Bush torn over Carroll

By: BRIAN HIRO - Staff Writer | Wednesday, February 14, 2007 11:08 PM PST ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- On the topic of Pete Carroll's potential candidacy for the Chargers' head coaching position, Reggie Bush admits that he's conflicted.

On one hand, though now a dynamic running back for the New Orleans Saints, the Helix High product maintains a soft spot for his hometown team and wants the Chargers to hire the best possible coach. On the other hand, Bush perishes the thought of his alma mater ---- USC, for which he won the 2005 Heisman Trophy ---- losing Carroll, who has guided the Trojans to the pinnacle of college football since taking over the program in 2001.

"I'm kind of between a rock and a hard place," Bush said Wednesday during an appearance at the San Diego Hall of Champions. "I love USC; I went there. But this is my hometown, and we've been wanting a championship out here for a while."

Bush believes that Carroll, who is 65-12 with two Associated Press national titles in six seasons at USC, would be just the man for the job. But Carroll isn't among the six coaches initially targeted by the Chargers to succeed the fired Marty Schottenheimer, and he has given no indication that he would be interested anyway.

Carroll declined to address the situation Tuesday when approached by Los Angeles reporters on USC's campus.

"I wouldn't be shocked (if he left)," Bush said. "I would be and I wouldn't be. He's doing so well with USC and getting great players there. If you look at the NFL, you get one (first-round) draft pick every year, but in college you can get four or five first-round draft picks if you want. We'll see what happens."

From his conversations with Carroll while at USC, Bush recalls that Carroll's hangup with coaching in the NFL ---- he was fired as the head coach of the New York Jets and New England Patriots in the 1990s ---- was his lack of complete organizational control. It's no coincidence that Carroll interviewed this offseason with the Miami Dolphins, whose owner, Wayne Huizenga, was dangling total control.

That's a luxury he wouldn't enjoy with the Chargers as long as general manager A.J. Smith is around.

"I remember him talking about how, in the NFL, you never completely run the program," Bush said. "There's always somebody higher than you. At USC, he runs everything. He's the guy calling the shots."

Bush's comments followed a news conference at which he announced the creation of Reggie Bush Camp 619, a free football clinic for local kids to be held March 24 at Qualcomm Stadium. Bush said he hopes to attract more than 2,000 participants ---- boys and girls ages 7-17 ---- and that campers will receive instruction from not only Bush but Saints teammates Drew Brees and Joe Horn, former USC teammate Matt Leinart, Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott.

"I look at it as a blessing for me to be in this position," Bush said. "I always knew if I made it to the NFL, I wanted to give back. ... To bring it back home to San Diego is even sweeter."

Bush got the idea from his childhood experience attending the football camp put on by former Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, although he joked that Seau never showed up, as was promised every year. The "619" in the title comes from San Diego's area code; Bush made it famous at USC by writing "619" on the black anti-glare tape he applied for games.

"That was marketing brilliance beyond his age to be able to come up with that," said Al Kidd, executive director of the Hall of Champions, which is helping Bush organize the camp. "Reggie has done more and more for the city of San Diego."

Bush envisions expanding the one-day camp ---- registration is available at www.sdhoc.com ---- into a week of activities involving thousands of kids.

"I want this thing to be larger than life," he said.

-- Contact staff writer Brian Hiro at b_hiro@hotmail.com.