Below are excerpts from Dylan Hernandez' LA Times article discussing our esteemed AD's visit to the OC. It appeared his words rang as hollow with them as they do with many of us here:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-usc-lynn-swann-20190220-story.html
It started off with some words from the event organizer, Andrea Casaw. “There’s a crisis of confidence at SC,” she said. “That’s why we’re here tonight. We’re all worried.”
Swann was warm, even charming, but he did almost nothing to alleviate the concerns of USC fans who watched in horror as Clay Helton finished last season with a 5-7 record and was retained as coach.
“As long as our program stays compliant, as long as our coaches are doing it to the best of their ability, working hard, as long as we recruit and treat our players with respect and help them grow and graduate and have a great college experience and we have a good culture at USC, then I’m going to give them an opportunity to do the things they need to do,” Swann said.
A fan who said he traveled from the Los Angeles Westside to listen to Swann told him the program’s supporters wanted to hear more from the athletic director.
“Nobody really wants to hear from the athletic director,” Swann replied politely. “No, you don’t. You only want to hear from the athletic director when things are going bad. OK? Then you want the athletic director to come out and say, ‘It’s your fault,’ or what you’re going to do about this.
Swann promised more physicality on the team’s offensive and defensive lines, neglecting to mention how the Trojans don’t have a strength and conditioning coach at the moment. He did point to the Seattle Seahawks’ hiring of Ivan Lewis in a more convenient time, when he was asked about the school’s lack of investment in areas such as strength and conditioning, nutrition, recruiting support staff and analysts.
“If we were doing such a bad job in our strength and conditioning, then we wouldn’t be looking for another strength and conditioning coach at the moment because the Seattle Seahawks came in and hired away Ivan, who was the head of our program,” Swann said.
Swann went on to reiterate his faith in Helton.
Swann raised examples of championship football teams, including the New England Patriots, as well as the USC and Pittsburgh Steelers teams on which he played.
One audience member pointed to how each of those dynasties had a top-shelf coach and asked Swann what made him believe Helton could be such a coach.
“I think he’s got the football sense and IQ,” Swann said. “He understands what he wants to get done and how he wants to get it done. Now he’s got to communicate that to everybody across the board,” Swann said.
Ignoring how USC’s latest recruiting class was ranked 20th in the country and third in the Pac-12 by 247 Sports, Swann added, “He recruits extraordinarily well and he recruits the right way.”
Said the same audience member: “Everything indicates he’s a great human being, a great man …”
“I know where you’re going,” Swann said. “You may not think he’s a great football coach …”
“I don’t,” the fan said.
“… but I think he can get the job done,” Swann said.
How long would Helton have to do that?
“I’m not going to get into how long,” Swann said.
Swann continued, “All I know is whatever’s going to happen is going to happen. And hopefully he’s extraordinarily successful because I want him to win, he wants to win, and everybody wants him to win.”
The crowd looked unconvinced.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-usc-lynn-swann-20190220-story.html
It started off with some words from the event organizer, Andrea Casaw. “There’s a crisis of confidence at SC,” she said. “That’s why we’re here tonight. We’re all worried.”
Swann was warm, even charming, but he did almost nothing to alleviate the concerns of USC fans who watched in horror as Clay Helton finished last season with a 5-7 record and was retained as coach.
“As long as our program stays compliant, as long as our coaches are doing it to the best of their ability, working hard, as long as we recruit and treat our players with respect and help them grow and graduate and have a great college experience and we have a good culture at USC, then I’m going to give them an opportunity to do the things they need to do,” Swann said.
A fan who said he traveled from the Los Angeles Westside to listen to Swann told him the program’s supporters wanted to hear more from the athletic director.
“Nobody really wants to hear from the athletic director,” Swann replied politely. “No, you don’t. You only want to hear from the athletic director when things are going bad. OK? Then you want the athletic director to come out and say, ‘It’s your fault,’ or what you’re going to do about this.
Swann promised more physicality on the team’s offensive and defensive lines, neglecting to mention how the Trojans don’t have a strength and conditioning coach at the moment. He did point to the Seattle Seahawks’ hiring of Ivan Lewis in a more convenient time, when he was asked about the school’s lack of investment in areas such as strength and conditioning, nutrition, recruiting support staff and analysts.
“If we were doing such a bad job in our strength and conditioning, then we wouldn’t be looking for another strength and conditioning coach at the moment because the Seattle Seahawks came in and hired away Ivan, who was the head of our program,” Swann said.
Swann went on to reiterate his faith in Helton.
Swann raised examples of championship football teams, including the New England Patriots, as well as the USC and Pittsburgh Steelers teams on which he played.
One audience member pointed to how each of those dynasties had a top-shelf coach and asked Swann what made him believe Helton could be such a coach.
“I think he’s got the football sense and IQ,” Swann said. “He understands what he wants to get done and how he wants to get it done. Now he’s got to communicate that to everybody across the board,” Swann said.
Ignoring how USC’s latest recruiting class was ranked 20th in the country and third in the Pac-12 by 247 Sports, Swann added, “He recruits extraordinarily well and he recruits the right way.”
Said the same audience member: “Everything indicates he’s a great human being, a great man …”
“I know where you’re going,” Swann said. “You may not think he’s a great football coach …”
“I don’t,” the fan said.
“… but I think he can get the job done,” Swann said.
How long would Helton have to do that?
“I’m not going to get into how long,” Swann said.
Swann continued, “All I know is whatever’s going to happen is going to happen. And hopefully he’s extraordinarily successful because I want him to win, he wants to win, and everybody wants him to win.”
The crowd looked unconvinced.
