Chow May Have Tennessee Offer

USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow interviewed Friday for a similar post with the Tennessee Titans and may be considering an offer of about $1 million a year.

Chow, 58, met in Nashville with Coach Jeff Fisher, quarterback Steve McNair and other members of the Titans’ organization before returning to Los Angeles Friday night.

Asked if he received an offer, Chow told television station WSMV-4 of Nashville: “The process is still going. I hope to hear from [Fisher] soon, and we’ll go from there.”

Fisher, who played at USC, has been eyeing Chow for weeks but held off serious discussions as the Trojans completed recruiting, which culminated Wednesday with another top class on national signing day.

Fisher interviewed two Titan staff members for the vacant position on Thursday: assistant head coach George Henshaw and quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson. In a statement, the Titan coach said his meeting with Chow was “productive.”

Chow, who has never coached in the NFL, is reportedly Fisher’s top choice.

Chow joined USC’s staff in 2001, shortly after Carroll was hired to replace Paul Hackett. Chow helped the Trojans win three bowl championship series bowl games, consecutive national titles and tutored Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.

Chow is one of the highest-paid assistants in college football and has more than two years left on a contract that pays about $500,000 a year. He interviewed in December for Stanford’s head coaching position but lost out to Walt Harris.

Several NFL teams contacted Chow informally last month after USC won its second consecutive national title with a resounding victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

Chow would replace Mike Heimerdinger, who was offered about $800,000 to remain with the Titans before he left to become offensive coordinator for the New York Jets.

Asked by the Nashville television station if he was intrigued by the NFL, Chow said: “It’s the ultimate in football. It’s really challenging. It would be awfully exciting to be a part of it.”

Sources said Chow decided to interview with the Titans because Carroll might restructure the Trojan staff.

Defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, who also was assistant head coach, left to become Mississippi’s coach. Dennis Slutak, a graduate assistant who worked with special teams, joined Orgeron’s staff in a full-time capacity. Carl Smith, who coached Trojan quarterbacks last season, was hired as the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars last month.

The Miami Dolphins offered a job Friday to offensive line coach Tim Davis, and Carroll wants to make graduate assistant Ken Norton a full-time staff member.

“There’s nothing there that’s negative,” Davis said of the Dolphins after his return from Miami. “It would be hard to leave these kids [at USC]. I love these kids. That’s what’s going on in my mind right now.”

If Chow were to leave, receivers coach Lane Kiffin could become offensive coordinator, or Kiffin could share the title with Steve Sarkisian, who played for Chow at Brigham Young and coached USC quarterbacks for two seasons before joining the Oakland Raider staff last season. Carroll, however, would be expected to take a larger role in the offense.