USC football head coach Clay Helton will remain at the helm of Trojan football, according to a Tweet from athletic director Mike Bohn.
“[Helton’s] commitment to our student-athletes and to leading with integrity is vital to restoring our championship program, which is the goal for all of our teams,” Bohn’s tweet read.
Trojan Nation has been clamoring for the dismissal of Helton for several weeks — with some threatening to “give up” on the team and boycott games if there isn't a change in leadership.
USC’s 8-4 regular-season finish in 2019 posted a marked improvement over its 2018 record of 5-7. USC placed second in the south division this year — one game behind Utah, which is currently ranked No. 5 in the latest College Football Playoff poll. Utah’s lone defeat this season was a 23-30 loss to USC at the Coliseum.
Trojan football has lacked discipline under Helton’s control. Penalties proved costly for the Trojans this season as they averaged 71.33 penalty yards per game. USC finished 2019 ranked 124th in fewest penalty yards — down from 122nd in 2018.
Helton’s initial campaign at USC included a 2016 Rose Bowl victory and a 2017 Pac-12 championship title. Following USC’s 2017 title, the Trojans extended Helton’s contract through the 2023 season. Helton has notched a 13-11 record the past two seasons; the poor results led to mass outcry from fans, board members and boosters for a change in leadership.
“We know the expectations of our fans are high, as they should be," Helton said in a statement. "Those are the same expectations I have for myself and that our staff and team have as well.”
The 2020 season will mark Helton’s tenth year at USC. He came to USC in 2010 as the quarterbacks coach, then took over as the offensive coordinator in 2013. Helton became the interim head coach for one game in 2013 and then again in 2015. His interim tag was removed in late 2015, and he has served as USC’s head coach since.
The announcement comes just days after reports surfaced citing that Helton had been fired. The report was quickly dismissed by USC assistant athletic director Gavin Morris.
“Now we just got reporter just making stuff up,” Morris wrote. “It’s that season of, let’s just make stuff up.”
While rumors are swirling surrounding the status of multiple Pac-12 head coaches, only Washington made a head coaching change with Chris Petersen resigning to take an administrative role.
USC has not announced anything about the statuses of other football coaches.