Trojans Show Smith the Door : Coach: He resigns three days after USC’s 24-7 Freedom Bowl loss to Fresno State.

Larry Smith, who guided USC to the Rose Bowl game three times in six years, resigned Friday after a season that ended with a 24-7 loss to Fresno State in the Freedom Bowl.

Mike McGee, the USC athletic director who will soon be moving on to the University of South Carolina, said the Trojans will try to pick a replacement as soon as possible.

“This resignation comes after discussions the past two weeks with Larry about the future of the program, given the circumstances, and the concerns we had,” McGee said in a statement.

“Firing Larry was not an option. Reassignment was,” McGee said at a news conference. “Larry was fully aware of the erosion of confidence in the program here on campus.”

Smith said he was sorry he didn’t have a chance to talk to players before USC announced his departure.

“I walk away from the program with my head up,” Smith said in a statement released by the school. “I feel our staff did much to improve the USC football program.”

Added McGee: “I will remember Larry for some of the sensational wins we had, unfortunately a lot of those wins were some time ago.”

Smith, 53, had a 44-25-3 record in his six years at USC.

Coming off a 3-8 record, USC’s worst in 34 years, the Trojans opened this season 5-1-1. But the team faltered, losing big games to UCLA and Notre Dame to finish 6-5-1.

The loss to Fresno State was particularly embarrassing to many USC fans.

“Not to take anything away from Fresno State--that was a hard time,” McGee said when asked if the resignation was pegged to the Freedom Bowl loss. “It’s not ideal, but this is the situation we’re in.”

Smith’s teams were also widely criticized for not defeating Notre Dame in six tries.

Under Smith, the football team’s grade-point average increased every year, from 2.0 to 2.46. He also increased the team’s five-year graduation rate from 33% in 1986 to a projected 85% this year.

McGee had hired Smith from Arizona in January of 1987 to replace Ted Tollner.