USC Hires Trumain Carroll as New Director of Football Sports Performance
Trumain Carroll/Kansas State Athletics
Numerous News Sources — A week after suddenly dismissing Director of Football Sports Performance Bennie Wylie (one of Lincoln Riley’s first staff hires), USC announced its new head strength coach and hired uber-experienced Trumain Carroll.
Carroll leaves the same role he occupied at Kansas State since 2021.
In announcing the hire on Twitter/X, USC headlined it “a new era of physicality” for the program.
“Coach Carroll is an accomplished strength and conditioning professional who has consistently trained his teams to compete at the highest level,” Riley said in a statement. “His ability to develop players with an emphasis on a strong team culture has been evident throughout his career. He will have a tremendous impact on our program. We’re excited to welcome Trumain and his family to USC.”
Carroll played defensive end for Oklahoma State from 2001 through 2005 and then served two terms as an assistant strength coach for the Cowboys, the first ranging from 2006 through 2008. He served as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at the University of Missouri-Kansas City from 2008 to 2011. Carroll was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at South Carolina State from 2011 to 2012 before returning to Oklahoma State for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Carroll then moved from SMU to Arkansas to South Florida before spending the past four years at K-State.
Throughout Carroll’s time in Manhattan, Kan., the Wildcats recorded a combined 36-17 record, collected three bowl victories and the 2022 Big 12 title, K-State was one of only five Power 4 teams to win at least nine games in each of the last three seasons with at least one conference championship in that timeframe.
The Wildcats have had 10 players selected over the past three NFL Drafts, which is the most Kansas State has produced in a three-year run since the 2002-2004 drafts.
At the most recent NFL combine, Kansas State cornerback Jacob Parrish and safety Marques Sigle ran 4.35 and 4.37 40-yard dashes, respectively. Both ranked among the top 15 overall players in attendance. Parrish tied for the third-best vertical leap among cornerbacks. Sigle finished No. 4 among safeties. Parrish posted the No. 4 broad jump number among corners and Sigle was No. 2 for safeties. Parrish became a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while Sigle went in the 5th round to the San Francisco 49ers.
According to the Kansas State website, Carroll was well-recognized as an integral part of the program’s ability to change the culture over the past four seasons and embedding their four core values of Commitment, Toughness, Discipline, and Selflessness.
Following two straight disappointing seasons, Riley and the Trojans are seeking to install a culture of elevated toughness and 4th quarter performance as they seek to finish much better in the Big Ten this season, and Carroll will be tasked with helping them get there.
Carroll earned his bachelor’s degree in university studies from Oklahoma State in December 2005. During his five year playing career as a defensive end in Stillwater, Carroll helped lead the Cowboys to three consecutive bowl berths.
There were reports that the Trojans had heavily pursued Indiana’s Derek Ownings, but he opted to stay with the Hoosiers after receiving a big pay raise from Curt Cignetti.
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The questions are who wanted Wylie fired and who wanted and hired Carroll? My guess is it was Bowden at work. Am I wrong to suspect that LR is increasingly marginalized and isolated? Oh and the “new era of physicality” (hate that word), I thought last year was a “new era of physicality”. How much effect will Carroll have over the next 3 months? Oh well, better Wylie is gone and Carroll is here. I feel like 2026 is the year USC may start to return as a football power again.
I think this is yet another example of the strong hand of Chad Bowden. Jen Cohen also had. to step up and provide more money. USC is on quite a spending spree. Another one of Riley’s good friends is gone.
Allen your last line regarding another of LR’s friends gone, along with GT’s wondering if LR is being marginalized, triggered a question in my head. If it wasn’t for the pounding weekly national press, an impatient USC athletic dept ( AD on up ) and a rabid diehard loyal fan base found here, would Grinch, a good friend of LR, still be USC’s DC ?
IMO, Grinch was so bad, he couldn’t have survived under any circumstances, which is why he was cut loose on Nov. 5, 2023, after a demoralizing big loss to UW, with games against ORE and UCLA still remaining. USC got smashed in both. Under the Riley/Grinch combo, USC gave up 572 yds and 52 points to No. 5 UW in the Trojans’ third loss in four games. The public tide was really turning against LR at that time (as you point out), and the fact that hapless Grinch was his good buddy was generating significant negative backlash. But I still think it… Read more »
For those interested. On3.com is merging with Rivals.com. Basically, On3 acquired Rivals. The deal is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2025. On3.com — “Rivals is an icon in college sports and recruiting media,” said Shannon Terry, CEO of On3 and original co-founder of Rivals. “We’re excited to build on the momentum behind Rivals, which has a longstanding legacy as the most recognized brand and author of the recruiting industry. We look forward to taking Rivals to new heights with significant new investment focused on recruiting, high school sports, and passionate college fan communities. “We’re… Read more »
It looks like Trumain Carroll should help USC football tremendously. He’s viewed as an “unexpected big loss” for KSU, as he was given significant credit by Wildcat coach Chris Kleiman and many others for elevating KSU football since he arrived in 2021. One way you can tell if a new hire should work out well is to look at the reactions from the fan base where the new person is coming from. Check around the web, and you’ll see KSU Wildcat fans are strikingly unhappy about Carroll’s departure. He’s been described by KSU insiders as “wildly successful.” Imagine how we… Read more »
What always bewilders me is the focus on physicality in football with no mention of the mental aspect of the game, or any game in any sport for that matter. USC, year in and year out, would lead college football in mental errors and stupid penalties if that stat were kept. SC has talent and is recruiting good talent, but if the players can’t focus on what they are supposed to do on any given play, then that’s when dumb penalties and missed assignments occur. I don’t live in the LA area anymore and don’t keep up with all the… Read more »
From Other Trojan Fans — No Excuses Now “This just feels like the right fit with the current staff we have. An ex-player, who got his degree, between the ages of 30 and 42, married, and who shows tremendous personal discipline. “I’ve attended several K-State games the last several years, including their 2023 Bowl game against NC State in Orlando. 3 – 0, and I’ve always been impressed. They’ve always looked Big and Fit. Not necessarily fast, but USC is obviously recruiting better athletes than K-State. If his approach translates, that could be a really good thing. It’s a different… Read more »
Carroll hopefully will be more of a muscle-weight builder that succeeds in the Big Ten. Oklahoma St. & Kansas St. are Big 12 programs that fit into the lean & quick prototypes that Wylie came from. In the past, Kansas St. players have never been known as physically impressive ala Wisconsin-Michigan linemen types. We will see……
All the positives we read about Trumain Carroll’s successes as weight trainer for K-State and yet you could put Wiley in the same picture working Oklahoma’s successes. Wiley had better athletes to work with in the sooner program and that made a difference in winning games. I don’t see that big of a difference in the size & speed of what both produced in their respective programs. If we were talking about the Texas program then we are dealing with size & muscle. But not K-State. I think Riley wanted the Indiana weight trainer and settled for another Wiley with… Read more »
I would only say that it’s much easier to be successful at OU than it is at KSU. I’ve read up on Trumain Carroll and he comes overwhelmingly endorsed by observers far and wide, from both inside and outside the program. IU had the money to hold on to Derek Ownings and they ponied up, as most B1G programs can because the conference is so rich and pays so well. KSU, being in the lower-regarded Big 12, doesn’t have as much money. Plus, KSU always knew who they wanted if Carroll left. Asst S/C coach Ray Thomas was immediately named… Read more »
Carroll earned his bachelor’s degree in university studies from Oklahoma State in December 2005. During his five year playing career as a defensive end in Stillwater, Carroll helped lead the Cowboys to three consecutive bowl berths.
The questions are who wanted Wylie fired and who wanted and hired Carroll? My guess is it was Bowden at work. Am I wrong to suspect that LR is increasingly marginalized and isolated? Oh and the “new era of physicality” (hate that word), I thought last year was a “new era of physicality”. How much effect will Carroll have over the next 3 months? Oh well, better Wylie is gone and Carroll is here. I feel like 2026 is the year USC may start to return as a football power again.
I think this is yet another example of the strong hand of Chad Bowden. Jen Cohen also had. to step up and provide more money. USC is on quite a spending spree. Another one of Riley’s good friends is gone.
Allen your last line regarding another of LR’s friends gone, along with GT’s wondering if LR is being marginalized, triggered a question in my head. If it wasn’t for the pounding weekly national press, an impatient USC athletic dept ( AD on up ) and a rabid diehard loyal fan base found here, would Grinch, a good friend of LR, still be USC’s DC ?
IMO, Grinch was so bad, he couldn’t have survived under any circumstances, which is why he was cut loose on Nov. 5, 2023, after a demoralizing big loss to UW, with games against ORE and UCLA still remaining. USC got smashed in both. Under the Riley/Grinch combo, USC gave up 572 yds and 52 points to No. 5 UW in the Trojans’ third loss in four games. The public tide was really turning against LR at that time (as you point out), and the fact that hapless Grinch was his good buddy was generating significant negative backlash. But I still think it… Read more »
For those interested. On3.com is merging with Rivals.com. Basically, On3 acquired Rivals. The deal is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2025. On3.com — “Rivals is an icon in college sports and recruiting media,” said Shannon Terry, CEO of On3 and original co-founder of Rivals. “We’re excited to build on the momentum behind Rivals, which has a longstanding legacy as the most recognized brand and author of the recruiting industry. We look forward to taking Rivals to new heights with significant new investment focused on recruiting, high school sports, and passionate college fan communities. “We’re… Read more »
It looks like Trumain Carroll should help USC football tremendously. He’s viewed as an “unexpected big loss” for KSU, as he was given significant credit by Wildcat coach Chris Kleiman and many others for elevating KSU football since he arrived in 2021. One way you can tell if a new hire should work out well is to look at the reactions from the fan base where the new person is coming from. Check around the web, and you’ll see KSU Wildcat fans are strikingly unhappy about Carroll’s departure. He’s been described by KSU insiders as “wildly successful.” Imagine how we… Read more »
What always bewilders me is the focus on physicality in football with no mention of the mental aspect of the game, or any game in any sport for that matter. USC, year in and year out, would lead college football in mental errors and stupid penalties if that stat were kept. SC has talent and is recruiting good talent, but if the players can’t focus on what they are supposed to do on any given play, then that’s when dumb penalties and missed assignments occur. I don’t live in the LA area anymore and don’t keep up with all the… Read more »
From Other Trojan Fans — No Excuses Now “This just feels like the right fit with the current staff we have. An ex-player, who got his degree, between the ages of 30 and 42, married, and who shows tremendous personal discipline. “I’ve attended several K-State games the last several years, including their 2023 Bowl game against NC State in Orlando. 3 – 0, and I’ve always been impressed. They’ve always looked Big and Fit. Not necessarily fast, but USC is obviously recruiting better athletes than K-State. If his approach translates, that could be a really good thing. It’s a different… Read more »
Carroll hopefully will be more of a muscle-weight builder that succeeds in the Big Ten. Oklahoma St. & Kansas St. are Big 12 programs that fit into the lean & quick prototypes that Wylie came from. In the past, Kansas St. players have never been known as physically impressive ala Wisconsin-Michigan linemen types. We will see……
All the positives we read about Trumain Carroll’s successes as weight trainer for K-State and yet you could put Wiley in the same picture working Oklahoma’s successes. Wiley had better athletes to work with in the sooner program and that made a difference in winning games. I don’t see that big of a difference in the size & speed of what both produced in their respective programs. If we were talking about the Texas program then we are dealing with size & muscle. But not K-State. I think Riley wanted the Indiana weight trainer and settled for another Wiley with… Read more »
I would only say that it’s much easier to be successful at OU than it is at KSU. I’ve read up on Trumain Carroll and he comes overwhelmingly endorsed by observers far and wide, from both inside and outside the program. IU had the money to hold on to Derek Ownings and they ponied up, as most B1G programs can because the conference is so rich and pays so well. KSU, being in the lower-regarded Big 12, doesn’t have as much money. Plus, KSU always knew who they wanted if Carroll left. Asst S/C coach Ray Thomas was immediately named… Read more »
I hope he’s somewhere between watching every morsel going into the team’s mouth and “give a lineman a cookie,” type of guy.