Here are 8 candidates for the USC coaching vacancy. But which USC? Either!

Here are eight coaches who could be in line to replace the departed head coach at USC. You can choose for yourself which USC I’m talking about, because both the University of Southern California and the University of South Carolina are open now. Who’s the right hire for the USC that [is more commonly known as “USC” and owns www.usc.edu / was “USC” 49 years before California was even a state]?

(If you’d prefer lists that focus on only one of these schools, for some reason, here are five names for Trojans fans to know and about a dozen potential candidates for Gamecocks fans.)

Should his Eagles continue to struggle, Kelly could well land at USC. He coached at [Oregon, which is in the same conference as the Trojans / Columbia University, which has the same name as the Gamecocks’ town]. And his up-tempo style has already found a home at [Oregon / Auburn], showing it can work in his new conference. Plus, given the talent surrounding USC’s backyard, Kelly could build a dynasty without traveling far.

Dantonio was the first name on many lists for good reason: he has deep ties to the USC program, having [coached at a program with a Greek-ish warrior mascot / played there]. And while many of the trendy names would need to change USC’s offensive style, Dantonio would fit right in. He is a conservative man, though, and might be wary of the fate of [Sam Barry / Lou Holtz], who left the Big Ten for USC only to struggle.

It’s hard to imagine Sumlin leaving behind $5 million a year to join a program that is [in the conference that the other Texas schools are probably going to join in like 2019 / in his current team’s conference]. But Sumlin has the offense and the energy to ignite fans, a skill that might get USC to pay a premium. And despite the move to the SEC, his current program is third-ranked in his own state. It might be time for Sumlin to pack up and head [west / east].

While he’s never coached a down of college football, there’s no doubt Fisher is familiar with the USC product. He [grew up in southern California / has an NFL record a few games from .500 (164-150-1), just like Spurrier’s (12-20)], and his laid-back style could be the antidote USC needs to counteract young rival [Jim Mora / Dabo Swinney]. A long shot, but not out of the question.

If the top names turn down the job, Coach O might be in line. He has history with the program, having [served as an assistant under Pete Carroll and ran the program after Lane Kiffin left / spent three years taking his shirt off in the SEC at Ole Miss]. He’ll find a receptive audience at USC, as well. The program hired a guy who had [served as an assistant under Pete Carroll / spent three years taking his shirt off] for the last opening, so why not do it again?

Fuente’s stock is soaring, as he’s turned Memphis from a perennial doormat into arguably the best team in Tennessee. The Tigers are 5-0 and scoring points by the bushel. The jump from a program like Memphis to USC might be a bit steep, though. USC has gotten its last two coaches from [the guys Pete Carroll didn’t want in Seattle / the NFL], and Fuente doesn’t fit that mold.

Everyone somehow agrees Gruden wants to get back to coaching, despite the fact that he’s the highest-paid personality on ESPN. Surely USC has plenty of money from [Hollywood / the SEC and Darius Rucker] to outbid Gruden’s current employer. And while he’s been approached about other coaching jobs in the past, there’s no doubt that USC is the best fit for Gruden: he previously coached [in the SEC / with an NFL franchise that used to be in Los Angeles]. Gruden is perfect for USC, other than the fact that his dream job is unavailable.