Steve Sarkisian could have been more than just a stand-in.
Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis wooed Sarkisian to become coach of the NFL team last January, but USC's assistant head coach pulled his name from consideration and remained with the Trojans, opening the door for former offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin to take over the Raiders.
On Thursday, with Pete Carroll absent most of the day to attend Bill Walsh's funeral in Northern California, Sarkisian was in charge. He ran staff and team meetings and oversaw the morning walk-through and most of the afternoon practice.
"It's like you're growing up and your dad gives you the keys to a Rolls-Royce," said Sarkisian, 33. "You get to go for a little joy ride around the block."
Carroll interrupted the scheduled daylong journey when he returned midway through practice.
"It would've been nice if I didn't come back and let him have the whole day, but I didn't want to miss it," Carroll said. "[Sarkisian] is ready to go, he'll be a great head coach."
Sarkisian oversaw the day-to-day operation of the offense and coached quarterbacks in 2005 and 2006. He adds play-calling from the sideline to his duties this season.
Sarkisian has said he turned down the Raiders' opportunity because he wanted to become a college head coach. He is expected to draw plenty of interest in December and January when the annual round of college football firings commences.
Sarkisian, however, is in no hurry to leave USC. "It's got to be the right opportunity," he said. "You have to assess all of them differently and figure out if it's the right scenario for you."
Redshirt freshman Derek Simmons sensed opportunity when defensive tackle Chris Barrett was ruled academically ineligible in May.
As a symbolic act of commitment, Simmons cut his hair for the first time since his sophomore year in high school. "It was time to step up," he said. "Like going from a boy to a man. The coaches complimented me and said it was good to see."
The 6-foot-4, 275-pound Simmons knocked down a pass on Thursday and continued to show that he could back up Fili Moala. Simmons is looking forward to today's practice, which is scheduled to be the Trojans' first full-pads workout.
