IMHO Sunday: David Baker should be a must candidate for USC athletic director
In my humble opinion, cardinal and gold thoughts on what I see, what I hear, and what I think from Los Angeles:
The Baker factor: Things have been pretty mum on potential athletic director candidates, and there have been virtually no leaks from the USC administration. However, here is a leak – from my brain – that should be considered when discussing potential candidates for the future AD position. I submit the name of David “Dave” Baker, the former President and CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
The Baker factor – Part 2: For some of you, Dave Baker is the larger-then-life fellow that was seen knocking on the doors of former NFL legends and welcoming them into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Baker is a big man, and just by his imposing size at 6-feet-9 and tipping the scales at an NFL lineman’s weight makes even some of those he informed who had made football’s biggest honor look dwarfed.
The Baker factor – Part 3: As a bit of background factor for Dave Baker, he was a distinguished power-forward basketball player at the University of California at Irvine and was the all-time leader in rebounding, which isn’t much of a surprise given his size. Even today, his name in the Anteaters basketball lore still resonates. Baker certainly knows college basketball, and he knows the workload of being a student-athlete.
David Baker
(Photo above by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The Baker factor – Part 4: Now, let’s get to the core of why Dave Baker should be considered a major candidate for the USC athletic director position. Besides the factor that Dave’s personality is embraced by everybody he meets, he “gets” the expectations of what being a Trojan is all about. He has seen it firsthand from the time his son was a star in cardinal and gold. Read on.
The Baker factor – Part 5: Baker’s qualifications are outstanding. He has worked at a law firm specializing in corporate mergers and acquisitions. Hmm, sounds perfect for somebody to guide the Trojans into its merger and acquisition into the Big Ten. He eventually became an owner of an Arena Football team and transitioned into the league’s commission for twelve years. From there, it was a successful seven-year run in Canton as the leader of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dave retired from that position in the Hall in 2021. He understands the dollars and cents game of sports.
David Baker(R) with Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis (L).
(Photo above by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
The Baker factor – Part 6: For the record and at last count, Dave has four children, 10 grandchildren, and a great-grandson. He is no stranger to being a family man with family values.
The Baker factor – Part 7: For USC fans, Dave Baker is the father of three-time USC All-America offensive tackle Sam Baker, who was a major cog in the Leinart-Bush offensive juggernauts under legendary Pete Carroll. Today, Sam is giving back after a career in the NFL by becoming a high school football coach.
Former All-America Trojans offensive tackle Sam Baker is the son of David Baker.
(Photo above by Jeff Golden/Getty Images)
The Baker factor – Part 8: There is one major question not yet answered, or at least publicly. Is this Babe Ruth look-a-like interested in the job as the next USC athletic director? He certainly knows football from an ownership position, an administrative level, and his background as a college basketball player certainly adds to his resume.
Summation: Obviously, I don’t have a vote in the matter of selecting the next USC AD, but I do have a voice on the subject. If I were Dr. Carol Folt, president of USC, and/or a member of the Board of Trustees, I would at least give Dave Baker an audience as a strong athletic department director candidate. He checks all the boxes for me, and I think for those decision-makers they would find Baker checks their boxes as well. Yes, he has never been an athletic director, but his resume more than offsets that from his sports and business background. Again, does Mr. Baker have interest in the job, and would USC have interest in exploring his potential hiring? At least check it out.
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The Trent Dilfer quotebook…
Trent Dilfer
Trent Dilfer, the current UAB head coach and one of the top evaluators of the quarterback position in the country who played QB in the NFL, served as an ESPN analyst, and was deeply involved in the Elite 11 quarterback camps had this to say about Trojans QB Caleb Williams:
“I can’t wait for the one scout that tries to tear him apart, like they did with Andrew Luck. Maybe—maybe—that Williams has a different type of personality is what gets picked at by NFL types. But that’s really just it. You have to reach to criticize a guy who became Lincoln Riley’s first true-freshman starting quarterback at Oklahoma, then transferred and became USC’s pied piper in winning the Heisman as a sophomore.”
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From the press box…
(Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
Nobody asked me…but: Could the linchpin and perhaps MVP of the Trojans’ defensive line in 2023 turn out to be Arizona transfer Kyon Barrs, who is about as strong as they come.
Nobody asked me…but: I wonder whether there will be a toll from all the celebrity activity in the “off-season” life of Caleb Williams. Will there be too much pressure on a weekly basis to affect the play of No. 13?
USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams throws a ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Washington Nationals and the Detroit Tigers at Nationals Park. (Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)
Nobody asked me…but: I am curious to see how heralded Trojans transfer defensive lineman Bear Alexander plays when the Trojans are heavy favorites over the likes of San Jose State and Nevada.
Nobody asked me…but: I am excited to find out once and for all when training camp begins the weight of linebacker Eric Gentry.
Nobody asked me…but: How long will it take before electric true freshman wide receiver Zach Branch explodes for an ESPN Sports Center highlight.
Could a Heisman Trophy be in the future for heralded USC freshman receiver Zachariah Branch?
Nobody asked me…but: I don’t what to make of the firing of Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald over alleged hazing violations other than his could be quite a legal war. As a player, Fitzgerald was a captain and All-America linebacker for the Wildcats in 1995 but did not play against USC in the 1996 Rose Bowl game because of a broken leg.
Nobody asked me…but: I have this uneasy feeling that the recruiting commitment month of July for the class of 2024 is going to be the antithesis of the fabulous recruiting commitment month of June.
Nobody asked me…but: If you’re looking for a hotel room to stay near or around the South Bend area for the USC at Notre Dame game on Oct. 14, you can basically forget about it.
A press box view of the University of Notre Dame.
(Photo above by Matt Cashore-Pool/Getty Images)
Nobody asked me…but: If the Trojans are going to be challenged in the weak first six games of 2023, some believe the Arizona Wildcats in the Coliseum could provide a scare.
Nobody asked me…but: The Trojans may be learning the hard way that getting a recruit out of East Texas is like trying to eat soup with a fork.
Nobody asked me…but: I miss the old Chicago College All-Stars Game, which pitted the defending NFL champions against senior College Football All-Americans at the old Soldier Field. Of course, because of money, contracts, and injury possibilities, such a game will never return, but it was sure fun while it lasted.
1970s “old” Soldier Field once home of the Chicago College All-Stars Football Game.
(Photo above by: GHI/Universal History Archive via Getty Images)
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The post-game show…
(Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)
House of linemen: On Friday, the USC collective House of Victory held a luncheon at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach (Calif.) and introduced “The Big Man Luncheon.” Based on an earlier highly successful gathering of “QB U”, which featured many of the generation’s great USC quarterbacks, the Big Man Luncheon event celebrated USC’s current offensive and defensive linemen as well as past USC linemen legends like Pro Football Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz.
Legendary USC Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Anthony Munoz (left) was at Friday’s House of Victory’s Big Man’s Luncheon.
House of linemen – Part 2: Current USC linemen that were expected to attend the Big Man Luncheon included: Justin Dedich, Jonah Monheim, Bear Alexander, Anthony Lucas, Jarrett Kingston, Michael Tarquin, Kyon Barrs, Jamil Muhammad, Emmanuel Pregnon, Jack Sullivan, Mason Murphy, and Elijah Paige.
House of Linemen – Part 3: The Big Man’s Luncheon featured Dave Baker, former President and CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and there was a Q&A led by former Trojans linemen greats Shaun Cody, Sam Baker, and Frostee Rucker. One hundred percent of the proceeds (tables $10,000, individual seats $1,500) went to support USC student-athletes NIL opportunities.
Shaun Cody was part of the Big Man Luncheon.
The horsehide option: It wasn’t exactly the NFL draft and watching a prospect twist in the wind round after round and eventually not being drafted, but in the end, the Trojans’ heralded two-sport football/baseball prospect Duce Robinson, who did not get drafted, figures to add USC baseball to his football playing career. That’s good news for both Lincoln Riley and Trojans’ second-year head baseball coach Andy Stankiewicz, both of whom will work together in guiding the Duce through his diverse collegiate athletic careers.
The horsehide option – Part 2: With Duce Robinson playing baseball for the Trojans, how will that affect the recruiting commitment decision of class of 2024 running back Taylor Tatum, No. 1 prep ballcarrier out of Longview, Texas? Tatum is deciding between USC and Oklahoma, and it has been reported that Tatum loves USC football but likes Oklahoma baseball. It figures that Duce Robinson will be talking with Taylor Tatum, who will make his commitment announcement this Friday, July 21, about joining him for both football and baseball at USC. It could be interesting.
Will Longview, Texas, running back Taylor Tatum, the nation’s No. 1 RB for class of 2024, announce this Friday for USC or Oklahoma?
The horsehide option – Part 3: I found it interesting that the Dodgers passed on Duce Robinson in basically their own backyard and used their last pick in the three-day draft to select Oregon State and former St. John Bosco high quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. As it were, D.J. was the 610th overall draft pick in the 20-round draft. The last time Uiagalelei threw a baseball as a pitcher was in high school. The former SJBHS star is expected to be the starting QB for Oregon State this fall after having played previously at Clemson. FYI, D.J.’s father, Dave, says that baseball was his son’s first love.
Media Day: Friday will be Pac-12 Football Media Day in Las Vegas, and I can’t wait to hear Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff give his opening State of the Pac-12 address on the state of the conference, media rights, and his vision of the conference’s future.
George Kliavkoff will address the media at this Friday’s Pac-12 Football Media Day in Las Vegas.
(Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
New logo: Attention Caleb Williams. The Heisman Trophy Trust revealed last week its new Heisman Memorial Trophy logo in preparation for the 2023 College Football season. The modernized logo aligns with the Trust’s “More Than A Trophy” campaign, which is designed to raise awareness of the Trust’s charitable initiatives outside of awarding the Heisman Memorial Trophy.
The new Heisman Trophy logo
In memory: The Trojans’ football family lost a great one with the recent passing of the great C.R. Roberts, who was a standout running back both at Troy and in the NFL. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of sitting next to C.R. at the inaugural JuJu Smith-Schuster Foundation dinner at the L.A. Biltmore Hotel, and he was just a great guy. Thoughts go out to his family, which were also sitting at the table during the JuJu dinner.
The Trojans lost a great one in running back C.R. Roberts, who recently passed.
(Photo above by Russell Lee /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (Set Number: X4130 TK2 R5 F9 )
In memory – Part 2: A great story about C.R. Roberts was passed on to me when he was at SC. It was the time when Roberts led USC to a 44–20 victory over Texas during the 1956 season. It was the first time a black player competed against a white player in the Lone Star State. C.R. rushed for 251 yards on just 12 carries and was cheered as he left the field. Prior to the game, however, the University of Texas did not want him to attend the game, but the USC players refused to play without him. He was shouted down and called the “N” word by some fans. Such a disgrace.
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The Call-in Show…
Caller No. 1: Grego, it sure seems that the USC NIL collective House of Victory has really moved up the charts in the NIL world. Agree?
Caller No. 1, absolutely. You know the old saying to put your money where your mouth is and thanks to both the USC business world and caring former student-athletes, Troy is now one of the charter members of a new group of NIL collectives from around the country.
Caller No. 2, Gregor, do you expect to see any major changes in the football program once training camp begins?
Caller No. 2, if you mean the way Lincoln Riley does practice, no, because if it ain’t broken, why fix it? I am sure that Riley will make some tweaks here and there both on and off the field, but I am not expecting anything drastic.
The Trojans are less than two weeks away from starting training camp.
(Photo above by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
Caller No. 3: Katzman, I am panicking that I can’t find a hotel room in the South Bend area for our game at Notre Dame. What the hell can I do now?
Caller No. 3, well, I said a while ago to make your South Bend area reservations, but that ship has sailed. I would suggest staying in Chicago and hopping aboard one of the many fan charter buses that will take you from Chicago to Notre Dame for the game. The good news is that you don’t have to drive home but let the bus take you back. You can always take a train to South Bend and then take a transfer to the campus.
Caller No. 4: G-dog, what makes recruiting so different on the national stage than it was decades ago?
Caller No.4, the biggest change, IMHO, is that so many of these great high school players that are on spring and summer 7-on-7 travel teams go everywhere around the country to compete. These teams visit Southern California a number of times in a two-year cycle and are very educated on what other parts of the country and these colleges look like even before the so-called official visit. The real question is whether they want to leave the comfort of where they presently live or return to a place they have visited no matter the distance.
Recruiting has dramatically changed in the past 20 years in part due to traveling 7-on-7 pass league teams.
(Photo above by Erik McKinney/WeAreSC)
Caller No. 5: Greg, swimming pool, jacuzzi, or the beach?
Caller No. 5, that’s a complicated one. First, although I live close to Newport Beach, I don’t really like going to the beach during the daytime. I prefer going to the beach at night. A swimming pool on vacation is somewhat appealing but at night. I think a jacuzzi at my age seems the most relaxing, especially on a warm night. A crowded public pool is not my cup of tea.
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The Last Word…
In last Tuesday’s edition of Inside the Trojans’ Huddle, panelists Marc Kulkin, Chris Arledge, Bruce Bagni, and Greg Katz gave their evaluation of last week’s recruiting update, Alabama’s recruiting muscle in Southern California, more historical Big Ten football program reflections, and viewers’ questions and panel answers.
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