Blog

USC athletic director Mike Bohn suddenly resigned from his position Friday, effectively immediately. Bohn over the last four years has helped lead a turnaround for the Trojans, hiring head football coach Lincoln Riley and negotiating the program’s move from the Pac-12 to Big Ten beginning July 1, 2024.

Though Bohn cited health concerns as part of his departure, four former or current USC employees recently raised concerns about Bohn’s management during a recent top-to-bottom review of the athletic department conducted by an external firm, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Trojans retained Gina Maistro Smith, a Philadelphia-based attorney from Cozen O’Connor, to conduct that review.

“In our singular pursuit of excellence, I am committed to ensuring we have the right leadership in place to achieve our goals,” said USC president Carol L. Folt in a Friday statement. As part of that commitment and as we prepare to move to the Big Ten, we conducted a thorough review of the athletics department, including its operations, culture, and strategy. Having built a strong foundation over the last few years, now is the time for new direction grounded in our values and in expertise needed to fulfill our aspirational vision for Trojan athletics.”

Bohn leaves the USC job after previously departing from the same role at Cincinnati to take the job out West. His ability to poach Riley, the highly regarded Oklahoma coach, allowed him to put his stamp on the athletic department. He also played a significant role in USC and nearby rival UCLA departing the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, a move that will come to fruition in about 13 months.

“In moving on, it is important now that I focus on being present with my treasured family, addressing ongoing health…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Today is the last day that you’ll have woken up and there will be triple digits days left until college football fully returns.   Week Zero is highlighted by Notre Dame and Navy in Dublin, Ireland this year and it’s now just 100 days away.

We’ll be counting down the days until kickoff all summer long sometimes various and entirely random number connections throughout.

In honor of it being 100 days we thought a good way to mark the occasion would be to look back at Lou Holtz’s time at Notre Dame.

Why?  Well he did have 100 career wins as Notre Dame’s head football coach which trailed only Knute Rockne when he left the program following the 1996 season.

Holtz of course guided Notre Dame to the 1988 national championship and hopefully before too much longer he’ll not be the last coach to lead the Irish to a title.  We all know about the title but here are a handful of other notes from Holtz’s time at Notre Dame to look back on as we countdown the days to the season opener.

Best 5-6 team ever?

Jonathan Daniel /Allsport

Lou Holtz’s first game as Notre Dame’s head coach was a thriller at Notre Dame Stadium in which the Irish gave No. 3 Michigan everything they wanted and more in a 24-23 Wolverines victory.  Notre Dame would finish just 5-6 that year but five of those losses were by a combined 14 points.  A season ending upset at USC after trailing by three possessions helped set the tone for a return to prominence a year later.

1987 Turnaround and Tim Brown’s Heisman

Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to the electric Tim Brown, Notre Dame started the 1987 season with a bang by winning at Michigan and starting the year 8-1.  Brown ran away with the Heisman Trophy but the Irish faded down the stretch dropping their final two regular season games at Penn State and Miami before falling to Texas A&M in the…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Florida State and Clemson are among seven ACC schools examining the conference’s grant of rights agreement amid concerns over the league’s projected financial standing compared to other Power Five conferences, according to multiple reports. ACC spring meetings take place this week in Florida, marking the first time conference administrators have met collectively since Florida State athletic director Michael Alford, in February, called for changes to the league’s equal revenue sharing amid concerns of FSU’s ability to hold weight financially with Big Ten and SEC schools in wake of lucrative new media rights deals.

Action Network and Sports Illustrated are reporting Florida State, Clemson, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia and Virginia Tech as the seven schools that have met with legal teams in recent months to examine the league’s grant of rights. The ACC’s exclusive media rights deal with ESPN runs through 2036, several years after the conclusion of the deals that soon begin for the SEC and Big Ten. The SEC enters a 10-year media rights deal with ESPN worth $3 billion in 2024, while the Big Ten enters a seven-year deal with NBC, CBS and FOX worth more than $7 billion in total value beginning this season. 

Alford, speaking to the FSU board of trustees in February, voiced fears of FSU falling $30 million behind SEC and Big Ten schools annually in calling for the ACC to rethink its revenue sharing approach. The athletic directors at Clemson, Miami and North Carolina later echoed Alford’s concerns as college athletics continues to be rattled by realignment. A pair of historic rivals will be on the move to new homes in 2024 as Oklahoma and Texas leave the Big 12 for the SEC while USC and UCLA exit the Pac-12 for the Big…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Hoban offensive lineman William Satterwhite has released his top nine and there are some heavy hitters among his college football offers.

The most popular Greater Akron/Canton area standout has pared over 30 college football offers down to nine.

Hoban offensive lineman William Satterwhite saw his recruitment explode in the offseason. He went on numerous visits during spring break and talked to as many colleges as he could.

The 6-foot-3, 290-pound junior still intends to make his commitment before the high school football season starts.

Hoban football: Offensive lineman Sam Greer lands Ohio State offer despite never playing varsity

Hoban football: Ohio college football recruiting | Hoban’s William Satterwhite maps out unofficial visits

“It’s going to be more difficult to narrow it further down, but getting to the top nine is a lot of less stress on my side,” he said.

Here’s a look at the nine that made the cut:

A top nine wouldn’t be complete without including Alabama coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.

Satterwhite’s final nine wouldn’t be complete without one of the most storied coaches being in the mix.

The guard hit up Tuscaloosa on April 10 and Nick Saban answered any question there was.

“Being Alabama, they’ve been the best football school, the best in the south for many years,” Satterwhite said. “The pedigree Coach Saban has is unmatched.”

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze during the A-Day spring football game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, April 8, 2023.

Auburn was the fourth stop on his spring break tour.

He had a chance to see the Tigers in action on April 8 during their spring game.

“For an SEC school it isn’t too big, but it’s not too small,” Satterwhite said. “It’s the right size school for me. It’s just the program. Coach (Hugh) Freeze is a great guy….

..

[ad_2]

Read More