One thing that’s certain is that college sports are never lacking in drama. USC's announcement Monday that Washington Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian was hired to lead the school's beloved football team was met with shock for some, and with lukewarm excitement for others.
Interim coach Ed Orgeron had done a stand-out job as coach of the team, despite the team's loss to UCLA on Saturday, and many team members hoped he'd be given a shot at the big job. Orgeron abruptly quit when Sarkisian's hire was announced in the hunt for a head coaching job elsewhere.
What's behind the choice of Sarkisian? If the team would have won against UCLA on Saturday, would Orgeron have the job? How does Sarkisian's ties to USC factor into his hire? What obstacles and challenges does he face stepping into the current climate at USC's locker room?
Guest:
Gary Klein, USC Football beat writer for the L.A. Times
Andrew Zimbalist, Professor of Economics at Smith College and one of the country's top sports economists