USC Football Notebook: Orgeron's Second Shot
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(Shotgun Spratling/Neon Tommy)
That’s how long it’s been since Ed Orgeron has been a head coach of a college football team. That's how long he’s pondered and stewed over his failings of his three-year term as Ole Miss’ head coach.
That streak will end on Thursday, when Orgeron presides over his first game as USC’s interim coach.
“Come Thursday, I'll be fired up,” he told the media after Tuesday’s practice. “I don't know about [being] nervous. I'll be fired up.”
Orgeron knows that he can only be so amped up, though. He remembers how he wired he was at Mississippi, often at the mercy of his considerable energy and passion. He believes it cost him in the long run, and cited that as the biggest thing he wants to do differently this time around.
“Make good sound decisions, not emotional decisions,” he said. “Last time I was a head coach, I made a couple of emotional decisions that really cost me. [One game] I went for it on 4th and 2, and I shouldn't have. I learned from that.”
Part of that learning comes down to maturity. Another part of it comes down to context, and of being in charge of a perennial powerhouse at USC instead of a rebuilding job at Ole Miss.
“If you're at USC, you have a better team than most people,” he said. “You should be playing good, sound, fundamental football. That's where we want to get to, that's not necessarily where we're at. We don't want to trick people, we want to line up and play good physical football.”
Orgeron believe his team is in prepared to deliver that, in spite of the upheaval caused by former head coach Lane Kiffin’s firing following a 62-41 loss to Arizona State. If the Trojans are still dealing with any fallout from the coaching change, they aren’t showing it.
“I think they're in a really good place,” he said. “Walk into the meeting room and you can feel the energy. They're smiling. They're loving practice. Obviously there's probably going to be some ups and downs, but I want them to fight and compete and play with energy and have fun playing the game. That, I do think we're going to do well.”
That also starts with Orgeron himself. To that end, the 52-year-old says that defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, new defensive line coach Pete Jenkins and grad assistant Ross Cumming will handle the bulk defensive line adjustments as Orgeron coaches from the sideline. The histrionics will be toned down but the core message will stay the same from one of college football’s most famed motivators.
“I'm going to do what I do best: Coach toughness, style and energy throughout the whole game,” he said. “I'll be with the team the whole game and give it everything we've got.”
