BLOG: USC Head Coaching Search - 10 Names to Watch

USC head football coach Lane Kiffin was fired early Sunday morning, leaving an open spot at Troy. Coach Ed Orgeron has been named the interim head coach in the meantime, but athletic director Pat Haden will soon have to fill that void. Here are a few options that could be taking things over for the cardinal and gold.

Trojan Connections

Jack Del Rio: The linesmakers have quickly placed the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator as odds-on favorite after leading the Jacksonville Jaguars for nine seasons. Del Rio was an All-American linebacker at USC but will not be the choice if the program is looking for a new head coach sooner than January.

Jeff Fisher: The USC alum has almost two decades of NFL head coaching experience. Problem is, Fisher is currently in his second year coaching the St. Louis Rams, continuing a near-unmatched pro pedigree.

Steve Sarkisian: Bark for Sark! Like Kiffin, he was assistant coach and offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll and is now having success in charge at University of Washington. Sarkisian did not graduate from 'SC but played baseball for the Trojans before transferring schools.

Other Current College Head Coaches

Kevin Sumlin: Texas A&M's head coach will be near the top of USC's list, according to a source to CBS Sports' Bruce Feldman. We trust Bruce more than any other writer in this coaching search. Sumlin was a star at University of Houston and is now helping A&M successfully navigate its leap to the SEC and Johnny Manziel drama. If you want Texas recruits, he can get you Texas recruits.

James Franklin: Described as the "hot name" of USC boosters by ESPN's Arash Markazi, Franklin is a sharp offensive mind who has turned Vanderbilt from a laughingstock into a winner.

Chris Petersen: His name always comes up when high-profile college jobs become vacant. But the reason Petersen is now in his 8th season at Boise State is that he turns down those jobs every time. What's so different about USC?

Pat Fitzgerald: A still-young 38-year-old has led downtrodden Northwestern to five straight bowl games, completely turning the his alma mater around. Like Petersen, his name gets thrown into head coach rumors just out of habit.

Kliff Kingsbury: One of college football's youngest head coaches, it feels like the 33-year-old was just recently playing quarterback at Texas Tech. As an assistant, Kingsbury helped turn Case Keenum and Manziel into top-notch quarterbacks. But it would take a lot to grab him in the middle of Kingsbury's first season in charge of his alma mater.

Outside The Box

Herm Edwards: The longtime NFL head coach has been mentioned a few times by ESPN, where he works. That makes us think Edwards has told ESPN to drum up some public interest him as a head coach, even if it's not at USC.

Ron Rivera: The California native is currently head coach for the Carolina Panthers, but could be on the chopping block soon. There are few pro coaches with better defensive aptitude than Rivera.