USC fires Lane Kiffin, brings on Ed Orgeron as interim coach

Southern California fired football coach Lane Kiffin early Sunday morning, ending the coach's career there just before the Trojans lost 62-41 against Arizona State.

The team has hired former Mississippi coach Ed Orgeron as interim while the athletics department begins the search for a new head coach.

Kiffin was able to recruit top-ranked players to the school, but was unable to utilize that talent as coach and barely broke .500.

He lost to Georgia Tech, which was under .500 at the time, in the Sun Bowl, and several columnists were surprised that Kiffin did not lose his job then.

USC gave him five games this season. The losing streak continued, and the school announced his termination on its website following Saturday's staggering loss against Arizona State in which USC allowed 62 points.

The firing took place at a 3 a.m. meeting in the Trojans' private airport terminal, after which Kiffin was not allowed to ride on the team bus to return from the airport.

Lane Kiffin's record as head coach is 40-35, counting two seasons with the Raiders. Apart from a single 10-2 season at Southern Cal, he's under .500.

His short time in Knoxville was riddled with controversy -- nearly a scandal a week -- and showed no change at USC. Last year, it was revealed that ball boys for Southern Cal were deflating game balls to give their team a competitive advantage.

The team showed up late for a Sun Bowl dinner in El Paso, offending bowl officials and Georgia Tech alike. The Trojans got into a fight in the locker room following the game. This season, losses and all, has been no different.

Kiffin lasted long past his expiration date, as his team had long since checked out on him.