Hackett Mounts a Personnel Crusade

You step into the wilds of college football from the cocoon and black coffee of an NFL coaches’ box, you run new plays.

One week into his first training camp as new USC boss, Paul Hackett has run some doozies.

There was the R.-Jay-Soward-I’m-flunking-out play.

Hackett ran it hard up the middle.

Then there was the Windrell-Hayes-I’m-fooling-with-bad-checks play.

Here, Hackett punted.

Of particular interest was the John-Fox-I-wanna-be-a-tight-end play.

There, Hackett ordered a quick pass.

Then there was the Jason-Thomas-I-wanna-take-my-ball-and-go-to-Nebraska play.

Hackett is still huddling under the headsets over that one.

Tuesday, he was handed the Quincy-Woods-is-pondering-his-future play.

Nothing has been decided yet, but expect another quick drop and throw.

“So far, it’s been one thing after another,” Hackett said with a sigh.

It’s his handling of that one thing that will determine his legacy here.

Everybody knows Paul Hackett can coach the devil out of Xs and O’s.

But can he coach people?

He can teach a quarterback to throw a perfect timing route with a five-step drop . . . but can he convince one not to transfer?

He can do wonders with an offensive line in the final minutes . . . but can he keep it eligible?

He is off to a good start, which is no surprise, considering he had two great teachers: himself and failure.

The classroom was Pittsburgh, 1990, in his only other college head coaching experience.

Back then, he never looked at the entire road until he was bumping along the shoulder.

“At Pitt, I took over the offense, coached the quarterbacks, called the plays, watched every stitch of tape. . . . I knew everything,” Hackett said. “But I didn’t know how to coach a football program.”

Eight months into his tenure here, one week into training camp at UC Irvine, he’s trying to learn.

“I’m trying to stay involved in everything,” he said. “I realize now, my priority and focus has to be the entire program.”

Suddenly, he’s not coaching only passers, he’s coaching students and moms and egos and the passion of 18-year-olds who want it all right now.

But his play calling has been as solid as expected.

Soward, the star receiver suspended for the first game of the season for an academic problem during the spring? Absolutely.

“Make no mistake about the message here,” Hackett said.

Hayes, star junior college receiver, not suspended despite showing up for training camp after being convicted of a misdemeanor in a check-cashing scheme? Another good call.

The kid caused trouble after he was recruited, but before he physically joined the program. The justice system did its part, so for Hackett to punish the kid again after he showed up would be double jeopardy.

“R. Jay was part of this team when his problems occurred, Windrell had not even attended his first meeting,” Hackett said. “Of course, will Windrell be under a microscope from now on? You bet he will.”

Which brings us to Fox, the experienced quarterback who walked up to Hackett one day and told him he wanted to be a tight end.

“In the NFL, that happens, you tell the guy to bring his playbook,” Hackett said. “I mean, in the NFL, there are guys who just disappear all the time.”

But not here, not now. He didn’t cut Fox, didn’t scold him into remaining the third-string quarterback. He simply let him walk.

The same thing probably will happen with Woods, another quarterback whose arm will not be strong enough to survive this new regime. He currently is pondering his future, but even at the risk of leaving himself thin, Hackett will not bluff him or stand in his way.

“We are trying to build a family here, and to do that, you have to be up-front with the athletes and their parents, let them know they can trust you,” Hackett said. “They ask me what I know, even though it’s early, I tell them.”

His willingness to release veteran quarterbacks also probably has something to do with the quick emergence of 6-foot-4 Carson Palmer, a freshman just waiting to become the first piece in Hackett’s legacy here if starter Mike Van Raaphorst struggles.

Which brings us to Thomas, the other top Southland quarterback recruited by Hackett. One week, one ankle injury, lost ground to Palmer, and he’s already thinking about flying off to Nebraska.

The other day after practice, Hackett met with Thomas’ family and tried to assure them that seasons are long and careers are funny and, goodness, it has been only one week.

The only time Hackett ever met with a parent in the NFL was at hospitality functions, and simply to say hi.

“Here, the boss recruited their kids, and their families want to hear from the boss,” Hackett said. “It’s all part of the building process.”

And a hands-on boss, at that. Hackett roams from unit to unit during practice, scribbling ideas on index cards he sticks in his back pocket, working until 1 a.m.

The other day, wearing a pedometer, Hackett recently recorded 26,000 steps.

Albert Lee, an Orange County personal trainer, reports that with an average stride, that would equal 14.8 miles.

And miles to go before a Trojan can sleep.