Update: Del Rio will return for his eighth season as Jaguar coach, team officials announced.
Jacksonville Jaguar coach Jack Del Rio has been presented with a contract to become USC's coach, replacing Pete Carroll, according to a report by Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Del Rio, 46, was an All-American linebacker at USC and the most valuable player of the 1985 Rose Bowl. He has been Jacksonville's coach since 2003 and has a record of 58-57.
"I'm working on the next step, and when I finish, you'll hear from me," USC athletic director Mike Garrett said Monday.
Del Rio's future with the Jaguars is in question after the team finished 7-9. The coach is scheduled to meet Tuesday with team owner Wayne Weaver, and if he were to get fired, the Jaguars would owe him $15 million. If he resigned, the team would owe him nothing.
Michael C. Wright, Jaguar beat reporter for the Florida Times-Union, wrote Monday night that he expected Del Rio to return next season as the team's coach:
"Let's just call it a hunch here, but unless something crazy happens in the next couple of hours (since it’s close to 10 p.m. in California) Del Rio isn’t headed to Los Angeles for anything more than a visit (not the job-interview variety, either). In addition, Weaver won’t be firing Del Rio as the head coach today, according to multiple sources inside the building."
After Wolf's report was posted online later in the evening, Wright posted this to his Twitter page: "Believe me, I've seen it. I'm sticking to what I said though. As I said, I could be wrong. But I've also been in contact w/JDR."
Del Rio started his coaching career as strength and conditioning coach for the Saints in 1997. He also served as linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens and defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers.
Del Rio spent 11 seasons as an NFL player after being drafted in 1985 by the New Orleans Saints in the third round. He also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.
Del Rio was a two-sport standout at USC. He was a catcher on the baseball team and teammate of Mark McGwire and Randy Johnson.
There were other developments Monday surrounding the USC program. The NCAA informed the school that its probe into the athletic program has reached a conclusion, and according to a Yahoo! report, the governing body's Committee on Infractions has scheduled a Feb. 19-21 meeting with USC officials to discuss the findings. If sanctions are deemed necessary, they would be made within two months of the February hearing.
Former USC defensive line coach Dave Watson testified he received nearly 1,700 painkillers in three months from team and university doctors, according to documents obtained by SI.com. Watson and USC are being sued by Alaric Valentin, who was driving a car that was hit by Watson in 2008. Watson, who pleaded no contest to DUI and received three years' probation, was later fired by Carroll.
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