USC football head coach Lincoln Riley filled his special teams coach opening by stealing from Nebraska. Now he could turn to a past Big 12 rival for another prominent opening: Defensive coordinator.
Former TCU head coach Gary Patterson is rising as the lead DC candidate, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports Wednesday.
“Trending toward getting done,” Zenitz added via the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
This move pairs former Big 12 head coaches against one another. Riley once led Oklahoma against Patterson's Horned Frog defenses and his famed 4-2-5 scheme. Riley's offenses had their way with TCU and never lost to Patterson.
USC needs new defensive coordinator following big departure
Penn State plucked D'Anton Lynn from USC to start January. The move allowed Lynn to return to his alma mater.
Lynn's USC defenses were met with mixed results. His 2025 unit fell to 11th among Big Ten teams — allowing 350.8 total yards per game. They also surrendered 23 points per game.
But USC witnessed five opponents score 30 or more on the Trojans' D. Including Oregon dropping a season-worst 42 on USC back on Nov. 22. TCU then delivered 30 in the Alamo Bowl victory over the Trojans on Dec. 30.
Riley and USC are dealing with more than just coaching transition moves.
USC has watched roster attrition take place as players have hopped into the transfer portal. Former five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet is the most high-profile departure — who left on Jan. 9.
Young safety Steve Miller is another key departure as he bolted for UConn in the portal on Jan. 12.
