IMHO Sunday: Effective immediately, now what?
In my humble opinion, cardinal and gold thoughts on what I see, what I hear, and what I think from Los Angeles:
Effective immediately: Yes, there it was in the statement put out, “effective immediately.” That’s what it said in the Mike Bohn resignation announcement. The athletic director was leaving USC athletics “effective immediately.” Chew on that for a moment and think about it. Mike Bohn had been on the USC AD job for just four years, the athletic department’s sports were on a major upper, and the move to the Big Ten was well underway with a lot of decisions still to be made between now and 2024 when the Trojans make the official transition to the Big Ten.
Effective immediately – Part 2: As you are well aware since Friday afternoon, Bohn initially cited his resignation as health considerations and wanting to spend time with his “treasured family.” However, it was hard to imagine a more unsatisfying answer than that given his lightening departure. What followed just hours later was wave after wave after wave of alleged investigated bombshells, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times, which disseminated multiple sources as saying that Bohn had grossly crossed the ethics and job performance line to put it mildly. It was the type of scandalous revelations that must of been USC president Dr. Carol Folt’s worst nightmare. After all, she hired Bohn and welcomed him to USC back in 2019 as a man of “integrity.”
Effective immediately – Part 3: Having been the focus of an onslaught of criticism during her first year at USC, this was the last thing Dr. Folt needed. Could her job be in jeopardy over the Bohn departure after the cascade of embarrassing information now directed to her and the university? When did she learn of Bohn’s alleged issues and why had they not been confronted earlier? Would Bohn have resigned or forced out had The Times not been in hot pursuit of the story?
Former USC athletic director Mike Bohn and USC president Dr. Carol Folt in happier days before Friday’s Bohn bombshell resignation.
(Photo above by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Effective immediately – Part 4: What first made no Friday afternoon sense at the time of the public release of Bohn’s resignation statement, soon made plenty of sunset sense by time the “effective immediately” disclosure completed its media rounds.
According to The Times as authored by USC beat writer Randy Kartje, “Bohn made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female colleagues, including remarks about their dress, hair and weight, that staff members said made them feel uncomfortable, according to two USC sources with knowledge of the incidents. They spoke on condition of anonymity fearing retaliation. They said Bohn’s comments left colleagues — especially women — feeling awkward. Three USC sources said several people confronted Bohn about comments they felt were inappropriate, but they continued.”
And it didn’t stop there.
“The Times spoke to six USC sources who raised concerns about his management of the department. Several described him as a poor manager who missed meetings he was expected to attend and was often absent from key events, including USC national championship victories.
And the hits just kept on coming.
“Multiple sources alleged employees left meetings with Bohn without direction and that he shied from difficult conversations. Two former USC coaches told The Times that Bohn’s leadership of the department was a primary reason they left.”
Then revelations surfaced from The Times that Bohn’s behavior while the AD at the University of Cincinnati was toxic and unacceptable towards women.
Had enough?
After an earlier investigation into the management of the athletic department by a private firm that deals in employee conduct, if all the alleged facts are true and no one is running to Bohn’s defense, no wonder USC president Dr. Carol Folt pushed the Mike Bohn “effective immediately” ejection button.
Whether you put The Times investigative story in the category of “alleged” or allegations, the fact remains that Mike Bohn resigned “effective immediately” and both parties are moving on – with or without a potential legal aftermath.
Former Trojans’ athletic director Mike Bohn will always be remembered for bringing Lincoln Riley to USC from Oklahoma.
(Photo above by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)
Effective immediately – Part 5: There were also credible reports that Mike Bohn did not attend last week’s Big Ten meetings. This, in hindsight, was very unusual considering the importance of USC to participate with their new conference. It sure gave off the impression of “why go to the Big Ten meetings if I am not going to be at USC in the very near future?” One starts putting the puzzle board of departure together and it’s hard to imagine Bohn didn’t sense much earlier that he would be leaving USC “effective immediately.”
Former Trojans’ athletic director Mike Bohn will also be remembered for transitioning USC from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten for 2024.
(Photo above by Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Effective immediately – Part 6: Despite the horrendous charges that led to his immediate dismissal, Mike Bohn leaves a USC athletic program/department “in far better shape than when he found it.” Say what you want about Bohn and his sometimes quirky, goofy, and odd way of expressing himself as though he was speaking through a megaphone while dispensing a giant scoop of hyperbole, he applied for the AD job when the USC athletic department was basically a combination clown car and dumpster fire all rolled into one. He leaves his job as a desirable job destination for interested candidates. The potential pool of athletic director candidates should be in fine supply this time around. Remember, when Mike Bohn was hired away from the University of Cincinnati by Dr. Carol Folt, he was not an upper tier candidate.
USC president Dr. Carol Folt (above) will now undertake her second experience in selecting a new Trojans’ athletic director.
Effective immediately – Part 7: It might be wise to file away quotes as the athletic director search begins. Let’s keep this Dr. Carol Folt statement at the ready in case it’s needed. Here’s the past, present, and future, according to the USC president:
“We will be announcing a transition team comprising both internal and external leaders in the coming days and will launch a national search for a new director of athletics shortly.
“Over the last four years, the USC athletics department has transformed into a national powerhouse. In our singular pursuit of excellence, I am committed to ensuring we have the right leadership in place to achieve our goals. 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.”
Effective immediately – Part 8: In Carol Folt’s statement above, you might want to concentrate on two key revelations that deserve scrutiny. First, the comment of “now is the time for a new direction.” If things were going so well, why a “new direction”? What was happening to have to go in a new direction? Obviously, we now know why. Secondly, the entire line reads a “new direction grounded in our values and in expertise needed to fulfill our aspirational vision for Trojans athletics.” Was Mike Bohn not executing the expectations or being counterproductive to “our values” and what are those values? Again, obviously, we now know why. And, BTW, what is the “aspirational vision” for Trojan athletes?
Effective immediately – Part 9: While USC and Dr. Carol Folt again go through the process of finding an athletic director, here are some names below that may be considered on the surface level:
Brandon Sosna– Detroit Lions
Brandon Sosna (above left), former USC athletics chief of staff and now with the Detroit Lions, helped orchestrate Lincoln Riley to USC.
(Photo above by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Dr. Magdi El-Shahway – University of Georgia
Dr. Magdi El-Shahawy, former respected USC athletic academic department administrator, now at the University of Georgia.
Patrick Chun – Current athletic director at Washington State
Patrick Chun, current Washington State athletic director previously worked 15 years at Ohio State, and is a previous USC AD candidate.
(Photo above courtesy of Washington State)
Mark Jackson – Current athletic director at Villanova University
Mark Jackson, a former USC football administrator under Pete Carroll and current athletic director at Villanova University.
Effective immediately – Part 10: So, while the bad news of the allegations against Mike Bohn has led to his resigning, the good news is that things are much better in potential terms of hiring a new and respected athletic director. There should be no shortage of good candidates this time around compared to four years ago. The next time we see “effective immediately” it should be the announcement regarding the naming of a new athletic director. Of course, all through the process, Dr. Carol Folt will also be under scrutiny. She can’t afford another miscalculation on the selection of the next USC athletic director. She has used up her “free square.” The cardinal and gold AD search countdown begins.
Summation: So, after a year of calm and celebration, so many reasons to be happy Trojans. Hopefully, this Bohn disaster will all go away in time, but I have some big concerns. Folt can’t mess this one up, can she? Many of you think that’s already a rhetorical question. A good hire can stem that tide or can it at this point?
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The Greg McElroy quotebook…
Greg McElroy
(Photo above by Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports)
On his “Always College Football Show,” former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said:
“I find USC’s program to be more intriguing, more interesting today than they’ve been at any point since 2008. That was the last year of the Pete Carroll era. Look, I know they had a couple of years where they were super successful there in the mid 2010s. They were really good, and they’ve had moments in the Sam Darnold year when they won the Rose Bowl, like they’ve done some good things, they’ve been relevant.
“But the commitment to college football that was made when they brought Lincoln Riley to USC from Oklahoma, to me, showcased that USC is tired of being an afterthought. Then they decided just a couple of months later, hey, we’re gonna go play in the Big Ten.”
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From the press box…
(Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
Nobody asked me…but: With a number of these alleged revelations of Mike Bohn going back to his days as the AD at Cincinnati, it doesn’t reflect well on USC and in terms of its vetting process. Once again, USC is in the middle of national attention but not in a good way.
Nobody asked me…but: I wonder what Lincoln Riley must be thinking right about now. The two main men that brought him to USC from Oklahoma, Mike Bohn and Brandon Sosna, are no longer Trojans but not for the same reasons.
USC Chief of Staff Brandon Sosna sitting to the left of USC head coach Lincoln Riley at a past USC basketball game.
(Photo above by Scott Schrader/WeAreSC/On3)
Nobody asked me…but: Does the departure of Mike Bohn and the allegations surrounding his resignation place him in nomination for a spot among the USC Athletic Directors’ Mount Rushmore of Scoundrels, thus joining Pat Haden and Lynn Swann?
Nobody asked me…but: Do ya think that Lincoln Riley will be consulted in any shape or form regarding the hiring of a new athletic director? Do you think that Washington DC is the capital of the United States?
Will Lincoln Riley have a say on Mike Bohn’s successor?
(Photo above by Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Nobody asked me…but: Do you think that Rick Caruso will have a say in the hiring of a new USC athletic director? Did he have a say in hiring Lincoln Riley?
Nobody asked me…but: Who would have thunk it that in less than two years both Clay Helton and Mike Bohn would no longer be part of USC athletics. Wonder if Gentleman Clay has an offensive analyst position open at Georgia Southern for Mike Bohn, given the now former USC athletic director was a backup QB at Kansas.
Might former Trojans head coach Clay Helton have an opening in staff for former Trojans’ AD Mike Bohn?
(Photo above by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Nobody asked me…but: Maybe it’s me, but it sure seems like USC under Lincoln Riley is recruiting Texas like never before. I am sure Steve Sarkisian of Texas and the others in the Lone Star State would vouch for that.
Nobody asked me…but: It would be human nature if Trojans true freshman quarterback Malachi Nelson, who participated in spring ball, breathed an inaudible sigh of relief that 5-star class of 2024 No. 1 prospect Dylan Raiola announced he was headed for Georgia. Malachi’s present challenge is to beat out sophomore Miller Moss in training camp to be the No. 2 guy behind Caleb Williams.
Do you think that Trojans true freshman quarterback Malachi Nelson is somewhat relieved that Dylan Raiola is headed for Georgia?
(Photo above courtesy of Malachi Nelson)
Nobody asked me…but: For those heading back to Chicago for the Notre Dame Weekender and are USC alumni, you might want to know that the USC alumni hotel is the Westin Michigan Avenue.
Nobody asked me…but: A source says that former Trojans Hall of Fame football coach John Robinson remains happy living in the Baton Rouge area and has no present plans to move back to his native California.
Nobody asked me…but: Are you aware that Notre Dame will open the 2023 season on Aug. 26 against Navy in Dublin, Ireland?
Notre Dame will open the 2023 against Navy in Dublin, Ireland.
(Photo above by Chad Weaver)
Nobody asked me…but: Speaking of the Irish, that’s quite a home schedule in 2023 when you host both Ohio State (Sept. 23) and USC (Oct.14) in the same season.
Nobody asked me…but: Former Trojans 2024 wide receiver commit Aaron Butler from local Calabasas High has made a new commitment to Colorado and Deion Sanders. Butler’s dad, Robb-Davon Butler, was an NFL teammate of Sanders with the Baltimore Ravens in 2005.
Nobody asked me…but: Those heralded additions to expanded television coverage of Pac-12 that include in-game head coach interviews and having select coaches and players wearing microphones during pregame activities, didn’t exactly knock my socks off, but then again while we’ve seen these additions at the NFL level, the happiest person for these changes is new Colorado head coach Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, who lives for this type of exposure.
Colorado coach Deion “Prime Time” Sanders will love to be interviewed live during a televised game.
(Photo above by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Nobody asked me…but: All these additional television changes, which pertain to ESPN, FOX Sports, and the Pac-12 Networks, won’t help conference ratings in 2023 and certainly won’t make a dent in the overall disaster that is the still unresolved issues of a Pac-12 television/streaming football contract in the future.
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The post-game show…
(Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)
Ceremonial DC first pitch: Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams threw out the first pitch at Saturday afternoon’s Washington Nationals game in DC (see below) and recently had his high school uniform and number retired in a special ceremony on the Gonzaga College Prep campus.
The Klatt man: In his revised 2023 Top 25 preseason rankings based after the conclusion of spring practices around the country, Fox’s college football lead analyst Joel Klatt sees it this way:
No. 25 – *UCLA
No. 24 – Texas Tech
No. 23 – Wisconsin
No. 22 – Iowa
No. 21 – North Carolina
No. 20 – Mississippi
No. 19 – Oklahoma
No. 18 – Kansas State
No. 17 – Texas
No. 16 – Oregon State
No. 15 – TCU
No. 14 – Clemson
No. 13 – *Notre Dame
No. 12 – *Oregon
No. 11 – *Utah
No. 10 – Tennessee
No. 9 – *Washington
No. 8 – Florida State
No. 7 – LSU
No. 6 – USC
No. 5 – Penn State
No. 4 – Alabama
No. 3 – Ohio State
No. 2 – Michigan
No. 1 – Georgia
* 2023 USC opponents
FOX college football analyst Joel Klatt has released his Top 25 post-spring practice national preview and the Trojans are No. 6.
(Photo above by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM )
The rankings game: In case you didn’t see it, On3 released its Top 100 college football players for 2023. Trojans listed include QB Caleb Williams (No.1), S Calen Bullock (No. 50), C Justin Dedich (No. 60), OT Jonah Monheim (No. 92), and WR Dorian Singer (No. 97). I know, you’re shocked that Caleb Williams was named the top college football player for 2023. Who knew?
Video games: It appears that EA Sports is getting ready to return to the college football video game competition and will take full advantage of players that will allow their name and image as part of their next release of a college football video game. Players will be paid some sort of compensation for their NIL participation, but players who do not agree to participate will have a generic avatar put in their place. You can bet that Caleb Williams will be part of the action one way or another.
Caleb Williams, an EA Sports video game cover candidate
(Photo above by Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports)
In the cards: With NIL moving into high gear, when will one of the trading card kingpins start production of college football cards? Of course, the actual release of college football cards would have to be timed to when the transfer dust has settled.
The appeal: In its desire to get more fans to purchase 2023 USC football season tickets, the ticket department sent out through its “Victory Mail” urging fans to become season ticket holders by underscoring “DON’T WATCH FROM HOME. Experience the excitement of the 2023 season in the stands!”
Collateral damage: It deserves more comment and space than a one paragraph blurb, but Covid, poor teams by USC standards, and administrative blundering in the past has placed Coliseum attendance in a continuous challenging position. Devoted fans, who were once a given to renew season tickets, found that staying at home and watching the games on television wasn’t so bad, and fans I know tell me over and over that they don’t miss the long drives to the Coliseum and the late kickoffs. In the end, many fans, especially the older folks, found the return to the Coli not worthy of the investment.
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The Call-in Show…
Caller No. 1: Mr. G, do you like football the way the game is played today at the college level compared to when you were younger?
Caller No. 1, I am still young! Seriously, the more the game changes, the more it stays the same. It’s still about blocking and tackling, running the ball with power, and having a potent passing game. The big difference is quarterbacks predominantly taking snaps from center out of the shotgun formation.
Caller No. 2, Greg, do you ever think that Reggie Bush will eventually get his Heisman Trophy back?
Caller No. 2, I think as long as he doesn’t appear to show much public remorse for the damage his family did to USC, it could be a longer wait than necessary. I do suspect that USC will honor Reggie winning the Heisman and putting his jersey up in the peristyle end of the Coliseum. He’ll be a Heisman winner without his trophy. I do think that the resignation of former athletic director Mike Bohn will probably slow the process of Bush getting his trophy back unless plans were already decided how to handle the Bush situation for the 2023 Trojans season.
Will Reggie Bush ever get his Heisman Trophy back?
(Photo above by Michael Cohen/WireImage)
Caller No. 3: GK, do you ever see more renovation work on the Coliseum in the future?
Caller No. 3, I think it’s possible with the Big Ten coming to town that perhaps enclosing the peristyle end to form a more bowl shape could bring back conversation. However, how would that affect potential big income from the likes of NASCAR racing and concerts remains to be seen.
Caller No. 4: Katzman, do you feel like sometimes you live too much in the USC football past and don’t relate to USC football of today?
Caller No. 4, no, not at all. I am grateful to have been privileged to have witnessed firsthand the John McKay era, John Robinson’s first national success with the Trojans, and then, of course, the remarkable Pete Carroll tenure. I think that such a long association with a college football program brings me perspective and really sets a high standard for USC to remain relevant into today’s game.
Trojans’ legendary head football coach John McKay
(Photo above by Rich Clarkson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Caller No. 5: Greger, we’re heading toward June, so any vacation plans before football training begins in late July.
Caller No. 5, a few things here and there. Can’t go to Disney World in the summer anymore because at this point in my life I can’t take the humidity and the heat. My girlfriend is celebrating a special birthday milestone in July, so I am told the family will be spending some celebration time up in Pismo Beach. Other than that, I will continue to go enjoy my Dodgers season tickets, although I am not a big fan of day games. However, before you know it, it’ll be time for the college football season.
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The last word…
For those that missed last Tuesday’s “Inside the Trojans’ Huddle”, panelists Marc Kulkin, Erik McKinney, Chris Arledge, and Greg Katz discussed the Dylan Raiola decision, Mater Dei and St. John Bosco and out-of-state recruiting, season tickets sales, rivalry games, viewers’ questions and panel answers, and more.
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