USC Turns to Hackett

Paul Hackett, a onetime USC assistant who built a reputation as an offensive innovator in the NFL, will replace John Robinson as USC’s coach, numerous sources confirmed Tuesday.

The selection of Hackett, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, ends a strange interlude in which Robinson continued to work as coach even as USC searched for his successor.

Another unusual interlude may be about to begin, with Hackett expected to guide the Chief offense through the NFL playoffs even as USC goes into the teeth of recruiting season trying to recover from the damage done by Robinson’s departure.

Even Robinson’s actual departure is an issue: USC officials were trying to reach him Tuesday night to ask him to stay at the university in another capacity, a topic Athletic Director Mike Garrett and President Steven Sample had broached with him in recent weeks in case he didn’t stay on as coach.

Whether Robinson will want to do that is another question--as is whether he will want to appear at the news conference expected today to announce his firing as coach, as university officials were considering.

As late as 8 p.m., Robinson had not been told by USC that he was fired, saying “I only know through media reports.”

His contract, which runs through the 2001 season, includes a buyout clause worth close to $600,000.

Hackett, a Trojan assistant under Robinson from 1976-80 who has described USC as his “dream job” to friends, was busy in offensive meetings at the Chief offices until nearly midnight Tuesday and didn’t return phone calls.

He told a Kansas City Star reporter “I have no comment at all. . . . You want to talk about the Chiefs? We just won the [AFC West].”

The Chiefs, who are 12-3 and have clinched home-field advantage in the playoffs, would be hard-pressed to function without Hackett, who figures to be stretched thin working for the Chiefs’ Super Bowl hopes and the NCAA’s Feb. 4 signing date.

Robinson, who had been left dangling for more than three weeks while USC looked for his successor, realized he wouldn’t be back when he learned through coaching circles that Hackett met with USC counsel Bob Lane in Kansas City on Monday night.

Tuesday morning, he sent his coaching staff home and left Heritage Hall for the last time as coach. “He told us to get out of here and get on with our own deals,” one assistant said. “He came in and told us to go home. When people are back negotiating with somebody, something’s getting ready to happen.”

“He said it didn’t look good,” another member of the staff said. “He just went and did some Christmas shopping and figured somebody should give him a call if there’s going to be an announcement.”

Robinson had a 104-35-4 record in 12 seasons and two stints as coach, and won a national championship in 1978. But his record since replacing Larry Smith in 1993 was 37-21-2, and only 12-11 the past two seasons. USC finished 6-5 this season, beating Notre Dame for the second year in a row but losing to UCLA for the seventh year in a row.

Hackett, 50, might have become the USC coach in 1987 when Smith was hired, but withdrew from consideration because he was told he was in line as a member of the Dallas Cowboys’ staff to replace Tom Landry as coach. The sale of the team to Jerry Jones nixed that plan, however.

After leaving USC in 1980, Hackett coached for the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Cowboys.

Sometimes viewed as the type of technician who is a career assistant, Hackett has held only one head coaching job, at the University of Pittsburgh from 1990-92. He had a record of 13-20-1 before resigning under pressure with one game left in the 1992 season after a 57-13 loss to Penn State.

After that, he joined the Chiefs in 1993, and was soon reunited with Joe Montana, who left the 49ers for the Chiefs.

Hackett has a reputation for developing young quarterbacks--and USC has three in sophomore Mike Van Raaphorst and juniors John Fox and Quincy Woods.

It also will make an easy transition for USC’s offense, which included elements of the 49ers’ West Coast offense this season under offensive coordinator Hue Jackson.

Hackett would seem to need some help from the current staff with such a difficult transition because of his commitments to the Chiefs, and some sources speculate that Jackson, a notable recruiter, might remain. In addition, Hackett has ties to secondary coach Dennis Thurman, who played at USC when Hackett was an assistant, and receivers coach Mike Wilson, a former 49er.

In any case, one USC source who cited Hackett’s expertise and enthusiasm called him “a shot in the arm” for USC.

Times staff writers Bill Plaschke, Jason Reid and Lonnie White contributed to this story.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

OUT

* Age: 62

* Years as college head coach: 12

* First stint at USC (1976-82): 67-14-2 (.819)

* Second stint at USC (1993-97): 37-21-2 (.633)

* Overall college record: 104-35-4 (.741)

* Years as NFL head coach: 9

* Overall NFL record: 79-74 (.516)

* Overall coaching record: 183-109-4 (.625)

IN

* Age: 50

* Years as college head coach: 3

* Record at Pittsburgh (1990-92): 13-20-1 (.397)

* Years as college assistant coach: 12

* Number of colleges as assistant coach: 4

* USC record when he was assistant (‘76-80): 50-8-2 (.850)

* Years as NFL assistant coach: 13

* Number of NFL teams as assistant coach: 4