Lincoln Riley addresses USC's defensive improvements, staff changes

USC’s defense needs to change, and head coach Lincoln Riley is determined to lead the way. During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Riley addressed his team’s underwhelming defense this past season and how he is working to fix it.

“Certainly, you’ve got to play elite-level defense to get it done. We haven’t done that in the first two years here,” Riley said. “I don’t hide from that, but I also don’t hide from the fact that the defensive staff that we just brought in here, I think, is second to none anywhere.

“We started with a bunch of names on the board that we thought were some of the best coaches and best developers in football. For some of these guys to leave some of the situations that they were in to come coach for us here at USC, I think speaks a lot to to the trajectory that they see this program on and what it can become. I think the staff is phenomenal and I can’t wait to get started with this group.”

USC’s most significant change on defense was its decision to fire defensive coordinator Alex Grinch with two regular season games remaining in the 2023 campaign. On Dec. 1, USC filled its opening with former UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.

Lynn only spent one season with the Bruins, guiding their defense to only give up 299 yards per outing, the 11th-least in the nation. Perhaps Lynn made his greatest impression on USC when the Bruins dominated the Trojans in a 38-20 blowout victory in Week 12.

In the win, UCLA squeezed three turnovers out of USC, including a rare interception out of 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. Lynn isn’t the only fresh face at UCLA.

USC on the road to recovering defensive identity

The program also hired former Houston defensive coordinator Doug Belk as its next defensive backs coach and former North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz as its next linebackers coach.

After starting off the season 6-0, USC lost five of its final six regular season games. Its weak defense was largely to blame. The Trojans allowed 438.8 yards per contest, ranking 120th in the country. Lincoln Riley knows his program must improve on that side of the ball to take the next step.

“At the end of the day, the two schools that I’ve been a head coach at, you’re defined by championships, and I love coaching at places like that,” Riley said. “The reality is there’s there’s not going to be much in between when you’re at those schools. Championships are the expectation and you’ve got to play great on all sides.”