HACKETT OFFERS REASONS FOR DISAPPOINTING TENURE.

Byline: Scott Wolf Staff Writer

Even after being fired Sunday, USC coach Paul Hackett wanted to do things his way.

He asked USC to delay announcing his dismissal for one day, so that he could personally inform his staff that it was over. Even as his USC career went down in flames, Hackett tried to control the tiny details.

When Hackett met with reporters for the last time in his office Monday, he was reflective, confounded and perhaps a little bitter about being fired by athletic director Mike Garrett.

Asked if deserved to return for another season, Hackett said, ``I'm always going to say yes to that.

``For someone who has given three years of his life, and in the last six months hasn't slept or eaten, I'm terribly disappointed.

``The statement is clear cut: We're not making the kind of progress that is expected at USC. John Robinson and Paul Hackett did not make the progress expected at USC. Two people who have great USC history but didn't make the improvement we needed.''

Then, in a bit of a stretch, Hackett mentioned a difference between his tenure and Robinson's.

``He had five years. I got three,'' Hackett said, conveniently forgetting that Robinson won Cotton and Rose bowls in his first three years, while Hackett made only a single bowl appearance.

Hackett met with Garrett on Sunday evening in USC's administration building and was fired during the course of a 30-minute conversation.

``It was one-sided,'' Hackett said.

On Monday, Hackett pondered what went wrong the past three seasons and repeatedly mentioned the parity within the Pacific-10 Conference as a reason for the Trojans' troubles.

``That's something I never imagined,'' Hackett said, ``that California, Stanford, Arizona and Washington State would be my nemesis. Perhaps it was my naivete.''

He also seemed burdened by the difference between USC today and the way it was in the late 1970's when he was an assistant coach.

``There's a whole lot of factors that exist at USC that are different than before,'' Hackett said.

Then he offered some advice for his successor: ``Be sure to understand the climate that exists at USC right now. Be sure to understand the conference. And the recruiting.''