Robinson’s Dismissal May Have a Ripple Effect

Justin Fargas, one of the nation’s most prized high school running backs, was watching a USC football practice late last summer when a golf cart pulled up and whisked him away.

Trojan football coach John Robinson was the driver.

Robinson acted as chauffeur for the Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High senior. The two had begun to develop a strong bond.

“I really like Coach Robinson,” Fargas said Tuesday night, after learning that Robinson was being fired as USC’s coach. “I had a lot of respect for him. He’s always been honest with me. He was a big reason why I considered USC.”

Robinson’s firing has left Fargas and other top recruits who might have been leaning toward USC on unsure footing.

Quarterback Jason Thomas of Compton Dominguez has begun taking recruiting trips after committing to USC. He went to Colorado last weekend, has a visit scheduled for Ohio State and is looking into Nebraska and Florida State.

“Right now, he’s in limbo,” Dominguez Coach Keith Donerson said. “He’s a little upset.”

Robinson, though criticized for his team’s failures on the field, is widely recognized for his ability to recruit. He seemed to be securing an outstanding USC recruiting haul by the Feb. 4 signing date.

Has all of that been lost?

Maybe not. But cross-town rival UCLA has been taking advantage of the uncertainty at USC.

Fargas said last August that he would choose between USC and Michigan. But now UCLA is back in the picture.

Fargas made an official recruiting visit to Westwood last weekend and said he “enjoyed it.” The Bruins’ recruiting strategy has become clear: They are on their way to signing a group of big, talented offensive linemen they hope will convince Fargas to sign up too.

Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley’s Blake Worley (6 feet 7 and 280 pounds) and Arcadia’s Scott Weigand (6-8, 270) already have committed to the Bruins.

Just because Robinson is out and Paul Hackett is in doesn’t mean Fargas and other potential USC recruits are lost.

“It could be a positive if I were to go there [to USC] because there would be stability for a couple of years,” Fargas said.

USC will have to concentrate on damage control. Another outstanding running back, Sultan McCullough of Pasadena Muir, complained about a lack of communication on Robinson’s status. McCullough was set to attend USC, but he indicated Tuesday he was “open” to other offers.

Two recruits from Stockton Franklin High, linebacker Armond Holland and running back Frank Strong, said they are still leaning toward USC.

“I’m kind of disappointed,” Holland said, “but I’ll have to meet the new coach and see how it is. Sometimes you can’t pick a school because of the coach because you never know what’s going to happen.”

A concern for USC is whether Hackett will have enough time for recruiting because of his duties as offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. That wasn’t a problem for Steve Mariucci last year during his transition from quarterback coach for the Green Bay Packers to head coach at California. Mariucci wasn’t done with the Packers until Jan. 14.

“It was a difficult situation,” Cal recruiting coordinator Mike Waufle said. “But I know it can be done.”

Hackett’s key decisions will be hiring assistant coaches. They will be the ones responsible for restoring confidence and credibility among wavering recruits and players. There also could be a problem if the Chiefs are playing in the AFC championship game Jan. 11. That’s the biggest recruiting weekend for the Trojans, with Fargas among those scheduled to visit.

“A lot of [USC] people have been calling all day long and are very upset,” said Rick Kimbrel of Woodland Hills-based PrepStar, a national recruiting magazine.

Allen Wallace of Orange County-based SuperPrep magazine said such a reaction is to be expected.

“Usually there’s a trauma effect, then it’s up to the new coach to galvanize the [recruiting] efforts,” Wallace said. “We had them with 12, 13 commitments. But the question is who’s going to stay?”