Jeff Fisher, Bobby Petrino could be USC coaching candidates, according to ESPN

Jeff Fisher and Bobby Petrino may be potential new head coaching candidates for USC, according to a report from ESPN. The Trojans, who are fresh off a surprising 10-7 home defeat at the hands of Washington State, are expected to part ways with Lane Kiffin.

Fisher has a lot of history with USC since it's where he went to college and won a national championship as a player during the late 1970s. Aside from a few seasons as an assistant for the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, however, he hasn't spent any time coaching on the west coast. He also has a lucrative deal worth $7 million annually with the St. Louis Rams, further complicating a possible move to USC. The current NFL head coach was reportedly approached by Auburn last year, but nothing ever came of that.

Petrino would be an easier man to snatch away since he likely considers his current position as the head coach of Western Kentucky a stepping stone back into a major-conference job. The Trojans could likely offer a nice raise, as well.

Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald and Vanderbilt's James Franklin also have been and will continue to be hot names. Both have done impressive jobs at non-traditional powers and could emerge as major targets, depending on how the (still theoretical) coaching search at USC pans out.

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