Trojan Football Moves To “A New Era of Physicality”
Allen Wallace
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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