Four days after USC Coach Mark Trakh was ousted, the fallout has begun: junior standout Cassie Harberts of San Clemente, CA has rescinded the verbal committment she made to the university just a few weeks ago. She said she will begin her college search anew:
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncw/recruiting/tracker/school?schoolId=30&season=2009&page=briefingroom&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncw%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fschool%3fschoolId%3d30%26season%3d2009%26page%3dbriefingroom
“We hoped he was going to stay,” Dorothy Harberts said, “and when we found out it was very upsetting.”
A reliable source told me that Tuesday’s meeting between the five-year coach and at least two Trojan athletic directors turned into a shouting match. The ADs reportedly told Trakh they wanted nothing less than a national championship from him, and they were willing to give him a one-year contract in which to accomplish that. Trakh turned it down.
Regardless of varying opinions on whether or not Trakh is an effective coach, who could reasonably expect anyone to deliver a national championship in just one year? Who do the USC athletic directors have in mind for a replacement? And how does Christina Marinacci and other recruits feel who have already signed on the dotted line?
What a mess.