President-elect C.L. Max Nikias announced today that Pat Haden is set to become the seventh athletic director in the history of the University of Southern California.
While August 3rd will be his official first day on the job, Haden's place in USC football history is already secure before he takes his post overseeing the entire athletic department.
After a Hall of Fame (class of '95) prep career at Bishop Amat in La Puente, CA, Haden led USC to three Rose Bowls and two national championships.
The signal-caller closed his college career in style with a co-MVP performance in the 1975 "Granddaddy of Them All". Down 17-10 with two minutes to go against Ohio State, Haden hit his most reliable target, J.K. McKay, on a 36-yard touchdown pass. Coolness personified, Haden completed the comeback when he picked out Shelton Diggs in the back of the end zone for the winning two-point conversion.
While Haden's gridiron exploits are the stuff of Trojan legend, he really set himself apart in the classroom.
Haden was a two-time Academic All-American and he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from USC.
He was not nearly done on or off the field.
He began his professional career in the World Football League, so he could attend prestigious Oxford University and complete his Rhodes Scholarship, the esteemed international postgraduate award.
Back across the pond, Haden rededicated himself to football. He led the Los Angeles Rams to three consecutive NFC West titles, despite having to fight for his position every step of the way.
He retired from professional football in 1981 and immediately went back down the cerebral path, picking up a Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School.
Amidst a successful business career, Haden dipped back into his football knowledge as a TV network color-commentator.
All the while, he's been an integral part of the Trojan family. He's served on the Board of Trustees since 1991, although he'll resign the post with his new appointment.
As the story of his life and career continues to swing back and forth between athletic adventure and scholastic achievement, Haden is now in the nexus of the two.
If the current Trojans are looking for a scholar-athlete model, they only need to look to the top.
Here is a 2007 interview (with recently added highlight footage) conducted by Pete Arbogast with new AD Pat Haden:
While August 3rd will be his official first day on the job, Haden's place in USC football history is already secure before he takes his post overseeing the entire athletic department.
After a Hall of Fame (class of '95) prep career at Bishop Amat in La Puente, CA, Haden led USC to three Rose Bowls and two national championships.
The signal-caller closed his college career in style with a co-MVP performance in the 1975 "Granddaddy of Them All". Down 17-10 with two minutes to go against Ohio State, Haden hit his most reliable target, J.K. McKay, on a 36-yard touchdown pass. Coolness personified, Haden completed the comeback when he picked out Shelton Diggs in the back of the end zone for the winning two-point conversion.
While Haden's gridiron exploits are the stuff of Trojan legend, he really set himself apart in the classroom.
Haden was a two-time Academic All-American and he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from USC.
He was not nearly done on or off the field.
He began his professional career in the World Football League, so he could attend prestigious Oxford University and complete his Rhodes Scholarship, the esteemed international postgraduate award.
Back across the pond, Haden rededicated himself to football. He led the Los Angeles Rams to three consecutive NFC West titles, despite having to fight for his position every step of the way.
He retired from professional football in 1981 and immediately went back down the cerebral path, picking up a Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School.
Amidst a successful business career, Haden dipped back into his football knowledge as a TV network color-commentator.
All the while, he's been an integral part of the Trojan family. He's served on the Board of Trustees since 1991, although he'll resign the post with his new appointment.
As the story of his life and career continues to swing back and forth between athletic adventure and scholastic achievement, Haden is now in the nexus of the two.
If the current Trojans are looking for a scholar-athlete model, they only need to look to the top.
Here is a 2007 interview (with recently added highlight footage) conducted by Pete Arbogast with new AD Pat Haden:
It would be hard to conceive of a better choice for AD. Pat is very articulate, intelligent and friendly, knows sports (two-time NCAA champion!), handles the press and public situations very well and truly loves USC! He has been a major leader for SC academically and with SC's business affairs leading the Board of Trustees. I cannot think of a better person for the role of AD and a better person to lead us through these troubled times!
I've been a supporter of Garrett, not because of his words as there is no defense, but because of his record during his tenure and his record as an athlete performing in the service of USC. I believe we have won more NCAA championships overall than any other school in the country during Garrett's 17 years as AD. It is unfortunate that he is not an articulate individual. As the leader of our sports programs I feel he has done well overall.
The NCAA sanctions were for reasons that for the most part were out of control for anyone in his position. He did not deal with them well publicly and that is most unfortunate. Although the compliance department was anything but a department under Garrett the key problems did occur 200 miles away. I don’t believe any compliance department could know what happens in a player’s parent’s home between the parents and their high school friends who have no history with athletes. It just isn’t reasonable to expect.
As for OJ Mayo, Floyd was ordered by the compliance not to go the direction he did, which he continued to pursue behind everyone’s back according to what I’ve read.
It was very concerning to say the least that even after the NCAA investigation initiated Garrett did nothing substantial to change the gross understaffing of the compliance department.
I, for one, do wish Mr. Garrett the very best and want to thank him for all of his tireless work to help USC athletics to be successful.
Congrats to the new athletic director. I remember the cries of "Pat Hayden to JK McKay in the end zone. TOUCHDOWN USC!" Those were good years.
I have nothing against Garrett; and from the spread of the NCAA investigations, it sounds as though SC may have company in the penalty box.
But I am sure responsibilities and changes have to come from the top.
As a lifelong Trojan, I'm willing to take my lumps, even though it hurts. But I want a fair, clean slate, and believe everyone should be judged by the same standards.
My advice to Hayden? Hire a team mom; have her check up on all the families, and be available to the families when questions come up. No, not a coach, but certainly somebody who would help the university maintain compliance, follow the rules, and I bet you a team mom would be an asset in recruiting, too.
After all, though they may not admit it, I bet many of our Trojans consulted their mom first and foremost when making SC their school of choice. Who could relate to that better than another mom?
Anyway, just a thought. Glad to have Pat back on campus in the AD chair. I think he's in a perfect position to help us return to our glory days.
I would like to complain again about not being able to watch usc football on tv, Direct TV wants to charge me $45.00 per game, while I was able to buy the NBA league pass for 179.00 for all the games. USC is going to lose a lot of local support because of the greedy decision upon the Pac 12's part and especially because of the simplex communication style you offer.