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At USC, it was no rest for the week

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Pete Carroll buttoned his jacket, straightened his cardinal-colored tie, clipped on a microphone and settled into a seat on ESPN’s “GameDay” set.

It was Jan. 7, the day of the Bowl Championship Series title game between No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Texas.

USC’s telegenic coach, winner of two national titles and the leader of perhaps the decade’s most high-profile college football program, was at the Rose Bowl to provide guest commentary, his Trojans having finished a disappointing season two weeks earlier at the Emerald Bowl.

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For the first time in eight seasons, USC had fallen short of a BCS bowl appearance and the multimillion-dollar payout that goes with it. Carroll, his hair matted by rain and his pants and shoes caked with mud, had appeared drained in the aftermath of his team’s victory over Boston College at San Francisco’s AT&T Park.

Now, as Alabama fans in the Rose Bowl stands shouted his name, a relaxed-looking Carroll laughed, sat up in his chair and put a hand to his ear, playfully baiting them to bring more.

A few hours later, confetti covering the turf after an Alabama victory, Carroll walked off the set, the college football season officially ended.

But for USC, it was just the beginning of perhaps the most tumultuous week in the history of Trojans football.

Farewell Friday

Carroll’s unexpected departure for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and Lane Kiffin’s surprising return to USC in his mentor’s place rocked college and pro football.

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But plenty happened in between, leaving even casual fans dizzy.

The chain of events started about an hour before Carroll went on the air that Thursday at the Rose Bowl, when Trojans quarterback Aaron Corp announced he was transferring to Richmond. Corp’s quiet exit was only a temblor.

On Friday morning, tailback Joe McKnight announced he was leaving for the NFL.

The junior, a 1,000-yard rusher in his first season as a starter, had been held out of the Emerald Bowl by USC after compliance officials began investigating his use of a sport utility vehicle that was owned by a Santa Monica businessman.

USC was already in the midst of an NCAA investigation into its athletic program dating to 2004. It centered on 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush’s time with the Trojans and also included former basketball star O.J. Mayo’s short stay at USC.

Later in the day, receiver Damian Williams announced he was turning pro.

But all of that was background noise amid reports that Carroll had met with Seahawks officials earlier in the week and was close to reaching an agreement that would send him back to the pro ranks, ending perhaps the most successful run in Trojans history.

Meanwhile, Carroll relaxed with family and friends in Hermosa Beach and then hit the surf on a stand-up paddleboard.

Search Saturday

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USC officials did not wait for an official announcement. Not with recruits at an all-star game in Texas telling a national television audience they were hedging on their commitment to the Trojans.

Nine years earlier, Athletic Director Mike Garrett had targeted Mike Riley to replace the fired Paul Hackett and wound up with Pete Carroll instead.

In retrospect, of course, Riley’s inability to escape from the San Diego Chargers set USC on course for an unprecedented string of success on the field and at the bank. In the 2008-09 school year, USC’s athletic department generated $80 million in revenue, largely because of Carroll’s football team.

Now, with Carroll on the brink of returning to the NFL, money was not going to be an issue in the search for a new coach.

Once again USC targeted Riley, a former Trojans assistant in his second stint at Oregon State. His teams had upset top-five USC teams twice in the last four years.

But by the time USC contacted Riley, Oregon State already was putting together what amounted to a lifetime contract for the 56-year-old Corvallis native.

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So Riley told USC no.

“I basically said I really appreciate it, but I like where I’m at and what I’m doing and I can’t and wouldn’t want to leave Oregon State,” Riley said later in a conference call with reporters.

Confirmation Sunday

Although fans and the NCAA want to think otherwise, most top college football players -- at USC and elsewhere -- consider themselves commodities.

At USC, their goal is to join the 14 first-round draft picks and dozens of other former Trojans whom Carroll has sent to the NFL.

When they arrive as freshmen, most are overwhelmed to a degree by the demands on their bodies and their minds as they attempt to navigate college life and the commitment necessary to succeed in major-college football. By the time they are sophomores, their attitudes are hardened by older teammates and they count the days until they are eligible to begin earning an NFL paycheck.

So when linebacker Chris Galippo received a text message from a staff member confirming that Carroll was going to the Seahawks, he did not get misty.

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The Seahawks were going to pay Carroll nearly $33 million over five years.

“It’s a business,” Galippo said, a phrase echoed by teammates when asked their reaction to Carroll’s decision.

“If someone was going to pay me that much money,” tailback Marc Tyler said, “I’d go too.”

The only formality left was the signing.

Manic Monday

As he did during previous flirtations with NFL teams, the usually accessible Carroll cut off nearly all communication with reporters.

Phone and text messages went unreturned as his agent worked out the details of his new Seahawks contract.

But at 1:22 a.m., a reporter’s telephone buzzed.

“You’re not asleep?” Carroll asked, chuckling.

“I haven’t slept in three days because of you,” was the reply.

During a 15-minute conversation, Carroll spoke of his time at USC and the opportunity to return to the NFL with control of the football operation, an issue he always maintained undercut his efforts with the New York Jets and the New England Patriots.

“This is as close as it gets,” he said.

Later that morning, Carroll signed the deal with the Seahawks. During an unusual farewell news conference at Heritage Hall, he looked more fit and energized than at any time since January 2009 -- before quarterback Mark Sanchez sent him spiraling with his announcement that he was leaving for the NFL.

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Carroll reiterated that he was not leaving because of the specter of NCAA sanctions or a strained relationship with Garrett.

Meanwhile, USC began turning its attention to Knoxville, Tenn.

Tennessee Tuesday

NFL coaches Jeff Fisher and Jack Del Rio, both former USC players, were regarded by many as potential candidates to replace Carroll.

But leaving the NFL, and NFL money, for a college job seemed unlikely. Neither publicly expressed interest nor took himself out of consideration.

So when the Jacksonville Jaguars moved to retain Del Rio, the rumor mill began heating up again with names such as Jon Gruden and Steve Mariucci.

Both are unemployed NFL coaches with dynamic personalities that serve them well in broadcasting. Both seemed to have personas big enough to replace Carroll.

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But Garrett was looking for a more immediate connection to the Trojans’ recent glory days.

Washington Coach Steve Sarkisian, a former USC assistant, seemed a viable candidate. But USC had missed an opportunity a year ago to keep him in the fold, a la deals put in place by Texas and Oregon, by failing to guarantee that he would be Carroll’s successor.

Kiffin, who had left USC after the 2006 season to coach the Oakland Raiders, had just finished his first star-crossed season at Tennessee.

Garrett did not mind Kiffin’s 12-21 record as a head coach and was satisfied that a string of NCAA secondary violations committed by Tennessee under Kiffin’s watch did not portend trouble. Garrett envisioned Carroll’s protege leading a Trojans staff that would include father Monte Kiffin, a longtime NFL defensive coordinator, and defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron -- both of whom were in Knoxville.

After Kiffin was hired, Garrett was asked during an office interview if he would have hired him if Kiffin was not bringing his father and Orgeron, and possibly adding Norm Chow.

“Lane Kiffin is the primary reason, and the secondary reason is that he could probably bring a good staff,” he said.

Kiffin, of course, accepted the opportunity to take what he called his “dream job.”

Then all hell broke loose in Knoxville.

Welcome Wednesday

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At Heritage Hall, a room packed with reporters, camera operators, USC staff and current and former players heated up while awaiting Kiffin’s arrival for an introductory news conference.

It got hotter once Kiffin arrived. He was hit with a barrage of questions about his controversial time at Tennessee and his plans for leading the Trojans.

Afterward, a reporter greeted Kiffin outside Heritage Hall and recalled a 2007 exchange.

“I remember you talking to me about that Minnesota job,” the reporter said.

“So do I,” Kiffin said.

Kiffin was an ambitious young offensive coordinator, looking to move up, and he spoke of his interest to interview for the vacant head coaching job at Minnesota.

Within weeks, after Sarkisian had turned down an opportunity to coach the Oakland Raiders, Kiffin was hired by Al Davis to coach the team.

Davis fired Kiffin a quarter of the way into his second season, the coach landing at Tennessee 14 months ago.

Now, here he was standing in a similar spot, the former Trojans assistant having landed his third head coaching job in four years.

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At age 34.

No thanks Thursday

It’s not about the money.

It’s easy to scoff at any coach or athlete who utters that phrase, but in the case of UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow, it was hard to discount.

Because even if you believe that everyone has his price, it seemed unlikely that Chow would ever agree to coach under Kiffin.

Or that Kiffin would make anything more than a cursory effort to pursue the coach who preceded him as USC’s offensive coordinator.

Carroll had nudged Chow to the NFL after the 2004 national championship season by proposing a reduction in his responsibility and an increase in Kiffin’s.

Nevertheless, Chow’s imminent hiring by USC was reported shortly after Kiffin was confirmed as Carroll’s successor. That remote possibility ended when UCLA assured Chow he would receive a contract extension.

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So, in a way, Kiffin has helped enrich Chow twice.

In 2005, Chow left USC for a nearly $1-million salary with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

Now Garrett’s desire for a return to the glory days could not have come at a more opportune time for Chow, in the final year of his contract at UCLA.

During his short stay at Tennessee, Kiffin gained a reputation for brash statements.

So it was difficult to interpret his intended tone when he reacted to Chow’s decision in a prepared statement.

Along with saying how the USC family would always be grateful for Chow’s years of service, Kiffin ended by saying, “I’m sure he’ll continue to have great success across town.”

Weekend wrap

With national signing day less than three weeks away, Kiffin and his small staff today are wrapping up an important official visit by several top recruits.

Recruiting will remain the focus through coming weeks as Kiffin also works to complete his staff.

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On Friday, after his first team meeting, Kiffin compared his USC homecoming with his first days on the job at Tennessee. “This is a very easy transition,” he said.

Whether it will be an easy change -- for USC players and fans -- remains to be seen.

But it does not figure to be boring.

As Kiffin said during his news conference: “We don’t need to go out and grab attention, because we have it.”

If there was any doubt, last week’s upheaval ensured it.

gary.klein@latimes.com

twitter.com/latimesklein

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