Five coaches who make sense for USC to target to replace Lane Kiffin:
1. Chris Petersen, Boise State. Petersen has turned down the opportunity for other Bowl Championship Series Automatic Qualifying positions in the past, but none quite as lofty as USC. While his 2013 team as already played itself out of BCS contention, Petersen has had at least 10 wins in each of his seven full seasons at Boise State, with two undefeated seasons and two BCS appearances. He might be ready for another challenge.
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2. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M. Sumlin is the trendiest name in college football for the way in each he rapidly turned Texas A&M from a perennial underachiever into one of the hottest teams in the country – and doing so just as the program traded in the Big 12 for a spot in the SEC. Sumlin would hit all the marks for USC: He is a wonderful recruiter, handles himself well under a spotlight, has major-program experience and has the sort of offensive background that would fit well with the local talent.
3. Jack Del Rio, Denver Broncos. The former Jacksonville Jaguars coach has earned raves for his work as an assistant under John Fox with the Broncos, but what makes Del Rio a candidate is his time as an All-American linebacker at USC in the 1980s. Del Rio has the sort of familiarity with the program and the area not shared by Petersen and Sumlin, but he has one major flaw: Unlike the above pair, Del Rio has not spent one season as a college assistant, let alone a head coach.
4. Steve Sarkisian, Washington. Sarkisian's experience as a former USC assistant under Pete Carroll is at once a bonus and an impediment to him being named as Kiffin's successor. For one, Sarkisian was one of the engines behind the Trojans' dynastic run in the 2000s. On the other hand, the school might be wary of hiring another of Carroll's former offensive assistants. Unlike Kiffin, however, Sarkisian does have a very solid amount of prior experience as a coach on the FBS level.
5. James Franklin, Vanderbilt. Franklin would bring the sort of energy the program lacked under Kiffin's direction – and the sort of energy that was a hallmark of the great Carroll-coached teams of the last decade. But he's still only three years into his first coaching job on the FBS level, so Franklin might be a tough inexperienced for the university's liking. Franklin remains one of the more impressive young coaches in the country, so USC could make this hire looking at not just the next two or three seasons but the next decade.
Paul Myerberg, a national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter@PaulMyerberg.
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