As USC continues to enjoy its dramatic victory over Stanford, interim coach Ed Orgeron is making it clear that he wants to remain as the coach of the Trojans.
"I want to be the head coach at USC," Orgeron said Monday during an appearance on ESPNU's "CFB Daily." "I love being a head coach. I think that it's something I'm able to do, and do well. And I want to be the head coach at USC when I get the chance. I think I can perform on a very high basis to do what the Trojan family wants me to do."
The Denver Broncos confirmed Sunday that interim coach Jack Del Rio interviewed with USC during their bye week. Del Rio, the Broncos' defensive coordinator and a former All-America linebacker at USC, is serving as head coach as John Fox recovers from heart surgery.
The Trojans' 20-17 win over then-No. 4-Stanford on Saturday was the latest and most impressive item that Orgeron has been able to put on his resume since taking over the interim title Sept. 29 after Lane Kiffin was fired.
The Trojans are 5-1 since Orgeron took over -- 5-0 in Pac-12 games -- and are in the hunt for a berth in the conference title game. A team that was bogged down early in the season with talk of sanctions and a depleted roster is now playing with a renewed sense of spirit, and many players have made it clear how much they love playing for Orgeron.
USC (8-3, 5-2 Pac-12) plays at Colorado (4-6, 1-6) this Saturday, then finishes the regular season against UCLA (8-3, 5-2) on Nov. 30.
Fans, alumni and former players have also shown their support, as Orgeron said he received congratulatory messages after the Stanford game from Marcus Allen, Anthony Munoz, Pete Carroll, Brian Cushing and many others.
"It makes me proud," Orgeron said about hearing people say he should be coach. "Obviously we've done a lot of work on our coaching staff with our players. We're going to concentrate on Colorado and finish up our season the right way. I have full confidence [athletic director] Pat Haden will make the right decision."
