Can Jeremy Bates Satisfy Trojan Fans?

In the three or so years that Steve Sarkisian roamed the sidelines for USC, he knew very little other than success. USC, the 800 pound gorilla in the college football room, was a constant factor that had to be considered whenever talking about the finest college football programs in the nation.

Often, despite a record setting run of double digit wins, which continues to this day, talk would focus on the underachieving offense and Sarkisian’s role in that perceived lack of accomplishment.

When speaking of achievement at USC, success is often a relative thing, and for many fans, Sarkisian and the USC offense fell far short of expectations. Now Sarkisian has left for Washington where expectations will be measured against a record that included zero victories last year.

In his place, enter Jeremy Bates, the Denver Bronco’s 2008 offensive coordinator who was let go along with head coach Mike Shanahan and most of his staff. Pete Carroll, who also considered Brian Schottenheimer for the job, settled on Bates and with his hiring in early 2009, brought in one of the most highly regarded offensive minds in football.

Jeremy Bates, whose meteoric rise in football also included stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets, comes with a football pedigree.

His father, Jim, also worked for the Broncos, serving as defensive coordinator for a year before leaving after being reassigned. Jim Bates also coached at Texas Tech, where a young Jeremy would accompany his father to practices at the tender age of five.

This background led to a foundation that nurtured a football personality that has been described as enthusiastic and energetic and a football savvy that has established Bates as an up and comer in the profession.

That Bates is very well regarded should come as no surprise when you consider the remarks of Jay Cutler, Bates quarterback in Denver, who had this to say about Bates:

“Jeremy is one of the best offensive minds in football. He was extremely innovative with our offense and took our playbook to the next level with some of the things he did, keeping defenses off balance and changing our look but at the same time keeping it simple for us players. Some of the things he did were amazing to watch. He was always watching other teams and coming up with new ideas for our offense. He helped me grow into my third NFL season and helped me reach the Pro Bowl along with some of the other goals I set for myself. As a unit, our offense became one of the most productive in the league with Jeremy calling plays. He brought a lot of excitement to the meeting room and on the field. He made me want to come to work every day and get better. Jeremy will do great things in his new role, and USC couldn’t have picked a better guy.”

At USC, the measurement of the success of a coach, unlike many universities, isn’t defined by wins and losses.

It is measured by the sometimes myopic expectations of fans that are used to gaudy statistics.

The ghost of Norm Chow haunted Steve Sarkisian and it will be the yardstick that USC fans will use to gauge the accomplishments of this years USC offense and Jeremy Bates tutelage of that unit.

It is a double edged sword that paradoxically will result in Bates likely departure in the not so distant future.

If Bates is wildly successful, he will become a hot commodity that will leave to run his own program. Should he not meet those lofty expectations, chances are he will not survive the unyielding magnifying glass of exposure that comes with USC football.

Such is the life of a football coach at USC where great sometimes isn’t good enough.