Trojans Talking to Holtz

With USC clearly shopping for a football coach while John Robinson still has the job, former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz denied Saturday that he has been offered the position--though a USC source and two sources close to Holtz insist it is his if he wants it.

“Absolutely not. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve never been offered the job at USC,” Holtz said.

Asked if he had been involved in talks with USC, Holtz would not directly answer, repeating only, “I have not been offered the job.”

Holtz is facing a personal crisis because his wife, Beth, has throat cancer.

“The only thing I’m concerned about is my wife’s health,” he said. “I have no intention of doing anything but getting my wife healthy.”

A USC source said Holtz has already turned down the job at least once.

At this point, it seems as if Robinson might hold onto his job only if Athletic Director Mike Garrett--who has been open in his admiration for Holtz--can’t find a big-name coach who wants it.

Even if feelers to other coaches are rebuffed, it is becoming difficult to see how Robinson and Garrett can coexist--though sources indicated Saturday that Robinson will not quit. One issue is a contract that runs through 2001 and includes what amounts to a buyout clause.

USC has kept Robinson dangling for three weeks since the Trojans’ 6-5 season ended in a 31-24 loss to UCLA. Garrett said an evaluation would be made only after the season officially ended, then said after USC was eliminated from bowl consideration that it could take up to two more weeks.

The two met Thursday for the first time since the season officially ended.

“I guess [Garrett] said he’d let him know by the middle of next week, but when you think if in fact all these calls are being made, it doesn’t look good,” said one assistant coach who asked not to be named.

“To me, John Robinson has earned the right to be treated with respect. If calls are being made without his knowledge or behind his back, that to me is disappointing.

“We’ll keep working until we know.”

A host of other overtures are said to have been made, but several rumored contacts have been denied.

Tennessee Oiler Coach Jeff Fisher said last week he has not been contacted, as did Minnesota Viking Coach Dennis Green on Saturday. Chicago Bear Coach Dave Wannstedt said through a team spokesman Saturday that he “has not been contacted by anybody.”

Neither Garrett nor USC President Steven Sample returned phone calls Saturday, and several other USC officials refused comment, including associate athletic director Daryl Gross, who has worked most closely with Garrett as he assessed the coaching situation.

Garrett said last week he was going to be “pretty deliberate” with his evaluation of Robinson, saying it was an important decision and he wanted to “make a rational decision.”

The makeup of the coaching staff is believed to be a source of disagreement, but sources say Robinson is open to changes if he stays, but will not make them until he is given assurances he will be back.

Robinson said after a 35-7 loss to Arizona State this season that he would quit if USC didn’t turn things around, then told his players after the season he was coming back--even though he had yet to receive such assurances from Garrett.

Though there have been recent fax campaigns in support of Robinson to the offices of Sample and Garrett, there have also been negative faxes, and Robinson has hardly received the same groundswell of support after this season that he did during a 6-6 season last year, one year after a Rose Bowl victory.

Sources close to the athletic department say the pressure is on Garrett to come up with a big name if he fires Robinson--or else face a backlash for what is increasingly perceived as a mishandling of the coaching issue for a second consecutive year.

Despite increasing pessimism about Robinson’s future, there are those who still believe he’ll return.

“I think he’ll be fine,” one member of the staff said. “I believe maybe they’re trying to contact people to have other options just in case.”

Holtz, 60, would make an interesting choice to succeed Robinson, 62, at Notre Dame’s rival.

One person who knows Holtz well said he couldn’t imagine him choosing to coach in Los Angeles “unless they get him a helicopter.”

“He’s not going to sit in traffic five minutes, let alone 45.”

Holtz left Notre Dame after last season ended with an overtime loss to USC at the Coliseum--his first to the Trojans in 11 seasons at Notre Dame, where he had a 9-1-1 record against USC.

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Times staff writers Tim Kawakami and Bill Plaschke contributed to this story.