If the rumors are true, Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti may not be satisfied with a 9-2 overall record, top-notch facilities and a still-growing football program.
News reports that surfaced Thursday afternoon said that Bellotti was in San Francisco talking with Southern California officials about becoming the Trojans’ next head coach.
Bellotti was in the Bay Area on a recruiting trip when the stories broke.
Reports say that Southern California is offering Bellotti up to $1.5 million for five seasons. Bellotti, who has led the Ducks to a 48-22 record in six seasons, is making about $600,000 annually.
The Emerald could not reach Oregon athletic director Bill Moos for comment, but Moos spoke with reporters earlier in the day.
“His name keeps coming up at various places — we know that, of course,” Moos told CBSSportsline.com, “but we also know there’s more than just buying Mike Bellotti. He and his family love living here, and we’ve got a pretty damn good football program going right here, too.”
Apparently, Bellotti would only accept the coaching job at USC — assuming that talks are even taking place — if Trojan athletic director Mike Garrett can sell Los Angeles as a place where Bellotti can settle with his family.
Also on CBSSportsline.com, from an anonymous friend of Bellotti: “He and his family are very comfortable in Eugene, and it’s up to Garrett to convince him that they can be as happy in Los Angeles as they are at Oregon.”
Moos said that Garrett hadn’t called him to ask permission to court Bellotti, which is normal procedure, but that he knows of contacts made between USC and Oregon’s head coach.
Trojan coach Paul Hackett was fired Nov. 27 after his team finished tied-for-last place in the Pacific-10 Conference with a 5-7 overall record. In his three seasons as head coach, Hackett compiled a mediocre 19-18 record.
The Los Angeles Times reported this week that Oregon State head coach Dennis Erickson rejected a five-year, $7.2-million offer to coach the Trojans.