Much to the surprise (and chagrin) of many Trojan fans, Clay Helton was retained as the head coach of the USC football program this offseason. However, although Helton remains at the helm, there was a great deal of turnover throughout the rest of the coaching staff, particularly on the defensive side of the field. On Tuesday, a band of new football coaches had the opportunity to introduce themselves to the Trojan Family.
There was a different energy about these guys, and it was clear who was setting the tone. New defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, who was previously Texas’ defensive coordinator, has an old-school football philosophy:
“If you want to be a good fighter, you gotta get into fights.”
There is a large faction that chalks up USC football’s struggles in recent years to a lack of toughness and mental stamina. Far too often, it seems, the team has had a bevy of high-level talent but lacked a certain fortitude, a willingness to find strength in the pivotal moments of a season. Orlando, who has advocated for more physicality in practice, intends to shift that trend.
“There’s some dark valleys [throughout the course of a season],” Orlando said. “And you have to go in there and see what it’s all about … You’d rather find out [in practice] than find out versus Alabama.”
This mentality was echoed by the other new defensive hires. Safeties coach Craig Naivar, who worked with Orlando at Texas, expressed his belief that football, beyond all of the X’s and O’s, is a very simple game.
“Stick your foot in the ground and go run through somebody’s face,” Naivar said earnestly. “That’s what the game is all about.”
Mindset changes are not only occurring on the field. The new staff intends to approach the recruiting trail with the same level of tenacity that they will expect from their players throughout the season — music to Trojan supporters’ ears following an incredibly subpar 2020 recruiting class that did not feature a single five-star prospect.
Cornerbacks coach Donte Williams comes to USC having been named 247Sports’ seventh best recruiter in the nation last season. At Oregon, Williams ran laps around other programs in the West, even managing to pry Southern California native and five-star linebacker, Justin Flowe away from the Trojans. Now, instead of competing with the Trojans at Oregon, the former Culver City High School defensive back returns home to join forces with the USC football program as its premiere recruiter.
“We’re going to be the trendsetters,” Williams said. “We’re USC. The whole thing for us is making sure we take back the West … We’re going to be first.”
The Trojans plan to make such a dramatic shift in their recruiting successes by establishing real relationships founded in truth.
“We’ve got a really good group of guys that have really deep ties out here,” Naivar said. “It’s just [about] relationships and getting to know [each] young man and his family.”
New defensive line coach Vic So’oto emphasized the importance of honesty when it comes to recruiting.
“My recruitment philosophy is really simple … just tell them really what it is,” So’oto said. “I think a lot of times in this recruiting process, you can see and hear different things from different coaches, but when you go out and watch them or talk to players that are there, it’s something completely different.”
Athletic director Mike Bohn promised that his retention of Clay Helton would not signify a commitment to the status quo. Thus far, with these additions to the coaching staff, he has delivered on his word.
Yes, Helton is still the head coach, but make no mistake about it: this team is different.