State of Troy: December 2017
December 19, 2017 | Football, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
Each month, we sit down with USC athletic director Lynn Swann to get his take on the hot topics around Heritage Hall.
Swann on USC football's Pac-12 championship…
Our first goal is to win the Pac-12. For Clay Helton, his staff and the players, it is one more step up to where they eventually want to be. None of our players had won a Pac-12 championship, so now they have their taste of it. For our seniors, it was a realization of finally getting there. But for our freshmen, it's what they should be accustomed to, and we build on top of that, and we teach the next group coming in.
Swann on the Cotton Bowl matchup with Ohio State…
They have always been important games. I played them twice in the Rose Bowl when I was on the team here. They are a good football team with excellent talent and an excellent coach to go along with great history and tradition. We will play them hard. Last year's Rose Bowl turned out to be one of the better games that we played all season long, and we still could've played better. I have yet to see this team play a perfect ball game yet. This would be a good time to have it.
Swann on the future of USC women's volleyball…
I think this is a good time for a transition. Mick Haley has been extraordinary in terms of developing this team and what he's done over the last 17 years. I am confident we will hire an outstanding coach who sees the talent we have and build on top of that. That's why I say the future is strong. We can build for the next decade and have as good or greater success than we've had in the past.
Swann on men's basketball's start to the season…
I like the way they played the last couple of games. I was there for both of them. Bennie Boatwright seemed to find his shot against Santa Clara. And while he missed the last game, Jordan McLaughlin stepped up with a remarkable game. I'll take 19 assists from him any day. We have shot much better from the outside. Andy Enfield has done a good job in terms of playing all three big men and discovering some other things that this team can do. It will make them stronger as they head into conference play.
Swann on women's basketball's start to the season…
Mark Trakh has done a tremendous job. Mark was a known quantity when he was here and when he was at New Mexico. He does a very good job of training the women to be basketball players. He improves their skills and provides a structure that gives the team direction. They lost a tough one by a point at the end to Texas A&M, but they played strong. I look for them to really have a good season this year. Even in the loss, they should come away with more confidence about their ability to play.
Swann's holiday message for the athletic department…
The holidays are about being with your family and celebrating success. Enjoy the downtime and get recharged. We had a wonderful fall semester. January will get busy in a hurry. We have a lot more to do. We have the Coliseum groundbreaking coming up, and we are still fundraising for that renovation project. We have plans to raise money for a new track and field complex. There is lots to get done on and off the field and we are anticipating more.
Our first goal is to win the Pac-12. For Clay Helton, his staff and the players, it is one more step up to where they eventually want to be. None of our players had won a Pac-12 championship, so now they have their taste of it. For our seniors, it was a realization of finally getting there. But for our freshmen, it's what they should be accustomed to, and we build on top of that, and we teach the next group coming in.Swann on the Cotton Bowl matchup with Ohio State…
They have always been important games. I played them twice in the Rose Bowl when I was on the team here. They are a good football team with excellent talent and an excellent coach to go along with great history and tradition. We will play them hard. Last year's Rose Bowl turned out to be one of the better games that we played all season long, and we still could've played better. I have yet to see this team play a perfect ball game yet. This would be a good time to have it.
Swann on the future of USC women's volleyball…
I think this is a good time for a transition. Mick Haley has been extraordinary in terms of developing this team and what he's done over the last 17 years. I am confident we will hire an outstanding coach who sees the talent we have and build on top of that. That's why I say the future is strong. We can build for the next decade and have as good or greater success than we've had in the past.
Swann on men's basketball's start to the season…
I like the way they played the last couple of games. I was there for both of them. Bennie Boatwright seemed to find his shot against Santa Clara. And while he missed the last game, Jordan McLaughlin stepped up with a remarkable game. I'll take 19 assists from him any day. We have shot much better from the outside. Andy Enfield has done a good job in terms of playing all three big men and discovering some other things that this team can do. It will make them stronger as they head into conference play.
Swann on women's basketball's start to the season…
Mark Trakh has done a tremendous job. Mark was a known quantity when he was here and when he was at New Mexico. He does a very good job of training the women to be basketball players. He improves their skills and provides a structure that gives the team direction. They lost a tough one by a point at the end to Texas A&M, but they played strong. I look for them to really have a good season this year. Even in the loss, they should come away with more confidence about their ability to play.
Swann's holiday message for the athletic department…
The holidays are about being with your family and celebrating success. Enjoy the downtime and get recharged. We had a wonderful fall semester. January will get busy in a hurry. We have a lot more to do. We have the Coliseum groundbreaking coming up, and we are still fundraising for that renovation project. We have plans to raise money for a new track and field complex. There is lots to get done on and off the field and we are anticipating more.
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USC DE Kameryn Crawford | USC defeats Michigan, 31-13
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