It is "time to evaluate" the status of USC AD Pat Haden after football coach Steve Sarkisian was forced to take a "leave of absence to seek treatment," according to George Schroeder of USA TODAY. Haden "contributed to the spectacle," as he "either didn’t recognize the magnitude of the problem or declined to deal with it in August, when Sarkisian made that intoxicated, profane appearance" at a booster function. Schroeder: "Either way, this debacle is on Haden. When the dust settles and temporary almost certainly turns into permanent for Sarkisian, it might be time to ask Haden to leave, too, for the latest in a series of high-profile missteps" (USA TODAY, 10/12). CBSSPORTS.com's Dennis Dodd wrote USC football "will recover," but he is "not sure" about Haden's reputation. Haden "had a chance to end this," as he could have told Sarkisian "to take a leave of absence back in August." Now, Haden is "left with uncertainty about his coach, his program and perhaps his own future" (CBSSPORTS.com, 10/11). FOXSPORTS.com's Bruce Feldman cited sources, including several boosters, as saying that they were "angry about how Haden has handled things." To some inside USC, the August incident "wasn’t taken seriously enough by Haden." One source said, "What has Pat Haden done since he’s been there? You have all these unbelievable resources and history, and it’s a group of people in charge that doesn’t know what they’re doing. ... Instead of (Haden and Sarkisian) addressing the issue appropriately (in August), they let him skirt the issue" (FOXSPORTS.com, 10/11). ESPN’s Ted Miller said, "The question going forward for USC, for the powers that be, for the school president, for the boosters -- does Pat Haden lead the leadership transition here? Is he the guy in charge to move USC forward to its 2016 season?” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 10/12).
CLASS DISMISSED: In L.A., Bill Plaschke writes it is "far too late to save the reputation of the USC athletic department, which, in this instance, valued its image and its results more than the welfare of its students and employees." Plaschke: "Shame on [Haden] for waiting this long to give Sarkisian help, and shame on USC President Max Nikias for allowing him to wait." This is "about leadership," and it is "time to acknowledge that the Trojans' athletic department has none." By allowing Sarkisian's illness to "fester for seven weeks in full view of his players, tearing down a man while tearing up a season, Haden was derelict in his duties." Moving forward, it is "difficult to see how Haden can continue to be trusted to run the USC athletic department" (L.A. TIMES, 10/12). YAHOO SPORTS' Pat Forde wrote the college sports industry agreed that Haden "would lend some class to a place that had lost a lot of it" in the wake of former AD Mike Garrett's "tone-deaf leadership." But a "high-class guy has been immersed in a low-rent succession of issues and embarrassments ever since." Instead of "stabilizing USC, it has become immersed in turmoil on Haden's watch." Forde: "It may be time for a complete reboot at USC, with an eye toward bringing in fresh ideas from the outside instead of recycling its past" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/11).
THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB? BLEACHER REPORT's Bryan Fischer noted Haden has "indicated privately to many around the school and to boosters that he intends to stick around in his current role for several more years," with the biggest reason being the "large-scale renovation of the L.A. Memorial Coliseum." The school is "required to put up" at least $100M in renovations according to the terms of their lease, and "most estimates point to a number five to 10 times that." Fischer: "Haden will be at the center of the fundraising effort, but will there be enough boosters confident in his leadership to sign a check? That seems doubtful without significant changes being made" (BLEACHERREPORT.com, 10/11).
