Paul Hackett likes a challenge.
After all, it is not easy to coach a program that has boasted the names of O.J. Simpson, Junior Seau and Keyshawn Johnson, won eight national championships and claimed four Heisman Trophies.
It is even tougher when the Trojans have not been to the Rose Bowl in five years.
But Hackett is determined to restore the history, tradition and legacy for the Cardinal and Gold.
"What we are involved with here is a program that set the standard in college football 20 years ago," Hackett said.
"USC has a lot of tradition. That's something we have turned away from."
But it is something Hackett wants to return to, and make The Run for the Roses. And therefore re-establish Southern California as an elite program in college football.
He is on the right track.
After serving as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs under Marty Schottenheimer from 1993-97, Hackett accepted the position from John Robinson, who recently accepted the head coaching position at UNLV.
"It was an easy decision for me," Hackett said.
"My heart has been in California."
After all, the California-Davis alumnus had been an assistant coach with the Trojans from 1976-1980, where he mentored former NFL quarterback Paul McDonald in the college and the pros.
"He has coached so many great quarterbacks in the past," Trojans quarterback Carson Palmer said.
"His knowledge of the offense and this game brings so much, especially to college players coming out of high school. His detail on every little fundamental and aspect of the game brings a lot."
"Hackett is a very innovative coach," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said, "and has been all his life."
But, at times, Hackett has fallen on hard times.
At Pittsburgh, he compiled a 12-20-1 mark, including three losses at the hands of the Nittany Lions, whom Hackett will mentor Southern California against at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the Kickoff Classic.
Hackett was the mentor for three seasons in the Steel City, but was dismissed before the Panthers season-ending loss at the hands of Hawaii.
"He was a very good head coach at Pittsburgh," Paterno said.
"He wasn't there long enough to really have the impact in that program that he probably would have had."
"Pittsburgh was in a state of flux," Hackett said.
"That made it difficult for me, but I learned that you need to be somewhere where there is great support and tradition.
"You must have that. And if you do, you have the opportunity to build a program the right way from the ground floor with a strong foundation."
That is what Hackett has been doing at Southern California.
In his rookie season, he guided the Trojans to an 8-5 mark, an improvement from their 6-5 finish two seasons ago.
Last year, Southern California finished with a 6-6 mark, but lost Palmer, its starting quarterback, midway through the third game of the season.
Hackett had won the first two games on the year, but, after Palmer's injury, the Trojans lost six of their next seven contests. They were able to salvage the season with three wins at the end of the season, though.
This year, with a healthy Palmer, the Trojans enter the contest against Penn State as the No. 15 team in the nation and the favorite to win the Pac-10. And perhaps from there, go on to the Rose Bowl.
"This will be a big year to determine the job he's been doing," CBS college football analyst and former Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge said.
"Our focus at USC is the Rose Bowl and we have not been a contender the last few years," Hackett said.
"We've got to address the issue, and that's the goal.
"In the last couple of years, we haven't done real well and, from a bowl standpoint, last year we didn't do well."
That is why Hackett and the Trojans accepted, although somewhat reluctantly, to fly to the East against the Nittany Lions, on a game which is seemingly on the Lions home turf.
"To prepare to run for the roses, as we call it, you play the best opponents in the most difficult situation that you possibly can," Hackett said.
"Because our players will learn from the situation."
