Mike Bohn shockingly resigned as the athletic director of the USC Trojans on Friday afternoon.
The most successful USC athletic director in quite some time shockingly resigned on Friday afternoon, as Mike Bohn stepped down from his post after four years on the job, effective immediately.
Ryan Kartje of The Los Angeles Times dropped this bombshell on late Friday afternoon. It was a news dump of epic proportions, one that involves a major college athletics program in a massive city and potentially a slimy scandal slithering through it. Initially, the thought was Bohn stepped down over health concerns, but once USC hired a sexual harassment attorney, that changed fast…
We are not even 24 hours removed since Bohn abruptly resigned, but his departure will have had a major impact on USC, the Pac-12, the Big Ten and college athletics far beyond our current scope.
What Mike Bohn's USC resignation means for university, now and going forward
Prior to taking over a down-on-its-luck USC athletic department, Bohn had great success previously at Cincinnati. Although he carried some baggage with him, it didn't stop USC from hiring Bohn. Unfortunately, similar issues popped up during his four-year run at USC. He did bring stability to the football program and the men's basketball team, but the university is in hot water…
While I'm not smart enough to know what kind of sanctions could come from this, but Bohn's resignation could not have happened at a worse time. The football team is a College Football Playoff contender with Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley together for one more year. LeBron James' son Bronny committed to play for the men's hoops team. Oh yeah, they join the Big Ten in 2024…
At first glance, I don't think Bohn's resignation impacts the football program right away. The Trojans will be a top-10 team, win around 11 games and be playing meaningful football into December. However, whoever USC hires to replace Bohn may not jive with Riley. It may push him towards potentially replacing someone like Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys, for all we know.
While it 100 percent serves USC to hire someone outside of the school who is a proven athletic director, as opposed to someone who played for John McKay or John Robinson back in the day, there is a chance the university may go conservative with Bohn's successor to avoid further embarrassment. Unfortunately, this might lead to another Clay Helton-esque era post-Riley.
I also don't think it stops LeBron James Jr. from playing precisely one year at USC before joining his namesake father in the NBA. What I do think is significant here is the move to the Big Ten… Yeah, that is a massive freaking deal. Bohn was a huge proponent in getting USC and UCLA to switch Power Five allegiances, as was former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, who also bailed…
Eventually, we are going to look back on how utterly atrocious of a commissioner Warren was. He tried to cancel football during COVID and got obliterated by its fans and players for attempting to do so. Warren formed The Alliance with the ACC and the Pac-12, which largely amounted to imperialism and Ides of March Brutus backstabbing. Then, he left for the toothless Chicago Bears…
Now, we're left with a brand-new league commissioner in Tony Petitti, a man who is best known running the MLB Network, making it more incredibly difficult for casual fans to get into America's pastime than ever before. With Greg Sankey strong and powerful as the face of college sports' other power conference, it is going to be the eating of the lunch for the SEC at everyone's expense.
So follow me on this… The athletic director who got Riley to turn TBOW on Oklahoma is out before his best hire ever's second season at the helm. Riley left Oklahoma in part that he didn't want to play in the SEC. As it turns out, Bohn had bigger plans than carrying the Pac-12. Riley, a Texas Tech alum, will be tasked with coaching a West Coast team in a Big Ten Country should he want to stay.
Then you have to look at the UCLA side of things. Mick Cronin and Chip Kelly have their two programs humming. The Bruins didn't need to go to the Big Ten, but USC needed a partner. UCLA signed up for this, albeit reluctantly. Fate would have it, UCLA is now in a far, far better position than USC to transition to Big Ten life. They may not want to go, but this move is losing its steam.
Overall, USC's stock has taken a huge hit ahead of a critical earnings period for the athletic department. I mean, you couldn't have foreseen this, but one hiccup along the way would have had a ripple effect in the Trojans joining the Big Ten. Well, as it turns out, the axle fell off the pricey convertible in the desert. We are somewhere near Barstow waiting for the drugs to kick in, please!
Ultimately, we are dealing with another variable of uncertainty in college football realignment. Adding the USC brand was supposed to be seen as a strength for the Big Ten. Again, it still might be, because this was always going to be a long-term play. However, with Bohn resigning, Warren bolting and so many new university presidents over in the Big Ten already, what is even going on?
Oh, this will be the feel good hit of the summer for college football writers all over the country.
For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.
