Why D’Anton Lynn was the only offer USC made for its next defensive coordinator
Head coach Lincoln Riley says Lynn will bring a ‘very different system,’ and speaks confidently about Lynn’s ability to revitalize the Trojans’ defense
Luca Evans (OC Register) — LOS ANGELES — All roads in this USC program have always led back to the late Mike Leach, the legendary figure whose coaching tree branches through Lincoln Riley and a swath of USC’s sideline.
So the bombshell hiring of UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, it seemed, was a notable departure from that history for Riley, a home run swing on an up-and-comer. Except a morsel of history still ties Lynn here – once upon a time, a defensive back out of Celina High in Texas recruited heavily by Leach and Texas Tech.
“At the end of the day,” said Dave Emerick, the USC football program’s general manager and formerly a member of Leach’s Texas Tech staff, “he broke our hearts and went to Penn State.”
Fifteen years later, life has come full circle, as Emerick and company’s full-bore pursuit of Lynn finally paid off in minting him as USC’s next defensive coordinator. The son of former Chargers coach Anthony Lynn and a “rising star in the coaching profession,” as Riley put it, the 34-year-old Lynn’s one-year ascent at UCLA to a Broyles Award nomination was the stuff of marvel – completely transforming a mediocre Bruins defense into one of the best units in the country.
“I went into this thing with the goal of bringing the very best here,” Riley said, “and I feel like we’ve done that.”
This “thing,” upon reflection, was a two-week gauntlet of a search that was kept tightly guarded amid constant conjecture. Riley, he said Monday, had spoken with some of the best defensive minds in the country. Rumors flew about around Illinois defensive analyst Jim Leonhard and Nebraska coordinator Tony White; it was a coveted position, Emerick said.
And yet, as Emerick said, after taking time to vet Lynn’s background and speaking with former colleagues, “everything kinda pointed back to D’Anton.”
“D’Anton was the only guy that we ever made an offer to,” Emerick said.
Lynn’s alignment with Riley’s vision
In early November, the emotional toll of having fired a friend written in the lines of his face, Riley made a proclamation multiple times – USC would field a great defense.
“Period,” Riley said. “It’s gonna happen soon. There’s no reason why it can’t.”
That commitment to the defensive side of the ball had been questioned by the public since Riley’s days dating to Oklahoma, an offensive mastermind who never trotted out a truly elite unit on the other side of the ball. It was a constant around the program, the knowledge that Caleb Williams and company could only go as far as a defense that could reliably get them the ball.
“Realistically – yeah, there was pressure since the first day back after last season,” said a source close to the program.
It was a constant, too, that eventually led to the firing of scapegoat defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, and led to Riley having to emphatically assert his vision for USC’s defense in that November press conference. The importance of the hire, Emerick said, was paramount – even taking priority to haste with the opening of the transfer portal window on Dec. 3.
And within that importance, Riley made clear on Monday, he had a couple of non-negotiables in searching for a candidate. The first priority, he said, was a style of playing with size up front – an area exposed often in USC’s defense this past season, particularly in a loss to Oregon in which the Ducks generated 23 pressures and USC generated all of three.
“Does it need to get better? Hell yeah,” Riley said after that game, when asked about USC’s approach to building size up front. “Is it gonna get better? Hell yeah.”
The second priority, Riley indicated, was flexibility in adapting to personnel; not someone who would bring a set-in-stone scheme, but someone with “creativity,” as the head coach described.
It’s there where Lynn’s background becomes paramount, as he bounced around the NFL at various stops before settling in for a two-year run as the defensive backs coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Tough to ignore the pedigree, Riley said. And the boxes checked led to an aggressive pursuit, as Emerick said “UCLA obviously wanted to keep him very badly” – and a source close to the situation said USC made an offer higher than the $1.02 million deal Lynn had signed with UCLA.
“We made a push to keep D’Anton, and obviously weren’t in the ballpark from that standpoint,” UCLA coach Chip Kelly said on Sunday.
The future of USC’s defensive philosophy
This was such a big swing of a hire, in part, because a host of more established names existed on the market. Yes, Lynn has that NFL pedigree – but he’s also served just one year as a college coordinator, and conventional wisdom stands: what if he doesn’t have enough experience?
“There obviously was a level of, he just did this one year, so – is it just a one-year wonder type-thing?” Emerick said. “But that’s where you have really in-depth conversations, and get to know really what he’s all about. So the more we talked to him, the more comfortable we got with him, the more we felt that he would be a really, really good pairing with Coach Riley’s offense.”
USC WRs Ja’Kobi Lane and Duce Robinson pose for a picture with new Trojan DC, D’Anton Lynn.
And Lynn will bring plenty of philosophical changes, as Riley has said. The coordinator got the most out of a UCLA line ripe with talent, the Bruins finishing the season ranked sixth in the FBS in sacks. He blends pressure, too, with a healthy mix of loose zone in the secondary that limited big plays from Williams when USC faced the Bruins to close the regular season.
“This is a very different system,” Riley said, “than what we were running previously.”
As the offseason – and transfer portal movement – rages on, it will be notable to see how the personnel molds in Lynn’s image. The same program source told the Southern California News Group that USC’s defensive coaches, this week, are out “recruiting as if we’re coming back … we’re kind of all fighting for our lives, fighting for our jobs.”
“We’re gonna do whatever’s best for the program,” Emerick said when asked about potential defensive staffing changes. “D’Anton will have the opportunity to visit with all our assistant coaches currently, he’ll have a chance to suggest some other coaches out there, and just kinda figure out the best mix for our team going forward.”
That same staff, it appears, will have an audition of sorts for their 2024 jobs in the Holiday Bowl. Lynn, the source said, won’t be coaching on the field or calling plays against Louisville on Dec. 27 in San Diego – likely because elevating him would mean dropping a coach from “countable” status in accordance with NCAA rules. He’ll still be present in team meetings and preparation, the source said.
All will be evaluated, it seems, under the standard Riley put forth to Lynn: all hands on deck to “accelerate the process” of playing great defense at USC, Riley said Monday.
“The ultimate goal is to play great defense around here,” Emerick said, “and D’Anton is not scared of that. He’s not intimidated by that. That’s what he’s come here to do, and we’re very excited about that.”
The USC defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed all season long. Lynn’s addition has brought a huge breath of fresh air to the program.
ocregister.com
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OU QB Dillon Gabriel is headed to ORE.
Sooner OC Jeff Lebby has recently taken the head-coaching job at MISS ST.
Gabriel ranked sixth among all FBS QBs this season with 3,660 passing yds. He also ranked No. 8 in passing TDs with 30 and was No. 10 in completion percentage.
espn.com
A final Friday thought about the “transfer portal”. This is a quick, easy attempt to remedy pre-existing deficiencies. It would appear that most portal transfers are nothing less than “mercenaries” in search of “play time”. Only a few have demonstrated overt allegiance to USC and what is means to be a Trojan. But I could be wrong. Have a good weekend and best regards!
Insightful post.
Indeed, some elements of the newfound Transfer Portal Culture at USC have unfortunately negatively influenced the Trojans.
Kudos for using “influenced” instead of “impacted.”
It’s just part of sports culture now. Kids grow up switching teams constantly. They play for different AAU, travel baseball, 7 on 7 teams from year to year, often it’s from weekend to weekend. They switch high schools based upon playing time, or parents opinion of program or coach, or a simple thing we used to call discipline and accountability. It’s now trickled its way up to college football. No more waiting for your turn, go now! Play now! Switch again if you have to. Kids are better now than ever due to year round coaching and opportunities to play,… Read more »
Brenden Rice has officially declared for the NFL Draft as always anticipated.
At both USC and CU, Rice (a 2nd team all-Pac-12 pick this season) totaled 111 career receptions for 1,821 yds and 21 TDs, including his team-leading 12 TD catches in 2023.
How USC, DC D’Anton Lynn plan to improve defense ‘by any means necessary’ 5 takeaways per The Athletic’s Antonio Morales 1 Former USC DC Alex Grinch preferred more athletic defensive linemen, who were typically smaller, as his scheme required a lot of movement and shifting. The Trojans were small and played like it. Lynn, a Penn State alum, said: “It was size up front, especially going into the Big Ten. I played in the Big Ten. The Big Ten has big bodies on the offensive and defensive line and that’s something that we need, to get bigger up front.” Riley —… Read more »
So…..Lynn is saying he wants big, quick, fast, mean, smart linemen…….and Riley wants to focus on the best coaching…….. could have provided this guidance for less than 12 million. LOL. Note to Lynn….you just described what most folks call 5 star recruits. Good luck finding these folks as transfers short of having a semi truck full of NFL level cash. Sounds like Riley is trying to hold on to some of the existing staff……ok…..but actions have consequences……of course after you’ve collected 50 million from USC I guess those consequences will appear to be slight. I am somewhat optimistic about Lynn… Read more »
Lynn wants big, versatile defensive linemen. He will emphasize tackling fundamentals over and over and over and over again in drills and watching tape. LR and Cohen want to give him the best coaches and players by any means necessary. Sounds good, let’s see, first recruits and portal then spring then fall then on the field.
It all sounds good alright. But words only go so far before we see the reality. Based on what I have seen & read about Lynn, he appears to be what we need in reshaping the defense into a physical unit. What I am concerned about is his staff. Will too many present coaches be retained from these horrific past two years? And of course, the recruits & underclassmen. How soon will they be able to play sufficient Big Ten football.
USC is clearly looking everywhere for defensive help Donovan James (Trojans Wire) — It is clear that USC is not just looking at the FBS or the Power Five conferences for help. The Trojans are going to the FCS, to the Ivy League, to various sources in pursuit of reinforcements and overall depth heading into 2024. USC needs to bring in quality, but the Trojans also need to not ignore potential outlets for help. They’re looking everywhere, not just in certain places. Given their limits on defense, that seems like the right approach. The Trojans offered 6-0, 185-pound DB Ethan… Read more »
Sounds underwhelming.
When SC gets Latu or Murphy away from UCLA or some other top linemen on D then I will get excited.
USC is going to have to get into the game all the way or end up with mediocrity. We are talking $$$.
The Newest Trojan from the Portal is JR (redshirt year remains available; originally from Chandler, AZ) LS Hank Pepper (6-2, 210) from MICH ST. In 12 career games for the Spartans, Pepper was the Spartans’ starting long snapper.
Yahoo Sports — “Pepper had an up-and-down career with the Spartans that ended halfway through this 2023 season with him sitting out to preserve a redshirt upon transferring.”
Colorado gets the best OL in the country and we get a LS. Whoo Hoo Trojans are back! 😫
Hah, I’d say Prime won that one.
Hopefully, USC will get back on track on the recruiting trail once LR gets his new 2024 staff completely formulated and any NIL deficiencies are addressed and corrected if possible.
BREAKING: Five-Star Plus+ Bradenton, FL OT Jordan Seaton (IMG Academy; 6-5, 310) Just Committed To Colorado
The 2024 No. 1 OT chose the Buffs over Tennessee, Oregon, Florida, & Ohio State.
“Boulder you’re getting someone who is going to work & compete #TheSavior”
We weren’t even in the running for this kid. I miss the days when SC would get their share of the best OL prospects in the country.
Oh brother!…….we are not even named. Maybe Riley should run for president….he seems really good at talking.
Oregon State safety Akili Arnold entered the transfer portal today and was immediately offered by USC. OSU and WSU should be prime for the picking now that they are essentially Group of 5 schools.
Bet the best of the litter end up at Michigan State.
Portal Feeding Frenzy
1,310 FBS players have already entered the Transfer Portal.
I’d love to see the future stats on how many are picked up elsewhere, and of them, how many actually get more playing time or a better role. I have to think it’ll be a small percentage.
I believe there is a safety net for players. They can return to school under scholarship just no more playing sports. At least I thought I heard this somewhere?
Hank Pepper, new USC long snapper commit. Wonder if his dad is a doctor.
If only.
He’s just a sergeant.
Maybe he can someday become a doctor, with a little help from his friends
Doubtful. His lieutenant says he’s a nowhere man.
Think of the young man’s NIL opportunities with Dr. Pepper (the tasty beverage).
Or maybe a Sultan.
No USC player made The Athletic’s 1st or 2nd AA teams
Seven Pac-12 Players selected
1st WR Rome Odunze, UW
1st C Jackson Powers-Johnson, ORE
1st DE Laiatu Latu, UCLA
2nd QB Michael Penix Jr., UW
2nd WR Troy Franklin, ORE
2nd OLTaliese Fuaga, ORE ST
2nd K Joshua Karty, STAN
2023 Pac-12 Football Performance Awards, presented by Nextiva, and All-Conference honors announced Offensive Player of the Year: Bo Nix, Oregon Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year: Laiatu Latu, UCLA Freshman Offensive Player of the Year: Noah Fifita, Arizona Freshman Defensive Player of the Year: Cade Uluave, California Coach of the Year: Kalen DeBoer, Washington First team offense QB Bo Nix, Oregon RB Jayden Ott, California RB Damien Martinez, Oregon State WR Rome Odunze, Washington WR Troy Franklin, Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson, Oregon OL Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State OL Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon OL Troy Fautanu, Washington OL Jordan Morgan,… Read more »
In 2010 I started saying the NCAA is a corrupt and unnecessary organization, now I can say it with better ammunition. After reading this article (above)on my e-paper page, I stumbled across an article that talked about the NCAA’s proposal to have all D-1 schools offer $30k per student athlete (per season). So, the institution that is supposed to guarantee students are amateurs, now wants a guaranteed income? Thinking about why this change would come from the NCAA, I realized the lie of amateur student athletes has been shredded. But it’s not a “if you can’t beat them, join them,”… Read more »
Well it’s $30K more than some are getting now. This would make athletes employees of the university. All the regulations of the states would come into play. If athletes get paid why not cheerleaders, song girls, baton twirlers, dance teams, band members, theater groups and on and on. There will soon be a Premiere League of college sports with paid athletes and the rest of D-1 college sports with scholarship only athletes hoping to transfer up to the big time before going full Pro, NFL, NBA, MLB. This Premiere League will have no school loyalty with players transferring at will… Read more »
Though he is retaining Bennie Wylie, Lincoln Riley claims changes in approach are coming to USC Matt Zemek (Trojans Wire) — Many USC fans will rightly be upset that Lincoln Riley has chosen to retain strength and conditioning coach Bennie Wylie for 2024. However, if Wylie is going to be retained, he has to be a lot better than he was in 2023. USC was a soft team which got pushed around on both sides of the line of scrimmage. If Wylie is coming back for 2024 — and he is — Lincoln Riley needs to admit that previous methods aren’t working.… Read more »
What was BW not doing that now LR recognizes he should? Are the changes coming from LR, BW or DL? Was BW not allowed to do things his way? Either a guy knows how to get players bigger, stronger, faster or he doesn’t.
Who knows what those guys do. We all like to talk about it, but we don’t know what happens. Is BW a good coach? Is he not? I can tell you this, if we win a bunch he seems great, not so much if we lose.
They are responsible for developing strength, size, speed and agility. They develop position specific programs of strength training, agility drills, speed drills, and diet. The concepts aren’t secrets. The biggest challenge is to make it to make it interesting by challenging and entertaining athletes.
Sorry Golden, I know what they do. What I meant was, nobody knows what specifics are in their programs. Everyone gets a little promo video watching guys lift, or run through some agility drill. We get their MPH numbers now that those little vest things are around. But, Is BW better at putting together a program and seeing it through than others? Thats the part that I don’t think any of us would know. I hope so. S&C coaches get more time with players than anyone, so I hope he is building culture and performance. But I don’t have a… Read more »
We will find out soon enough if Lynn likes the current defensive coaches or not. I can’t believe he will keep them all. That it was Grinch alone that failed to address the poor tackling, missed assignments/gap responsibilities and lack of gang tackling bringing the ball carrier down instead of standing there watching one tackler do the job that plagued the defense for two seasons. These issues must be addressed or it makes no difference who is the DC & coaches.
I used to think bringing in Portal transfers was probably an advantage because these were guys who had already proven they could play college ball.
But during the last two years, I’ve switched over to thinking Portal transfers are a bigger risk than preps, whom you can develop — especially 4/5 star youngsters.
It’s amazing how many players can’t even get out of the Portal. But it’s also amazing how many Portal transfers don’t end up doing well at their next destinations.
Amen Allen, me too!
The Portal seems to work best when a player can follow his coach to a new school. Caleb Williams and Mario Williams are the best example. They know the system. They aren’t left behind when the coach moves on. That might be why it was set up in the first place. Otherwise it would be hard to go to a new program with different systems and phylosophies and fit in and get up to speed.
All I know is Grinch took guys producing elsewhere and made them worse or didn’t play them at all. We shouldn’t be the litmus test for portal. FlaSt, Oregon, UW, Ole Miss, Michigan, Georgia, and Texas all have big time portal guys. Portal can be a sure thing if you bring in guys who have produced at college level.
That’s exactly why I’ve always suggested that USC set up a much improved Portal Eval Dept so USC can spend more of its time on targets best suited for us.
Yep!…….retreads left for a reason…..sometimes good……sometimes bad.
“Lincoln Riley’s Portal Retreads” has a much different ring this year than last.
Last year, when I heard USC was after a transfer, I mistakenly assumed LR was always after guys who could play. I’m much more skeptical of LR’s forays into the Portal now.
First commit…….. a long snapper.
Lincoln said to Hank Pepper, “Do you care if we have a special teams coach who might be able to help you out? We had some embarrassing troubles with the snap last year!”
Pepper said, “No way, I can snap a mile with my eyes closed.”
Lincoln replied, “Good. You’re perfect for us.
“I don’t have any regard for special teams coaches because we don’t need those guys around here. Welcome aboard Hank. I think you’ll like it a lot more here than at Michigan State!” 😂 😂
It’s all about your QB, especially if his name is Caleb Williams
Holiday Bowl-bound USC was favored by 3.5 over LOUIS, but is now a 7.5 dog with Caleb not playing.
USC players in the Portal so far. Who won’t get picked up by another team?
1) 3-star DL Dejon Benton
2) 4-star WR Raleek Brown
3) 3-star LB Chris Thompson, Jr
4) 4-star TE Jude Wolfe
5) 4-star S Xamarian Gordon
6) 3-star RB Darwin Barlow
7) Walk-on RB Matthew Colombo
8) 3-star DL Jamar Sekona
Benton, Thompson, and Colombo.
GA won 29 straight games (many by wildly lopsided scores) before losing to ALA by three points for the SEC championship. They get bumped down all the way to #6 and now play undefeated and highly aggravated #5 FSU in the Orange Bowl. Any time an undefeated team gets aced out of a playoff, or a championship game, it’s always gonna look unfair, maybe biased, maybe rigged, etc. Going undefeated is damned hard, and FSU “deserved” the playoffs according to many. But CFB is basically the best 4-month-long reality television show ever created, and fairness doesn’t seem to be a… Read more »
It will all depend on FSU sorting out QB. If they can get an OK level of play from the QB, they will be more than in it. Their defense is every bit as good as Georgia’s. Better on the D Line.
So FSU beats Georgia, Alabama beats Michigan, and Texas beats Washington, who becomes #1. Let the committee and espn work that one out.
Hope D’Anton is allowed to bring in his own staff. Should the defense not develop as we expect, and we still have Grinch holdovers, accountably is harder to pinpoint. Let’s this young man tap into the resources and connections he’s fostered as a player and coach so we can start fresh. Looking forward to next season.