Ex-USC quarterback volunteers on Rebels’ staff

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, June 11, 2003 | 9:20 a.m.

Want to win an easy bet? Try this sports trivia question next time.

Who was the last starting quarterback to lead USC to a Rose Bowl victory?

Carson Palmer? Nope.

Rob Johnson? You're getting warmer.

Rodney Peete? Nice try.

How about Brad Otton?

It was Otton, a 6-foot-6 passer who also set a USC and Pac-10 record by throwing 216 consecutive passes without an interception, who connected on 29 of 44 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns to help the Trojans to a 41-32 upset of Northwestern in the 1996 Rose Bowl game.

Otton also was the starting quarterback when the Trojans snapped a 13-year winless drought against Notre Dame with a dramatic overtime win in 1996. He went on to sign a free agent contract with the Washington Redskins, but a left knee injury ended his pro career before he ever really got a chance to get started.

Otton, who spent one year as an assistant coach at Cal State Northridge before that program dropped football after the 2001 season, has decided to join UNLV's staff as a volunteer administrator for the upcoming season with the hope of one day getting back into coaching.

"When (Northridge) dropped football, I had a hard time convincing my wife (Deanna) to move out of California," Otton said before helping Rebels coaches with a team camp at Rebel Park on Tuesday. "I just took out a regular job and helped out at Santa Barbara City College."

But working a normal 9-to-5 job wasn't quite what Otton had expected.

"I was miserable working," he said. "I was working for an orthopedic company. But I just missed coaching. As soon as last season got over, I just started looking for a way to get back into coaching fulltime."

Even if it meant selling his home in Santa Clarita, Calif., near Magic Mountain amusement park. And even if it meant working for free until a paying position opens at UNLV or someplace else.

Otton can afford to be charitable for a while. His NFL injury insurance policy paid him well in the six-figure range and home prices have skyrocketed in Southern California over the past few years.

"We're very happy to have Brad here," UNLV head coach John Robinson said. "Brad was looking to get back into coaching. We have an administrative position open (director of football operations) and he's volunteering to step into that role for this season. His sights are on becoming a coach. I certainly think he has a bright future. He's one of the smartest quarterbacks I've ever coached."

And one of the toughest. He played much of his senior year with a knee injury -- he failed his physical at the NFL Combine when it was discovered he had torn his ACL for the second time in his career -- and also played with severely bruised ribs in the Notre Dame upset that turned out to be Lou Holtz's swan song in South Bend.

"I don't know exactly what that means yet," Otton chuckled when asked about his role as director of football operations. "I'll try and hang around and do exactly what they tell me to do. As far as the NCAA is concerned, I'm not allowed to do a lot of coaching. But I'm just trying to learn from the coaches they have here and see what happens."

The website has New Mexico winning the MWC and facing Southern Miss in the Liberty Bowl and Colorado State facing Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

The early national championship game projection is Texas against Miami in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4, 2004.