athletic director comes to a halt on the heels of NCAA sanctions against USC that include four years of probation, a two-year bowl ban and the loss of 30 scholarships over the next three years. The NCAA cited a lack of institutional control as a main catalyst for the sanctions, which reflected poorly on Garrett.

Garrett, 66, reportedly took the school's retirement package.

Haden, like Garrett before him, comes to USC with strong Trojan roots. He was USC's starting quarterback from 1972 to 1974 and led the team to three Rose Bowl appearances and two national championships. He was named co-MVP of the 1975 Rose Bowl, his final game as a Trojan, and was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1995.

He is also a member of the GTE Academic All-American Hall of Fame.

After graduating magna cum laude from USC in 1975, Haden played in the World Football League with the Southern California Sun, at which time he also attended Oxford University with a Rhodes scholarship.

Haden was picked by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round of the NFL draft and went on to enjoy a six-year career. He made 55 starts for the Rams, guiding them to three playoff appearances and earning a Pro Bowl nod in 1977.

Injuries sidetracked Haden's career in 1980 and 1981, at which time he decided to retire to pursue a career in broadcasting.

Haden was a color analyst for CBS' college football coverage--he worked alongside Brent Musburger and Ara Parseghian--and a commentator for TNT's Sunday night football before moving to NBC to cover, ironically, Notre Dame football. 

In addition to being a Rhodes scholar, Haden also has a Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School. He is a partner in the venture capitalist firm Riordan, Lewis & Haden and has served on the USC board of trustees for 19 years.

Update: Nikias confirmed his intention to make Haden USC's new athletic director beginning Aug. 3 in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. Click here to read the full statement.

To reach editor Patrick Crawley, click here.



 

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