Bill Plaschke: Clay Helton, in his happy place at Georgia Southern, is still rooting for USC
LOS ANGELES — Fifteen months ago, the following words appeared in this column:
"USC needs to remove Clay Helton right here, right now."
A few days ago, Clay Helton genially answered a phone call from that same columnist.
"Good to hear your voice, my friend!" he said.
Fifteen months ago, Helton was fired from his job as football coach at USC in an ugly conclusion to a protracted drama highlighted by constant criticism and punctuated by a stark termination statement.
"… We provided every resource necessary for our football program to compete for championships. … It is already evident that, despite the enhancements, those expectations would not be met without a change in leadership," said USC athletic director Mike Bohn.
A few days ago, Helton began a phone interview by expressing his
