With No Offer, Riley Wavering

A bout of indecisiveness by USC officials over the last 24 hours threatens to dramatically alter their search for a new football coach.

The leading candidate for the job, San Diego Charger Coach Mike Riley, is expected to walk into a critical meeting with team President Dean Spanos today without an offer from the university, sources said.

That could seriously hamper Riley’s ability to negotiate an exit from the remaining three years of his contract with San Diego.

Furthermore, as the days have dragged on without an official offer, Riley is said to be growing more and more concerned about uprooting his family, and perhaps more determined to stick with a Charger team whose players have openly expressed their hopes that he stay.

USC’s position remains something of a mystery if only because Athletic Director Mike Garrett and other administrators have kept quiet about their intentions.

Their hesitancy in offering Riley a contract could stem from the fact that they have failed in bids to hire two other coaches--Oregon State Coach Dennis Erickson and Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti. They may not want to risk another offer on a man whose boss, Spanos, has the final say.

With many high-profile coaches taking jobs or signing extensions in the last two weeks, this turn of events could push the Trojan opening into a completely new territory.

Executives around the NFL wondered if Pete Carroll, the former coach of the New England Patriots and New York Jets, might make the jump from courtesy interview to the inside track.

And USC officials, who apparently got wind of Riley’s wavering Friday, are thought to be taking a second look at Sonny Lubick, the Colorado State coach who has a groundswell of support among alumni but said he has yet to be officially interviewed.

Lubick has said he is intrigued by the job but has also stated that he is content at Colorado State, where he has built a successful program.

It was only a day ago that Carroll and Lubick appeared to be afterthoughts. Though USC was reportedly looking at several prospects, Riley was considered the focus of the search.

And Riley was not shy about voicing his strong feelings for USC, where he was an assistant in the mid-1990s.

But he is also known to be a family man, devoted to his wife and children. He has told confidantes that he harbors great concern about moving his family from San Diego.

In the last two days, he has also spoken publicly about wanting to finish what he started with the Chargers.

The team went 8-8 in his first season and has stumbled to a 1-12 record this fall. Still, Riley has maintained strong support among his players and the media.

Charger management, meanwhile, has steadfastly said it will not discuss his job status until after the season ends with a Dec. 24 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It is not entirely clear where Spanos stands on all of this. The executive has been away from his team the last few days, leaving other officials to do his talking.

Is he determined to keep Riley in San Diego? Is he inclined to let his coach go free?

With Spanos meeting Riley today in Baltimore--where the Chargers play the Ravens on Sunday--it is the Trojans who are left waiting for an answer.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

On USC’s List?

PETE CARROLL FILE

Carroll coached for four seasons in the NFL but has been out of coaching since 1977:

* COLLEGE: Assistant coach--Arkansas (1977), Iowa State (1978), Ohio State (1979) North Carolina State (1980-1982), Pacific (1983).

* NFL ASSISTANT: Defensive backs coach, Minnesota Vikings (1985-1989), defensive coordinator, New York Jets (1990-93), defensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers (1995-1996).

HEAD COACH IN NFL

*--*

YEAR TEAM RECORD 1994 N.Y. Jets 6-10 1995 New England 10-6 1996 New England 9-7 1997 New England 8-8 Total 33-31

*--*

SONNY LUBICK FILE

* Colorado State (1993-present): 66-29.

* Montana State (1978-1981): 21-19

* Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year: 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000 (shared with Nevada Las Vegas’ John Robinson)

* MWC Titles: 1994, 1995 (tied), 1997, 1999, 2000