USC has gotten back in the win column since firing Lane Kiffin, but it's still looking for a new head coach.
Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin has emerged as the Trojans' top target, according to a report by the Los Angeles Daily News.
Sumlin is 53-21 overall as a head coach at Houston and Texas A&M. He turned around both programs quickly with his high-powered offense.
In his first season at Texas A&M in 2012, the Aggies finished 11-2 in their SEC debut, which included a road win over No. 1 Alabama, and quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first-ever freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.
Citing sources in the report, USC has also shown interest in ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Jon Gruden.
Since firing Kiffin shortly after a 62-41 loss to Arizona State on Sept. 28, the Trojans are 3-1 under interim head coach Ed Orgeron.
Orgeron was an assistant at USC from 1998-2004 before becoming the head coach at Ole Miss from 2005-07. He returned to the Trojans under Kiffin in 2010.
Despite his success as the interim coach this season, Orgeron is not expected to get the job, according to the report.
Sumlin has spent the past decade in Texas and Oklahoma and doesn't have strong West Coast ties. But former UCLA coach and current Pac-12 Network analyst Rick Neuheisel believes Sumlin is the right fit for USC.
"I'm hearing lot of names around the NFL, but I would say a guy like Kevin Sumlin might be the perfect choice," Neuheisel said Wednesday on the Dan Patrick Show.
Sumlin left Houston for College Station in 2011 after having big success with the Cougars, but Texas A&M is no stepping stone job.
Sumlin currently makes $3.1 million and the Aggies have become one of the elite teams in the SEC.
