USC Trojans football head coach Lincoln Riley has made a final decision on the future of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Riley confirmed that Grinch will be retained as the team's defensive coordinator, according to Ryan Kartje of The Los Angeles Times.
Lincoln Riley told reporters he “never wavered” in his decision with Grinch. The USC football head coach added that given all he's been through with Grinch, who was his defensive coordinator during their time together at Oklahoma, he knows not to “bet against him.”
Nevertheless, many USC football fans were ready to be rid of Grinch after his defense surrendered 16 fourth-quarter points to blow a sizeable lead in the Cotton Bowl loss to Tulane.
The defensive issues also surfaced in the Pac-12 title game loss to Utah, who piled on 533 yards of total offense in a 47-24 victory over USC football.
The Trojans defense had struggled prior to the Cotton Bowl collapse as well, as the unit had allowed 415.1 total yards per game and 27.9 points per game this season.
It was a brutal end to a tough year for Grinch's defense. However, it should be noted that the USC football defensive coordinator wasn't exactly working with the most talent.
Even still, it's hard to ignore the fact that Lincoln Riley's defenses have often fallen short of the level of play of his offenses.
All of this amounts to a massive 2023 season for Grinch and the defense.
USC football is among the contenders for the 2023 College Football Playoff.
Ultimately, how the defense performs will determine if they live up to those lofty expectations.
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