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USC parts ways with director of football sports performance Bennie Wylie

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•04/29/25•

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USC is parting ways with director of football sports performance Bennie Wylie, the program announced. He previously worked for Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma and followed him from Norman in 2022.

Wylie spent four years with Riley at Oklahoma from 2018-21, serving as the program’s director of sports performance per football. Before that, he served as the director of performance at The Performance Lab in Abilene, Texas, and served as Texas’ strength and conditioning coach from 2011-13.

Wylie also worked as the strength and conditioning coach at Tennessee in 2010 following seven years in the same role at Texas Tech under Mike Leach from 2003-09. He also spent time with the Dallas cowboys as an assistant strength and conditioning coach from 1999-2002.

“We are grateful for the many contributions Coach Wylie has made to our program throughout the last three seasons,” Riley said in a statement. “He has been an outstanding role model to our young men. This is a difficult decision, but we are committed to positioning our football program to compete for national championships as we continue to move forward into the 2025 season and beyond.”

Riley is currently preparing for his fourth season at USC after leaving Oklahoma, amassing a 26-14 record over that time. The Trojans are also entering their second year in the Big Ten, and they’ll be gearing up for a new era at quarterback.

With Miller Moss’ departure, Jayden Maiava is in line to take over as USC’s starter following spring practice. Lincoln Riley said Maiava is “clearly” QB1 with spring ball in the rearview mirror. However, he said he still liked what he saw from Husan Longstreet, as well.

“Jayden’s taking the reps with the ones,” Riley said. “With more ones than twos. There’s really not as much, like, this guy with the ones, this guy with the twos in spring. It’s more just about just quality team reps. He’s getting better. He does some great things. He still makes some freshman mistakes from time to time. He’s just growing and learning. And so, you know, for us – Jayden is clearly the number one quarterback right now, which is not surprising at all.

“Husan has done a really nice job. He makes a lot of explosive plays. I would expect there in the summer, he would have an opportunity to get a lot better. … I feel like we have three guys that we can go win with. All three guys are showing the ability to move the ball, command the offense and have all trended in a positive way.”