USC fans used to fill the L.A. Coliseum in the Pete Carroll era. Under Lane Kiffin, those who showed filled the stadium with boos.
The unpopular coach was on the job for 43 games, the last being Saturday night's 62-41 loss at Arizona State.
His firing came early Sunday morning in a parking lot at L.A. International Airport. After players and staff had departed the team charter and boarded buses for the trip to campus, Kiffin was reportedly asked to depart. He wanted the bus to remain, but a school administrator motioned for it to depart.
Athletic director Pat Haden was waiting for Kiffin, and he told the coach that he was fired.
Kiffin, 38, compiled a 28-15 record as USC coach.
The reaction around Los Angeles is varied. Here's a sample of what they are saying:
Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: Kiffin never really had a chance. Crippling NCAA sanctions were too much to overcome. The Trojans took only 56 scholarship plays to Saturday night's game at Arizona State, well short of the NCAA maximum of 65. It got so bad the Trojans had to play Robby Kolanz, who worked in the school's sports information office last year, at receiver.
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