Haden on the preliminary plans for the Coliseum renovation...
The planning has really been several years in the making, researching a lot of different options and gathering ideas from thousands of our fans, alumni and support group members through surveys and focus groups. When USC took over the lease in 2013, it became clear that doing nothing was not an option given the state of the stadium. Our lease requires us to spend $70 million over 10 years, so instead of a patchwork approach, our priority became a renovation project that enhances the game day experience for all fans, creates a great home field advantage for our team, and restores and preserves the historic nature of the Coliseum. And of course, we plan to do this in a way that recognizes the loyalty of our long-term fans and provides plenty of affordable seating options.Haden on the initial response to the announcement of the preliminary plans...
The response has been generally positive. We have received a lot of interest in lead gift opportunities, so we are very optimistic about raising the funds for this project. We do recognize concerns that our fans have raised, mostly about seating. First and foremost, it is important to remind everyone that these are still preliminary plans. We are committed to recognizing the loyalty of all our season ticket holders. We are confident that all fans will benefit from this renovation, which includes new seats, handrails, more aisles and legroom, Wi-Fi connectivity and two new video boards plus enhanced audio. We really appreciate everyone's feedback, both pro and con, and we will continue to evaluate it as we work towards finalizing our plans.
Click here to learn more at ColiseumRenovation.com!
Haden on the football team's resurgence under interim head coach Clay Helton...
It has been terrific to watch the last few weeks. Beating Utah, the No. 3 team in the nation at the time and a physical opponent, by running the football and playing defense was really encouraging to me. And then, the coaching staff did a great job against Cal and Jared Goff, who will be a top pick in the NFL Draft. I loved how we were able to run the ball in the last three minutes of the game to secure the victory. Even though Clay Helton is known as an offensive guru, he has spent a lot of practice time with the defense. They feel his presence, and so they view him as a head coach instead of an offensive coordinator. The entire coaching staff has responded well in a challenging situation.
Haden previews men's and women's basketball...Year three under Andy Enfield, we have a full roster of Pac-12 caliber players. The conference is strong again with the usual targets at the top, but we should be much improved. I am looking forward to seeing a healthy Jordan McLaughlin and to watching our freshmen big men, Chimezie Metu and Bennie Boatwright, who have a lot of promise. On the women's side, Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has done a terrific job in recruiting to build this program. She is going to need her bigs to step up and play right away. We should be very competitive in the Pac-12 this season, playing a fun style of basketball.
Click here for men's and women's basketball ticket information.
Haden on women's soccer's best conference finish since 2007...
Keidane McAlpine (pictured) has done a tremendous job changing the attitude and effort of the program. This team is extremely well coached. They have had a sensational year and who knows how far they might go in the NCAA Tournament. We finish the regular season with a Crosstown Cup match at UCLA on Friday, and it would be great to get a win over the always-tough Bruins. I am incredibly impressed with what women's soccer has done this season.
