USC hires D’Anton Lynn from UCLA as its defensive coordinator

Lincoln Riley got a first-hand look at what Danton Layne can do when USC, under the guidance of its first-year defensive coordinator, held USC to three rushing yards in the Trojans’ 38-20 loss to the Bruins on Nov. 18. It should be an informal job interview.

After Lin engineered a revamped defense for UCLA that gave up the fewest yards in the Pac-12 and the second-fewest points, USC hired the 34-year-old assistant to lead the defense across town, The university announced Friday. Lynn will be tasked with reviving the struggling unit that has been a thorn in Riley’s side since he took over as coach at USC.

“We are thrilled to welcome Danton and his family to USC,” Riley said in a statement. “We simply could not ask for a better addition to our staff. His successful experiences in both college and the NFL make him a perfect fit for our program.”

The deal is expected to make Lynn one of the highest-paid defensive coordinators in college football, an aggressive move that underscores how much Riley and USC are set on getting it right.

The Trojans (7-5, 5-4 Pac-12) are coming off one of their worst defensive years in school history. The 438.8 yards and 34.9 points that USC gave up per game were the most for the program since at least 1955, when records first became available. The rushing defense was the worst in the Pac-12, giving up 183.7 yards per game while trying to rebuild with quick-fix transitions up front.

Riley fired defensive coordinator Alex Greenwich on Nov. 5, a day after the Trojans gave up 52 points and 316 yards. A loss for Washington.

Two weeks later, Lin arrived at the Coliseum. Led by star defensive lineman Laiatu Latu, the Bruins forced three turnovers, held the Trojans to their worst rushing performance since 2018 and held USC to its lowest-scoring game of the season in a 38-20 win that solidified the career status of UCLA coach Chip Kelly. .

Kelly Lynn, the former Baltimore Ravens safeties coach, has been plucked from the NFL ranks with a contract worth $1.02 million annually. It was the most lucrative deal for an assistant at his position in program history.

UCLA got its money’s worth in one season for Lynn.

His immediate revival of the defense was one of the highlights, earning him a $50,000 bonus after the Bruins finished the regular season No. 11 in the country in total defense by giving up just 299 yards per game. This was even more impressive considering UCLA’s defense had finished No. 86, 70, 69, 113 and 102 the previous five seasons.

Barring a negotiated settlement, leaving before the end of his two-year, $2 million contract would force Lin to pay UCLA a buyout of roughly $500,000 — half his remaining salary.

UCLA defensive coordinator Danton Laine stands on the sideline during a timeout against USC at the Coliseum on Nov. 18.

(Ashley Landis/Associated Press)

Kelly seemed to acknowledge the need to give Lin a big raise last weekend when asked about courtship of his defensive coordinator by other teams.

“Yes, we would definitely like to keep Danton here,” Kelly said. “I’m not in charge of ripping up anyone’s contracts, so it’s not in my realm but I know, and I know our management knows how important Danton is to us. He’s done a great job and he’s a very good football coach, and there’s probably a better person than him and he’s a really good football coach.” So we would like to keep Danton.

Lynn’s defense benefited from some significant star power. Latu, who was widely projected as one of the top picks in next year’s NFL Draft, led the nation with 1.8 tackles for loss per game and ranked fourth with 1.08 sacks per game. Grayson and Gabriel Murphy also routinely pressured quarterbacks as part of an aggressive scheme that totaled 41 sacks, ranking third nationally.

One of Lin’s favorite phrases was “aggressive communication,” meaning that he wanted his players to talk nonstop before, during, and after play to tell each other what they were seeing and to offer any potential advantage. He also instructed the players to give a “shocking effort” and “attack the football,” something they became experts at while committing 23 turnovers, tied for 10th nationally.

UCLA’s defensive renaissance caught Riley’s attention before the rivalry game.

“If you look at college football, whether it’s UCLA, there’s been a lot of examples of times when you can turn things around and get some momentum,” Riley said at the time. “You can get some of the right elements, both from a staff and player perspective, that you can make big gains quickly. It’s very possible.”

Desperate for a change, USC took nearly a month to find its man. New athletic director Jennifer Cohen told the Times this week that she is approaching the search “with a good, healthy mix of urgency and diligence.” USC cast a wide net, speaking to several potential candidates, including former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonard and former Washington defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, who worked with Cohen in Seattle.

In the end, USC didn’t have to look far.

Lin won’t benefit from the type of returning players he had at UCLA, like Latu and the Murphy twins. USC will lose its best rusher in Solomon Byrd and its best cornerback in Christian Roland Wallace. Bird, a Wyoming transfer, had 11 tackles for loss and six sacks. After transferring from Arizona, Roland Wallace tied for the team lead with two interceptions and 37 tackles.

But outside linebacker Jameel Muhammad, who announced his intention to return to the Trojans after 10 tackles for loss and six sacks in his first season at USC, appears ready for a turnaround. the Georgia State Transfer Tweeted One smiley emoji after news about Lin broke on Friday night.

Bear Alexander, USC’s defensive line announcer last season, supported the idea.

“Hey, let’s get him coach,” Alexander tweeted.

Lynn, the son of former Chargers coach Anthony Lynn, can assess the state of the defense as the Trojans prepare for their bowl game, which will be announced Sunday, and the Bruins prepare a backup plan for their postseason destination.