Commentary
Close but no cigar
'National title or bust' standard kept some USC coaches from being elite
Updated: June 21, 2012, 9:17 PM ET
By
Greg Katz | WeAreSC.com
LOS ANGELES -- You've perhaps heard the term "close but no cigar?" Well, there have been USC head football coaches that actually got the cigar, but they didn't come close enough to smoke the big stogie.
The cigar is bowl appearances, but the big stogie is national championships.
Trojans fans know the names of Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll, all linked by national championships. Jones, McKay, and Robinson are in the College Football Hall of Fame, and Carroll stands a solid shot of joining them in the future.
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