""It really doesn't matter what team you are," Riley said in December. "It doesn't matter what staff you are. Doesn't matter what your postseason situation is like. ... We've been through this now for a few years. So you can't always predict everything that's going to happen, but this time of year, you have to be ready to adjust. It's just the nature of the game.""
"The worst of it came late in the carousel, when defensive line coach Eric Henderson elected to return to the NFL, departing for the same position with the Washington Commanders. Losing Henderson, from a recruiting perspective alone, is significant. He finished the last recruiting cycle as the nation's top-ranked recruiter, according to 247 Sports. It was Henderson who took over the defense for USC's bowl game, which led some players to voice their belief he should get the full-time gig."
"USC hoped to retain him as defensive line coach. But with the program determined to go outside of its staff for a new coordinator, Henderson ultimately chose to leave. USC also moved on from secondary coach Doug Belk, who'd also been mentioned as a potential internal candidate. He spent the previous two seasons as a leading voice on USC's defensive staff. But his contract was not renewed."
D'Anton Lynn left for Penn State on the eve of USC's bowl game, prompting efforts to keep his defensive staff intact while the program sought an outside defensive coordinator. Lincoln Riley emphasized that turnover during the coaching carousel is inevitable and that the staff must be ready to adjust. Late departures intensified disruption when defensive line coach Eric Henderson left for the Washington Commanders; Henderson was the nation's top-ranked recruiter and led the bowl-game defense, drawing player support for the full-time role. USC also did not renew secondary coach Doug Belk's contract amid the staffing changes.
Read at Los Angeles Times
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]