Craig Fertig (2001) - USC Athletics Hall of Fame

Craig Fertig

Induction:
2001
Class:
1964

Craig Fertig etched his name in USC lore as a quarterback, assistant coach, athletic department administrator and football television analyst. He set 8 USC passing records when he started in 1964 (he was Troy’s co-captain that year). He will long be remembered for throwing the winning touchdown pass to Rod Sherman in the final 2 minutes to lead USC back from a 17-point halftime deficit and upset unbeaten and top-ranked Notre Dame in 1964. A 3-year letterman (1962-64), he was a member of USC’s 1962 national championship team. He then served as a Trojan assistant coach to John McKay from 1965 to 1973 as USC won 2 national titles and made 6 Rose Bowl trips. He spent 1974 as an assistant with the Portland Storm of the World Football League, returned to USC as an assistant for the 1975 season, then was the head football coach at Oregon State from 1976 to 1979. After that, Fertig was the West Coast talent scout for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers until returning to USC as an assistant athletic director involved in fundraising from 1983 to 1990. Then he became assistant athletic director for development at UC Irvine. From 1992 to 2003, he was the analyst on FOX Sports Net West 2's cable broadcasts of Trojan football games, and also was a contributor on the network’s USC Sports Magazine Show. He died on Oct. 4, 2008, at age 66.