Ed Orgeron officially said Monday what his work on and off the field as USC interim head coach has been shouting for two months: "I want to be the head coach at USC."
Orgeron said those very words for the first time publicly during an interview on ESPNU, declaring his intentions as a 5-1 record since Lane Kiffin was hired have made the boisterous 52-year old Cajun a viable candidate.
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"I love being a head coach," Orgeron said on "CFB Daily." "I think that it's something I'm able to do, and do well. And I want to be the head coach at USC when I get the chance. I think I can perform on a very high basis to do what the Trojan family wants me to do."
That is a dramatic turnaround from what Orgeron said Saturday night after USC's 20-17 win over Stanford, a result that has players, fans, and media pushing for him to get the job on a permanent basis.
"Obviously, there is going to be a decision made here after we play UCLA," Orgeron said Saturday. "That's totally out of my hands."
Even Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who won seven conference championships and two national championships at USC, tipped his hat to his former defensive line coach.
Orgeron was previously the head coach at Ole Miss from 2005-07, posting a record of 10-25, 3-21 in SEC play. But using the George Costanza "opposite" policy, Orgeron has thrived and put himself in the mix at USC.
Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.
