LOS ANGELES — Word first began to spread that Cincinnati’s Mike Bohn was USC’s top choice to lead its athletic department on Nov. 1, 2019.
Celebratory announcements often follow such leaks, but USC President Carol Folt did not officially announce Bohn’s appointment until Nov. 7.
It was a particularly awkward pause for Bohn, who waited in a Los Angeles hotel while USC conducted a final round of reference calls. Multiple sources granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the search told The Los Angeles Times the school was double-checking the background vetting of TurnkeyZRG, the executive search firm it hired to conduct its two-month hunt for a new athletic director.
