Fans Vote Pete Carroll Greatest Coach in USC History
Aubrey Kragen
9/1/2020
It's no secret that USC has produced some of the greatest athletes in the history of sports. But while they were at USC, those athletes were guided by some legendary coaches. We asked our fans to name the greatest coaches in the history of USC Athletics, and these three rose to the top.
1. Pete Carroll (Football, 2001-09)
Carroll reigned over what some call the Golden Age of USC football.
During his nine seasons as head coach, Carroll racked up a record of 83-18 (82.2%), which included one 34-game winning streak and two national championships (2003 and 2004).
His list of accomplishments is seemingly never-ending.
He led USC to seven straight AP Top 4 finishes and 33 straight weeks as the AP No. 1 team. Under Carroll, USC won five Pac-10 titles and went to five BCS bowl games. Carroll also led USC to an NCAA-record 63 straight 20-point games. He produced 25 first team All-Americans, 53 NFL Draft picks and two Heisman Trophy winners (QBs Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart).
He was inducted into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
2. John McKay (Football, 1960-75)
In his 16 years as head coach, McKay led USC to four national championships (1962, 1967, 1972, 1974) and racked up a record of 127-40-8 (74.9%). He is the winningest head coach in the history of USC football.
Under McKay, the Trojans had three undefeated seasons, won nine conference titles and went to eight Rose Bowls.
McKay produced 40 All-Americans and two Heisman Trophy winners (RBs Mike Garrett and O.J. Simpson). Some of his other notable players include Lynn Swann, Pat Haden and Ron Yary.
McKay was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994. USC's main football facility bears his name and a statue of him stands out front.
McKay passed away on June 10, 2001, at the age of 77.
3. Rod Dedeaux (Baseball, 1942-86)
Dedeaux's impact on USC is nearly impossible to summarize.
He spent 45 seasons at the helm of the baseball program, amassing a record of 1,332-571-11 (69.9%). Dedeaux led USC to 28 conference championships and 11 national championships (1948, 1958, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978).
USC's 11 titles rank No. 1 in college baseball history.
USC's five straight titles from 1970-74 are also an NCAA record, as no other school has won more than two in a row.
Dedeaux coached baseball greats such as Tom Seaver, Fred Lynn, Mark McGwire and Randy Johnson.
In 1974, USC renamed its baseball stadium “Dedeaux Field” in the coach's honor.
Dedeaux retired as the winningest coach in college baseball history.
He was an inaugural member of the USC Athletics Hall of fame (1994) and the College Baseball Hall of Fame (2006).
Dedeaux passed away on Dec. 2, 2006, at the age of 91.
