25 worst college football coaching hires in history

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 1: Head coach Mike Price of the Washington State University Cougars manages the game from the sidelines during the 89th Rose Bowl game against University of Oklahoma Sooners at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2003 in Pasadena, California. Oklahoma defeated Washington St. 34-14. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

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GW1.SP.0F.1120.TOLLNER.F12.0––1985 file photo of USC football coach Ted Tollner on the shoulders of his victorious 1985 Rose Bowl team. (Photo by Ken Hively/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) /

23. Ted Tollner, USC

Hired: 1983
Fired: December 1986
Record at USC: 26-20-1 (.553)
Career head coaching record: 69-68-1 (.500)

From 1962-82, USC was the class of the West Coast in college football. Under John McKay (1960-75) and John Robinson (1976-82), the Trojans won five national championships and 12 conference titles. When Robinson stepped down as head coach, (he eventually took the job as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams), the Trojans hired Ted Tollner, who had been hired the previous year as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Tollner’s only year as USC play-caller was not only his only coaching major college football, it was also his only as a coordinator at the Division I level. Tollner began his coaching career in high school, then moved to San Mateo Junior College, San Diego State and BYU before Robinson plucked him.

For two decades, the Trojans lived in AP poll. USC finished in the top 20 every season from 1967-82, and reached No. 5 or better every year from 1962-81. Each of Tollner’s USC teams spent time in the AP Top 10 – the problem, however, was the Trojans only finished one season ranked.

In his first season at the helm, Tollner guided USC to a 4-6-1 record, which was the first losing record for the squad since 1961 (McKay’s second campaign). The Trojans rebounded to go 9-3 in 1984, won the Rose Bowl, and Tollner was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year. Unfortunately, USC dropped to 6-6 in 1985.

USC fired Tollner after a 7-5 record in 1986, making him just the third head coach to be fired by the Trojans in their first 99 years of football history. His tenure put an end to USC dominance that would not be reclaimed until Pete Carroll arrived 15 years later.

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