It’s Three and Out for Hackett

USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett has decided to fire football Coach Paul Hackett, sources confirmed Sunday.

Garrett and Hackett have discussed the situation, sources said, and the university will make an announcement as early as today.

The third-year coach could not be reached for comment. Garrett, who spent the afternoon at a women’s basketball game, insisted he was still considering the matter.

“I want to protect everyone’s interests--the football team, the coaches, the alumni--and make the right decision,” he said.

But sources said that, as early as last week, the athletic director had whittled a list of potential replacements down to two names.

Among the coaches perhaps being considered are: Dennis Erickson of Oregon State, Barry Alvarez of Wisconsin, Randy Walker of Northwestern and Norv Turner of the Washington Redskins.

With no official word coming out of Heritage Hall, Hackett technically survived another day despite previous reports in newspapers and on television that had him being fired either last week or Sunday.

Once the announcement is made, he will be paid $800,000--his salary for next season--as a buyout for the two years remaining on his five-year contract. He will become the fourth USC coach fired since 1986, joining Ted Tollner, Larry Smith and John Robinson.

In the previous six decades, the university fired only one coach: Jeff Cravath, who had a record of 54-28-8 and was let go in 1950.

Hackett’s record over three seasons at USC was 19-18.

His hiring in December 1997 marked a triumphant return--he had been an assistant during the glory years of the late 1970s, when USC won a national championship and three Rose Bowls.

There was a short stint at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a disappointing 13-20-1. Still, he was heralded as an offensive guru, a longtime NFL assistant who had coached the likes of Joe Montana and Danny White.

His first USC team, in 1998, finished 8-5 but was upset by Texas Christian in the Sun Bowl. Things only got worse from there.

Last season, with quarterback Carson Palmer injured, the Trojans lost five games in a row and slipped to 6-6. This fall, they started with three consecutive victories and a No. 8 ranking before hitting another five-game slump.

The team finished 5-7, tied for last place in the Pacific 10 Conference, the first time that had happened to USC.

Hackett’s supporters have argued that he faced unrealistic expectations, fans believing the Trojans could contend for a conference championship, if not a national championship. Yet Hackett helped create those expectations before the season.

“In the third year of a program, when you’ve had a chance to bring in a couple of classes to be the underpinnings of your team, you ought to be able to show a significant jump in performance,” he said.

“We’ve had an opportunity to do some groundwork for two years. We were disappointed in our won-loss record last year but we’re ready to make a significant jump.”

By season’s end, Hackett was sounding a different note, talking about a team that could not overcome its penchant for turnovers and inconsistent special teams play.

He spoke recently of an offense that had sophomores at quarterback, tailback and receiver. He spoke of a defensive secondary weakened by injury and inexperience.

“It was too ambitious,” he said of his preseason optimism. “These are the things you calculate as a coach. You think you can overcome them. Sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t.”

How much of the slide was his fault?

Some players, such as Palmer, have been especially vocal in their support of Hackett. Others have not.

“A lot of guys want him back,” receiver Kareem Kelly said. “There’s also a lot of guys who don’t care.”

Hackett cannot be blamed for the Trojans’ youth and perhaps he had little control over the turnovers. Certainly he succeeded in keeping the team playing with tenacity and emotion through difficult stretches, guiding them to a victory over rival UCLA.

But he never seemed to get a handle on dealing with special teams, changing practice routines and strategies right up to the final weeks. And there were other issues.

Numerous times during the season, the coaches signaled plays to Palmer too late, forcing him to waste a timeout or causing the offense to be penalized for delay of game. One such penalty, in a loss to Oregon State, nullified a crucial touchdown pass.

There was also play-calling that elicited boos from the fans, instances when the Trojans seemed to have the momentum but chose to play it safe, running instead of passing, punting instead of gambling on fourth down.

Garrett, though obviously unhappy with the mounting losses, kept his public statements to a minimum over the course of the season. He has been quiet in recent days, perhaps wanting to avoid the bizarre interlude that marked his previous coaching change.

The athletic director was roundly criticized for the way he handled the firing of Robinson in December 1997.

For more than three weeks, Robinson was left dangling, still coaching while the university searched for a replacement. Ultimately, he complained about learning of his dismissal through the media and coming home to a message from Garrett on his answering machine.

About a month passed before before Hackett--then the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs--finished with the NFL playoffs and arrived on campus.

Now, with Hackett on his way out, it remained uncertain how long it will be before Garrett announces the hiring of a new coach.

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The Prospectives

Possible replacements for the soon-to-be vacant USC football coaching job:

DENNIS ERICKSON

* CURRENTLY: Second season as Oregon State coach; 17-6 record .

* PRO: Two national titles at Miami and a historic season for the Beavers.

* CON: Miami team hit with severe NCAA penalties the season after he left.

BARRY ALVAREZ

* CURRENTLY: 11th season as Wisconsin coach; 77-48-4 record.

* PRO: A proven winner with balanced offense and tough defense.

* CON: Is he too much of a ground-oriented coach for pass-happy Pac-10?

RANDY WALKER

* CURRENTLY: Second season as Northwestern coach; 11-11 record.

* PRO: Rebuilt a program that slipped badly when Gary Barnett left for Colorado.

* CON: Riding high after a 3-8 first season, is he a one-year wonder?

DENNIS FRANCHIONE

* CURRENTLY: Third season as Texas Christian coach; 25-10 record.

* PRO: Inherited a 1-10 team, now taking the Horned Frogs to third consecutive bowl.

* CON: Linked to Arizona State job; TCU has offered $1 million-plus to keep him.

TERRY BOWDEN

* CURRENTLY: Television analyst; 47-16-1 record as Auburn coach.

* PRO: Another coach that plenty of schools would love to hire.

* CON: Turned down West Virginia job, saying he’s happy on television.

SONNY LUBICK

* CURRENTLY: Eighth season as Colorado State coach; 57-27 record.

* PRO: Took a nothing program with no facilities and turned it into a winner.

* CON: At 63, is he too old to stick around USC for more than a few years?

MARK RICHT

* CURRENTLY: Florida State offensive coordinator, no head-coaching experience.

* PRO: Oversees one of the most high-powered college offenses of the 1990s.

* CON: USC might hesitate to hire someone with no head-coaching experience.

MIKE STOOPS

* CURRENTLY: Oklahoma offensive coordinator, no head-coaching experience.

* PRO: USC had a shot at his brother, Bob, who now has Oklahoma at No. 1.

* CON: Again, will Garrett choose a coach who has never held the reins?

NORV TURNER

* CURRENTLY: Seventh season as Washington Redskin coach; 49-58-1 record.

* PRO: An experienced head coach with USC ties, rumored to be on his way out of D.C.

* CON: An offensive guru who sometimes struggles making decisions as top man--sound familiar?

MIKE RILEY

* CURRENTLY: Second season as San Diego Charger coach; 9-19 record.

* PRO: A former USC assistant, he laid the groundwork for Erickson’s Oregon State success.

* CON: Riley has never had a winning season, college or pro, as a head coach.

*

SURVIVORS

With Paul Hackett about to be fired,

a look at the Pacific 10 coaches with ranking by tenure:

WASHINGTON STATE: MIKE PRICE

1989, 63-73

OREGON: MIKE BELLOTTI

1995, 47-22

STANFORD: TYRONE WILLINGHAM

1995, 35-33-1

UCLA: BOB TOLEDO

1996, 35-22-0

CALIFORNIA: TOM HOLMOE

1997, 15-29

OREGON STATE: DENNIS ERICKSON

1999, 17-5

WASHINGTON: RICK NEUHEISEL

1999, 17-6

USC, Arizona and Arizona State positions are vacant.

*

COVERAGE

Blame the Bosses

USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett and UCLA’s Peter Dalis made poor decisions, Chris Dufresne writes. D2