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Men of Troy: The Legendary Afternoons, Wild Nights, and Enduring Legacy of Pete Carroll's USC Trojans
From a New York Times bestselling author, a deeply reported account of how the USC Trojan football team captivated the sporting world in the 2000s.
The University of Southern California received thousands of calls, emails and letters in 2001, after hiring former NFL coach, Pete Carroll, to resurrect its moribund program. Carroll was a “failure,” a “fraud,” and a “flake” according to USC boosters, the fans in Los Angeles and the college football cognoscenti. But by the middle of the decade, he had turned USC into a legendary juggernaut, with multiple Heisman Trophy winners and national championships.
In Men of Troy , Monte Burke, provides the definitive account of this singular dynasty, based on original reporting and more than 150 new interviews. Burke illustrates how Carroll and his colorful cast of coaches and players—including cross-eyed quarterback turned national heartthrob, Matt Leinart, and the electric, generational running back, Reggie Bush—not only took over college football, but Los Angeles and the country, as well.
Burke not only takes readers through the iconic games of the era, but also behind the scenes—in the locker room, on the recruiting trail and into the LA nightlife scene, where the players enjoyed their celebrity status and, at times, succumbed to illicit temptations. He also puts the dynasty in proper context, tracing the breathtaking rise of the program, the sudden and inglorious fall, and the scandal that left a program in ruins and precipitated the drastic changes that led to the current era of college football.
The University of Southern California received thousands of calls, emails and letters in 2001, after hiring former NFL coach, Pete Carroll, to resurrect its moribund program. Carroll was a “failure,” a “fraud,” and a “flake” according to USC boosters, the fans in Los Angeles and the college football cognoscenti. But by the middle of the decade, he had turned USC into a legendary juggernaut, with multiple Heisman Trophy winners and national championships.
In Men of Troy , Monte Burke, provides the definitive account of this singular dynasty, based on original reporting and more than 150 new interviews. Burke illustrates how Carroll and his colorful cast of coaches and players—including cross-eyed quarterback turned national heartthrob, Matt Leinart, and the electric, generational running back, Reggie Bush—not only took over college football, but Los Angeles and the country, as well.
Burke not only takes readers through the iconic games of the era, but also behind the scenes—in the locker room, on the recruiting trail and into the LA nightlife scene, where the players enjoyed their celebrity status and, at times, succumbed to illicit temptations. He also puts the dynasty in proper context, tracing the breathtaking rise of the program, the sudden and inglorious fall, and the scandal that left a program in ruins and precipitated the drastic changes that led to the current era of college football.
431 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2026
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November 24, 2025
The early 2000’s USC Trojans football teams are a dynasty that will likely never be replicated with the changes that have taken place over the last 20 years. This book “Men of Troy” takes a deep dive into the man, Pete Carroll, that helped build those teams that were bursting with talent like Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Matt Leinart, Ryan Kalil, and so many others.
“Men of Troy” is such an interesting read because it looks at the lead up to Pete Carroll’s hiring at USC (spoiler: he wasn’t the popular choice), how he created a culture of winning, and things he did to sustain that culture until his decision to leave and pursue another job back in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks just as it all started to fall apart at USC due to the sanctions against the program for the situation surrounding Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush.
There were many interesting stories of Pete’s unconventional style of coaching and motivating, including his sometimes odd choice of pranks as well as how he really grew to embrace the celebrity culture in LA once they started winning, leveraging those celebrities and limelight to bring in the best recruits the country had to offer.
I would highly recommend this book! Tons of new and interesting stories that I was unaware of. Monte Burke did an awesome job telling the stories surrounding this program’s historic run! It is written in a way that flows well and is easy to understand. Special thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest and fair opinion!
“Men of Troy” is such an interesting read because it looks at the lead up to Pete Carroll’s hiring at USC (spoiler: he wasn’t the popular choice), how he created a culture of winning, and things he did to sustain that culture until his decision to leave and pursue another job back in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks just as it all started to fall apart at USC due to the sanctions against the program for the situation surrounding Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush.
There were many interesting stories of Pete’s unconventional style of coaching and motivating, including his sometimes odd choice of pranks as well as how he really grew to embrace the celebrity culture in LA once they started winning, leveraging those celebrities and limelight to bring in the best recruits the country had to offer.
I would highly recommend this book! Tons of new and interesting stories that I was unaware of. Monte Burke did an awesome job telling the stories surrounding this program’s historic run! It is written in a way that flows well and is easy to understand. Special thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest and fair opinion!
Displaying 1 of 1 review