A jilted Ed Orgeron has left USC in hopes of landing another head coaching job.
The Los Angeles Daily News said in a tweet Monday that Orgeron, the interim Trojans coach who hours earlier had been passed over for the permanent job when Washington's Steve Sarkisian was hired, has applied to become the coach at Florida Atlantic.
CBSSports.com later reported that there is "no truth" to the rumor regarding the FAU job but said Orgeron likely has put himself in a position to run another program. Florida Atlantic fired coach Carl Pelini in November for alleged drug use.
He resigned from USC after learning of Sarkisian's hire.
The Trojans went an impressive 6-2 under Orgeron, after Lane Kiffin was fired in September for guiding USC to four wins in its previous 11 games.
Orgeron appeared to be the frontrunner for the job as late as Saturday, prior to USC's rivalry game with UCLA. The Bruins handled the Trojans 35-14, winning for the first time in the L.A. Coliseum for 16 years and shoving Orgeron down the USC pecking order of coaching candidates.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Orgeron seemed to understand his fate following Saturday's defeat. Despite USC's improved record under his guidance, the two losses came to the Trojans' biggest rivals - UCLA and Notre Dame.
"Obviously we are disappointed, especially when you don't beat Notre Dame and UCLA, that is what a head coach of USC is supposed to do," the Times reported Orgeron as saying. "...This group of young men and coaches will always be in my heart."
CBSSports.com's Bruce Feldman tweeted that Orgeron just didn't feel right staying at USC after being passed over.
"Orgeron was in a upbeat mood when we spoke today.Said he loved #USC players but felt it's time to go. Going back to N.O. w/ his wife & kids," Feldman tweeted.
Orgeron himself tweeted about the situation: "GOD BUILT US TO LAST.
I LOVE YOU TROJAN NATION.
FIGHT ON !"
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