Coaches Corner

A look at USC football coaches through the years.

* HENRY H. GODDARD and FRANK H. SUFFEL (1888, 2-0)--They began USC football, organizing the Methodists--later to be the Trojans--and beat Alliance AC twice, once in a vacant lot. They retired undefeated, and USC occasionally fielded coachless teams until 1897.

* LEWIS FREEMAN (1897, 5-1)--His only loss came against San Diego YMCA.

* CLAIR S. TAPPAAN (1901, 0-1-1)--The loss came against Pomona, 6-0.

* JOHN WALKER (1903, 4-2)--Beat Los Angeles High, 10-0, when its team left the field in protest over an official’s call.

* HARVEY HOLMES (1904-07, 19-5-3)--Went outside Southern California for the first time, losing, 16-0, at Stanford in 1905. That season Holmes played in a game against USC, for the Harvard School, which was shy a few players. Holmes coached the winners, played for the losers, 12-0.

* WILLIAM I. TRAEGER (1908, 3-1-1)--Victory over Occidental, 14-0, was the 50th of the USC program.

* DEAN B. CROMWELL (1909-10, 1916-18, 21-8-6)--After going 10-1-3 in his first tenure, USC dropped football and picked up rugby for three seasons.

* RALPH GLAZE (1914-15, 7-7)--Coached the first Trojan game outside California, losing, 38-6, to Oregon State at Tacoma, Wash.

* ELMER C. (GLOOMY GUS) HENDERSON (1919-24, 45-7)--Put USC on the football map, taking the Trojans to their first Rose Bowl in 1922; beating Pomona, 23-7, in the first game in the Coliseum. Was also accused of under-the-table dealings by Stanford and California, which broke off relations briefly. The accusations came even though USC had no recruiting budget. He was the first Trojan coach fired, after a 9-2 season, when alumni were upset because he couldn’t beat California, the West’s dominant team. He was 0-4 against Cal.

* HOWARD JONES (1925-40, 121-36-13)--Began USC’s series with Notre Dame in 1926 with a 13-12 loss at the Coliseum and won the Trojans’ first national championship in 1928, declining a Rose Bowl berth that season. Carried a 27-game unbeaten streak through national championships in 1931 and ’32 but fell on hard times from 1934 through 1937. He came back to win Rose Bowls in 1938 and ‘39--to be 5-0 in Rose Bowl games. He died after 1940 season, in which he went 3-4-2.

* SAM BARRY (1941, 2-6-1)--Beat only Oregon State and Washington State and tied UCLA.

* JEFF CRAVATH (1942-50, 54-28-8--He played for Jones and was the first alumnus to coach USC. He introduced the T-formation to USC and took the Trojans to the first of three consecutive Rose Bowl appearances in his second season. He added another in 1947, but was fired in 1950 after a 2-5-2 season in which he beat Notre Dame, 9-7.

* JESS HILL (1951-56, 45-17-1)--Was brought from the track team, which he coached, and lost to Notre Dame, 19-12, in the first Trojan game to be telecast nationally. Had 2-4 records against UCLA and Notre Dame. He became athletic director in 1957 and remained on the job until 1972.

* DON CLARK (1957-59, 13-16-1)--Had a 1-9 record in 1957 and failed to beat either UCLA or Notre Dame in his three seasons.

* JOHN McKAY (1960-75, 127-40-8)--Was 10-5-1 against UCLA and 8-6-2 against Notre Dame, putting Trojans in the Rose Bowl eight times, including four in a row. Won national championships in 1962, 1967, 1972 and 1974. He left after 1975 to become the first coach of the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.

* JOHN ROBINSON (1976-82, 67-14-2)--Continued in McKay’s tradition by beating UCLA and Notre Dame, then beating Michigan in the Rose Bowl in his first season. He won a national championship in 1978. Was 6-1 against Notre Dame, 5-2 against UCLA before leaving USC to coach the Rams.

* TED TOLLNER (1983-86, 26-20-1)--Struggled in his first season, going 4-6-1 and being beaten by Washington, 24-0, in USC’s first shutout in 187 games. Went to the Rose Bowl, beating Ohio State, 20-17, in his second year, but seasons of 6-6 (1985) and 7-5 (1986) were his undoing. He was fired before losing to Auburn, 16-7, in the 1987 Citrus Bowl.

* LARRY SMITH (1987-92, 44-25-2)--Went 0-6 against Notre Dame and 3-2-1 against UCLA. He lost, 24-7, to Fresno State in the Freedom Bowl on Tuesday night.