Highlights from Lynn Swann's post-press conference interview with the media.
Was this in the grand scheme of things for you?
LS: "Not really I've always said that my first job out of college being a professional athlete was never one I aspired to. But there was an opportunity and there was a skill set that allowed me to have success. Even playing professional football I was looking beyond football in terms of what to do net, taking ore classes in school, getting ready for a career in broadcasting and continuing working forward that way. Even when I had the job in broadcasting I was still working in other areas. So I think it's important to always push yourself, to continue to learn, to expand. And then you're prepared when an opportunity present itself. This was a golden opportunity. or maybe a cardinal and gold opportunity."
How surprised were you at being recruited again by USC?
LS: "It's an interesting process, and certainly honored more than surprised. But glad to be here. Glad to be back. I walked on campus this morning. It felt comfortable, it felt the same. Then I walked into Heritage Hall and I said, OK, it's not the same. It's a little different. The McKay Center, all the new facilities, are wonderful. This is going to be a great experience. I'm sure there will be some challenges along the way. I expect that."
One of the things that will be most impressive to your administration and athletes is you've been there and done that, so you know what you're talking about.
LS: "That's true. Any of the students and athletes that want to come in and talk to me about those things, I'd be more than happy to talk to them and give them some advice or understanding of what it's like in the real world of professional sports or the real world of business moving outside or being an entrepreneur. But still, I think most of the communication is going to come from the coaches. I'm not here to usurp the coaches authority over their football team, basketball team, their track team. I'm here to add to the process an certainly don't want to interfere with those things going on."
You said your underlying goals are for the kids to graduate, win and experience. What are your first orders of business for when you take over in July?
LS: "My first order of business is really to learn. To get to know the staff and the people here, how things are put together and make sure it's functioning correctly in a way that we can produce and have those results. I think there are things that we can do, ongoing things that we can do in terms of education, to increase graduation rates. That's where a guy like Steve Lopes plays a vital part. I'm sure people have been trying different things over the years. I don't want to waste people's time by coming in and saying I have this great idea, which is something I used to say all the time in the locker room. I've got this great idea, let's try this, and find out they've already tried that. You end up wasting people's time. That's why you got to engage people. That's why it's important to have Steve Lopes institutional knowledge people that have been doing it for a long time. We've tried this, that doesn't work. I say, let's find a way to make that work. And so we'll continue to grow together."
What threshold do you have to consider a season successful in football?
LS: "Every step along the way is a step toward the national championship. You got to win the first game. You take it one game at a time. You got to win the first game you got to win the second game. You got to continue to move it down the line. That's the only way I look at it."
One of the criticisms here over the years is they hire athletic directors that have never been an athletic director. Is that a valid critique?
LS: "People will have their opinion. Do I think it's the only way to go? Certainly not. I think you bring a skill set that allows you to have success. If you don't have the skill set, if you don't have what the university is looking for, regardless of whether you have AD experience or not, then you won't get the job."
What is your take on student-athletes getting paid?
LS: "The financial area, in terms of what it costs to go to college these days, is extraordinarily high. I think the tendency is people look at the big splash. So when you ask that question and you talk about should the players be compensated, that's the big splash. You're going to write them a check. Well, what about all the ripples? That's what really impacts the program long term. How much money? How much money for a student-athlete in California? How much money for student-athlete in Ohio or in Alabama. The cost of living is different. Is it the same amount? What's that formula? How do you monitor it? I think USC will have a plan in place. I think the university is, according to Max and others I've talked to, they have some ideas, they're just trying to be prepared for whichever way it may occur. We don't control that. But we can make some plans just in case, and we got to look at how it will impact the entire university."
Every athletic director has their own style. What will be your insignia?
LS: "I think it will be engaging. I'm not the most formal person in the world. But we'll have regular meetings and get things done. We'll communicate. I hope to build and make sure this staff understands that whatever er goals are I'm going to help them achieve their goals. If there are members of the staff that want to become athletic directors -- they're not going to get my job -- but I'm going to help them be the best associate assistant athletic director they can be, and help promote them in the career that they want to have, and help build that staff. I'll be engaging, I'll be listening to their input and then we'll make a decision. I believe you make a decision and then you open a door and everybody goes out on the same page."
Without any prior experience, how do you play catch up with the little time you have until Haden is out?
LS: "Not being inside the athletic department, for anybody, would mean you have to spend time catching up. The only thing probably someone with AD experience brings coming from the outside is their own experience with the NCAA or things of that nature and their conference. But this conference is different. This staff is different."
What's your take on the current state of USC football?
LS: "I think USC football is in a good spot. Clay Helton is the head coach. I will support him 100 percent. He's got a great opportunity in front of him and he's eager to take on the challenges. I know the players are 100 percent behind him and wanted to make sure he got the job. So, now he's got it and he'll move it forward."
With your background in the NFL, will there be an additional connection between the university and the NFL?
LS: "Well, obviously there's an additional connection with me coming on board. I'll talk with Pat, I'll talk with Max, I'll talk to all the people involved in the Coliseum renovation, putting together the contract, the lease for the Rams coming in. Certainly there's a potential for the San Diego Chargers coming up. Keep in mind, 1970-74, when I was here, there were three football teams playing in the Coliseum, UCLA, USC and the Rams. So for me, this is nothing unusual."
--He said USC first reached out to him sometime after the Super Bowl. He eventually decided in his mind he would take the job if offered the job. He accepted the position on Sunday. When asked how long his contract is for, Swann deftly said, "I serve at the pleasure of the president, and I hope it's a long time."
Was this in the grand scheme of things for you?
LS: "Not really I've always said that my first job out of college being a professional athlete was never one I aspired to. But there was an opportunity and there was a skill set that allowed me to have success. Even playing professional football I was looking beyond football in terms of what to do net, taking ore classes in school, getting ready for a career in broadcasting and continuing working forward that way. Even when I had the job in broadcasting I was still working in other areas. So I think it's important to always push yourself, to continue to learn, to expand. And then you're prepared when an opportunity present itself. This was a golden opportunity. or maybe a cardinal and gold opportunity."
How surprised were you at being recruited again by USC?
LS: "It's an interesting process, and certainly honored more than surprised. But glad to be here. Glad to be back. I walked on campus this morning. It felt comfortable, it felt the same. Then I walked into Heritage Hall and I said, OK, it's not the same. It's a little different. The McKay Center, all the new facilities, are wonderful. This is going to be a great experience. I'm sure there will be some challenges along the way. I expect that."
One of the things that will be most impressive to your administration and athletes is you've been there and done that, so you know what you're talking about.
LS: "That's true. Any of the students and athletes that want to come in and talk to me about those things, I'd be more than happy to talk to them and give them some advice or understanding of what it's like in the real world of professional sports or the real world of business moving outside or being an entrepreneur. But still, I think most of the communication is going to come from the coaches. I'm not here to usurp the coaches authority over their football team, basketball team, their track team. I'm here to add to the process an certainly don't want to interfere with those things going on."
You said your underlying goals are for the kids to graduate, win and experience. What are your first orders of business for when you take over in July?
LS: "My first order of business is really to learn. To get to know the staff and the people here, how things are put together and make sure it's functioning correctly in a way that we can produce and have those results. I think there are things that we can do, ongoing things that we can do in terms of education, to increase graduation rates. That's where a guy like Steve Lopes plays a vital part. I'm sure people have been trying different things over the years. I don't want to waste people's time by coming in and saying I have this great idea, which is something I used to say all the time in the locker room. I've got this great idea, let's try this, and find out they've already tried that. You end up wasting people's time. That's why you got to engage people. That's why it's important to have Steve Lopes institutional knowledge people that have been doing it for a long time. We've tried this, that doesn't work. I say, let's find a way to make that work. And so we'll continue to grow together."
What threshold do you have to consider a season successful in football?
LS: "Every step along the way is a step toward the national championship. You got to win the first game. You take it one game at a time. You got to win the first game you got to win the second game. You got to continue to move it down the line. That's the only way I look at it."
One of the criticisms here over the years is they hire athletic directors that have never been an athletic director. Is that a valid critique?
LS: "People will have their opinion. Do I think it's the only way to go? Certainly not. I think you bring a skill set that allows you to have success. If you don't have the skill set, if you don't have what the university is looking for, regardless of whether you have AD experience or not, then you won't get the job."
What is your take on student-athletes getting paid?
LS: "The financial area, in terms of what it costs to go to college these days, is extraordinarily high. I think the tendency is people look at the big splash. So when you ask that question and you talk about should the players be compensated, that's the big splash. You're going to write them a check. Well, what about all the ripples? That's what really impacts the program long term. How much money? How much money for a student-athlete in California? How much money for student-athlete in Ohio or in Alabama. The cost of living is different. Is it the same amount? What's that formula? How do you monitor it? I think USC will have a plan in place. I think the university is, according to Max and others I've talked to, they have some ideas, they're just trying to be prepared for whichever way it may occur. We don't control that. But we can make some plans just in case, and we got to look at how it will impact the entire university."
Every athletic director has their own style. What will be your insignia?
LS: "I think it will be engaging. I'm not the most formal person in the world. But we'll have regular meetings and get things done. We'll communicate. I hope to build and make sure this staff understands that whatever er goals are I'm going to help them achieve their goals. If there are members of the staff that want to become athletic directors -- they're not going to get my job -- but I'm going to help them be the best associate assistant athletic director they can be, and help promote them in the career that they want to have, and help build that staff. I'll be engaging, I'll be listening to their input and then we'll make a decision. I believe you make a decision and then you open a door and everybody goes out on the same page."
Without any prior experience, how do you play catch up with the little time you have until Haden is out?
LS: "Not being inside the athletic department, for anybody, would mean you have to spend time catching up. The only thing probably someone with AD experience brings coming from the outside is their own experience with the NCAA or things of that nature and their conference. But this conference is different. This staff is different."
What's your take on the current state of USC football?
LS: "I think USC football is in a good spot. Clay Helton is the head coach. I will support him 100 percent. He's got a great opportunity in front of him and he's eager to take on the challenges. I know the players are 100 percent behind him and wanted to make sure he got the job. So, now he's got it and he'll move it forward."
With your background in the NFL, will there be an additional connection between the university and the NFL?
LS: "Well, obviously there's an additional connection with me coming on board. I'll talk with Pat, I'll talk with Max, I'll talk to all the people involved in the Coliseum renovation, putting together the contract, the lease for the Rams coming in. Certainly there's a potential for the San Diego Chargers coming up. Keep in mind, 1970-74, when I was here, there were three football teams playing in the Coliseum, UCLA, USC and the Rams. So for me, this is nothing unusual."
--He said USC first reached out to him sometime after the Super Bowl. He eventually decided in his mind he would take the job if offered the job. He accepted the position on Sunday. When asked how long his contract is for, Swann deftly said, "I serve at the pleasure of the president, and I hope it's a long time."
