Usc Coach Lincoln Riley Completes Staff Featuring New Defensive Blood, Continuity

When D’Anton Lynn abruptly near for Penn State connected nan eve of USC’s vessel game, nan dream wrong nan programme had been to support what remained of his protect unit intact. All while besides attracting a top-notch protect coordinator to return Lynn’s place.

But Lincoln Riley, aft 4 years of regular churn pinch his unit astatine USC, was besides realistic. The coach had learned by now really quickly plans could alteration pinch nan coaching carousel.

“It really doesn’t matter what squad you are,” Riley said successful December. “It doesn’t matter what unit you are. Doesn’t matter what your postseason business is like. … We’ve been done this now for a fewer years. So you can’t ever foretell everything that’s going to happen, but this clip of year, you person to beryllium fresh to adjust. It’s conscionable nan quality of nan game.”

Some adjustments, arsenic Riley suggested then, were astir apt inevitable.

New USC protect coordinator Gary Patterson takes questions from nan media during a news conference.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

The worst of it came precocious successful nan carousel, erstwhile protect statement coach Eric Henderson elected to return to nan NFL, departing for nan aforesaid position pinch nan Washington Commanders. Losing Henderson, from a recruiting position alone, is significant. He vanished nan past recruiting rhythm arsenic nan nation’s top-ranked recruiter, according to 247 Sports.

It was Henderson who took complete nan defense for USC’s vessel game, which led immoderate players to sound their belief he should get nan full-time gig. His sanction was floated for different jobs, too, including nan coordinator position astatine his alma mater, Georgia Tech.

USC hoped to clasp him arsenic protect statement coach. But pinch nan programme wished to spell extracurricular of its unit for a caller coordinator, Henderson yet chose to leave.

USC besides moved connected from secondary coach Doug Belk, who’d besides been mentioned arsenic a imaginable soul candidate. He spent nan erstwhile 2 seasons arsenic a starring sound connected USC’s protect staff. But his statement was not renewed.

In hiring longtime Texas Christian coach Gary Patterson, Riley recovered nan uncommon coordinator happy to blend successful pinch a unit that’s mostly successful spot already. Last month, successful his first gathering pinch reporters, Patterson said he viewed himself much arsenic “that past piece” connected USC’s staff. He moreover assured he’d accommodate his 4-2-5 protect strategy to what USC did nether Lynn.

“The group that’s here, they improved nan defense past year,” Patterson said. “So alternatively of conscionable coming successful and saying, ‘Well this is really we’re gonna do it, it’s been a small spot much activity of trying to put some of them together, knowing they did a awesome occupation and recruiting really bully players. So you gotta really benignant of perceive a small spot much earlier you opportunity this really we [do it].”

Some unsocial aspects of Patterson’s scheme, however, are astir apt champion near successful acquainted hands. That’s particularly nan lawsuit pinch his secondary, which is called separately from nan beforehand seven.

It stands to logic past that Patterson would bring Paul Gonzales, a protect backs coach who worked pinch Patterson for astir half of his tenure astatine TCU. He near Baylor to subordinate USC’s unit and is expected to lead nan Trojans full secondary. He’ll beryllium joined by Sam Carter, a erstwhile all-Big 12 information who played nether Patterson.

The remainder of nan unit remains mostly intact from past season. Defensive ends coach Shaun Nua stuck pinch USC amid rumors of liking from his alma mater, Brigham Young. Trovon Reed will proceed to coach cornerbacks and Rob Ryan, for nan clip being astatine least, remains arsenic linebackers coach.

After a debut that produced mixed results pinch a bladed linebacker room, Ryan’s position has been up successful nan aerial complete nan past 2 months. Whether he returns aliases not, his portion will person different sound successful nan linebacker room successful Year 2. Mike Ekeler, who antecedently coached astatine USC nether Lane Kiffin successful 2013, was hired distant from Nebraska to coach some typical teams and linebackers.

Two protect analysts were besides promoted to full-time roles, arsenic Skyler Jones, successful his 3rd play connected staff, will coach protect tackles and AJ Howard, entering his second, will coach extracurricular linebackers.

That makes 9 coaches connected USC’s protect unit alone, 3 much than it employed past season.

As of 2024, location are nary longer limits connected nan number of coaches who tin supply on-field instruction, meaning nan Trojans tin person arsenic galore assistants connected unit arsenic they please. But only 10 total, positive nan caput coach, are allowed to enlistee off-campus. It’s unclear who among USC’s existent unit will capable those 10 roles.

On nan different broadside of nan ball, Riley was capable to support nan full set together. Offensive statement coach Zach Hanson was pursued heavy by his alma mater, Kansas State, to beryllium violative coordinator nether caller coach Collin Klein, who Hanson considers to beryllium 1 of his closest friends.

Still, Hanson chose to instrumentality pinch USC and Riley, whose discourtesy will return not conscionable each personnel of its staff, but besides its full violative line, its prima moving backmost and a Heisman campaigner astatine quarterback.