In the early hours of New Year’s Day 2006, Lane Kiffin lay awake in the USC team hotel near the Rose Bowl, consumed by regret. At that time, Kiffin was not yet the storied villain of college football known for his tenure at Louisiana State University. He was a promising 30-year-old talent under USC’s coach Pete Carroll. The Trojans were the hottest commodity in sports, enjoying a historic run of dominance, unbeaten for more than two years. Celebrities flocked to the sidelines at Saturday games, adding to the cultural phenomenon that was USC football.
The night marked a pivotal shift for USC. Despite their incredible streak, they faced a heartbreaking loss to Texas, missing their chance at a third consecutive national championship by a single play. It was a feat no college football program had achieved. Kiffin replayed the events endlessly, questioning what he could have altered.
As colleagues celebrated their achievements, Kiffin sensed change: “When people are in things, they just think they’re gonna last forever. A lot of the feeling was, like, ‘Oh, we’ll just do this again.’ And I’m like, ‘We ain’t doing this again guys.’” His intuition was correct. Nearly two decades later, USC has not competed for another national title.
Fast forward to 2019, when The Times joined the narrative. The university and its revered football team had experienced a low point, enduring their worst season in 25 years. Scandals plagued the institution, forcing both the president and athletic director to resign, making the former glory days a distant memory. How did this powerhouse of college football fall so swiftly?
Finding answers required four years and over 100 interviews. Today, we debut “House of Troy,” an L.A. Times Studios podcast series unraveling the rise, fall, and painstaking rebuilding process of one of college football’s legendary programs.
USC’s leadership hesitated through multiple coaching hires until landing on Pete Carroll in 2001. Carroll’s initial appointment spurred fan revolt, yet he transformed the Trojans into the nation’s trendiest team. Carroll admitted the experience set an unattainable standard: “There were never enough wins.”
After Carroll departed in 2010, USC chased his success for years. The program has navigated challenging times and is only now beginning to recuperate.
“House of Troy” delves into the journey with insights from star players, school leaders, and insiders who witnessed USC’s attempt to reclaim its former glory. Each podcast chapter offers unique perspectives on a university embedded in the Southern California narrative, appealing whether viewers have seen a Trojan game or not.
Listen to “House of Troy” on any podcast platform, starting Tuesday.