With the USC football team preparing for a matchup against Michigan State, there are rumors surrounding the team that defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn could be approached about being the next UCLA Bruins head coach. The USC football program gave Lynn a contract extension earlier in the year, but one can't deny the speculation as the coach broke his silence about the rumors.
In the lead-up ahead of the game against the Spartans, Lynn was asked about the coaching rumors connected with UCLA and said that he has not been contacted about the vacancy after DeShaun Foster was fired last Friday. He would also downplay the rumor, saying he is more focused on the game ahead for the Trojans.
“My mind is just on Michigan State,” Lynn said, according to Ryan Kartje. “We’ve got a lot of stuff on defense that we’ve got to clean up and improve on. So that’s where all my focus is right now.”
D’Anton Lynn says he has not been contacted by UCLA about its open head coaching job.
“My mind is just on Michigan State. We’ve got a lot of stuff on defense that we’ve got to clean up and improve on. So that’s where all my focus is.” pic.twitter.com/C3kjIGnkd8
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) September 18, 2025
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic would report that Lynn had been a name he heard as one that could be approached to be the next Bruins head coach, and how the coach is thought of “very highly” by people within the university.
“One name I’ve heard is former UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, now the DC at crosstown rival USC,” Feldman wrote. “The 35-year-old made a big impact with the Bruins in his one season there in 2023. Sources briefed on the Bruins’ strategy said UCLA’s most influential supporters connected to the football program think very highly of Lynn, who has improved what was a dreadful Trojans defense.”
USC football's Lincoln Riley could lose D'Anton Lynn in the future
While the USC football team looks to harness its biggest emphasis of the season in relation to winning games, losing Lynn could be a possibility in the future. Feldman would continue in his reporting, saying that Lynn's “even-keeled personality,” among other traits, has made people “big believers in him.”
“In addition to being able to connect with players, Lynn’s even-keeled personality, measured approach, and attention to detail have made a lot of folks big believers in him,” Feldman wrote.
Labeled as a front-runner for the role by Feldman, a veteran coach would spout confidence in Lynn possibly becoming a future head coach, saying, “he's got it.”
At any rate, the No. 25 USC Trojans take on the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday night.
