Tedford connected to USC job; Chip Kelly says ‘no’ to interest

By John TaylorOct 3, 2013, 1:57 PM EDT

It took maybe a nanosecond after Lane Kiffin was fired as USC’s head coach for rumors of a replacement to begin, even as a hire likely won’t be made until shortly after the end of the regular season at the earliest.

The rumor mill goes 24/7/365, though, so the speculation continues unabated.

The latest name to be connected to the vacancy is Jeff Tedford. According to FOXSports.com, USC approached the former Cal head coach shortly after Kiffin’s dismissal with an offer to serve as an offensive consultant and recruiter. The offer, the source told the website, came with the suggestion that Tedford would then be considered when it came time to name Kiffin’s replacement.

Tedford reportedly declined the opportunity, but made sure the school knew he wanted to be considered for the job.

In November of last year, Tedford was fired as Cal’s head coach after 11 seasons. While he had a respectable 82-57 record overall with the Bears, a 15-22 mark the last three years of his tenure led to his demise.

In other USC-related coaching rumors, Chip Kelly is one of those who has been mentioned as a possibility. The thinking goes that Kelly is in over his head as a head coach in the NFL — Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles are currently 1-3 — and will decide to head back to the college game following the 2013 season.

Thanks to NCAA sanctions slapped on his former program at Oregon, Kelly has an 18-month show-cause that will follow him for the rest of whatever collegiate coaching career he has remaining. While such a penalty doesn’t preclude anyone from hiring him, it might make a school like USC, coming off their own NCAA sanctions, shy away from such a candidate.

That, though, hasn’t stopped the speculation connecting Kelly to the Trojans. Kelly was asked by a member of the media about the USC job Thursday and Kelly responded that he “doesn’t deal with hypotheticals.” When pressed about rumors, Kelly said “no” when asked if he’d entertain an offer from the school if it came to him.

“I’m the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles,” Kelly said. “I’m very, very excited to be here.”

Speaking of former UO head coaches, Mike Bellotti, who was rumored to have been a candidate the last time the USC job came open, told The Oregonian‘s John Canzano that he would not be interested in the opening this time around. When Canzano continued the line of questioning, Bellotti allowed that, if USC “somehow figure[s] out how to make my wife happy,” he would consider it. In other words, he won’t consider, although it’s highly doubtful the university would even given him the opportunity to do such a thing.

However, Bellotti did have a suggestion for athletic director Pat Haden.

“If they could somehow get Chris Petersen it would be the greatest get in the world,” the former coach said of Boise State’s current head coach, who is among the betting favorites to land the job even as it’s highly unlikely he leaves the Broncos.

Utah State player upgraded to fair condition after collapse

Associated PressMar 25, 2023, 1:50 AM EDT

Stephen Lew/Getty Images

Utah State redshirt freshman wide receiver Josh Davis is in fair condition on Friday, one day after collapsing at spring football practice following sudden cardiac arrest, the university announced.

Davis, initially was listed in critical condition, was breathing on his own. He is in the intensive-care unit at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

Davis’ parents arrived in Utah on Thursday evening.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Davis, who is from Carlsbad, California, collapsed at Merlin Olsen Field and was immediately treated by the training staff, the university said. He was taken to Logan Regional Hospital.

The university said Davis was stabilized in the Logan hospital before being moved to Ogden.

Alabama suspends freshman defensive back after drug arrest

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 10:32 PM EDT

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell has been suspended from the team following his arrest on a drug charge.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Monday after the first practice of spring that Mitchell was suspended from the team “and all team activities until we gather more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is.”

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mitchell and another man, Christophere Lewis, last week on a charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Lewis also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.

“Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions,” Saban said. “There’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’ve gotta be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around and what you do, who you associate yourself with and the situations that you put yourself in. It is what it is, but there is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a five-star prospect rated the 34th-best player and No. 3 safety in the 247Composite rankings.

Mitchell was driving the vehicle during a traffic stop. After deputies smelled marijuana, Mitchell picked up a baggie of marijuana from the passenger floorboard, according to the department’s Facebook post.

Sheriff’s deputies found “an additional significant amount of marijuana, a set of scales, a loaded handgun between the passenger seat and center console, and a large amount of cash,” according to the department’s Facebook post.