The Validation of the Good Doctor - Sort of

Today Deadspin brings us up to date on the USC hiring of Kevin O'Neill as their next head basketball coach. Personally I think its a great hire if you're looking for a coach who will win 17 games a year and be working somewhere else in 2012, but that's just me. Don't go pre-ordering those NCAA Championship hats yet Trojan fans.

The point of the Deadspin post was USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett's hiring record, which he defended in the press conference announcing O'Neil. As the L.A. Times points out, despite Garrett's assertions to the contrary, his record isn't something you want to shout from the hill tops, but does include the hiring of Pete Carroll.

Syracuse fans are all too familiar with Athletic Director Daryl Gross' claims he played a large part in bringing Pete to LA. While we all acknowledge he must have had some role in the hiring, with the Good Doctor, it's always a little tough to figure out what's fact and what's hyperbole. However, the Times story today does indeed give him a lot of credit for the hiring saying:

"Garrett eventually hired Carroll, but only after the coach lobbied hard to get the job -- with help from senior associate athletic director Daryl Gross. Garrett swung and missed at Dennis Erickson, Mike Riley and perhaps even Mike Bellotti before turning to Carroll."

So while the Good Doctor did indeed help bring Carroll to LA, by association he also had a hand in many of Garrett's other failures which are noted in the article above. It also goes without saying he brought Greg Robinson, a one man, program killing wrecking ball to Syracuse......so they sort of cancel each other out.

While we're here, what is it with athletic directors from Southern California and the use of the word "I" anyway?

In speaking about O'Neil, Garrett said - "Kevin was my first choice because when I started talking to him, he's the one that I wanted to have. He's the guy who fit what I needed." Way to work in the needs of the school there Mikey boy.

We know Daryl likes to make hiring coaches about him as well. Must be a Southern California thing.