Rob Ryan goes on wild, rambling rant during USC introductory press conference

When Rob Ryan had his first press conference as USC’s linebackers coach, he took the reporters in the room on an interesting journey. For 19 minutes, he spoke highly of the Trojans under Lincoln Riley and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.

Ryan – who last coached at the college level in 1999 – discussed his experience with low expectations during his career in the NFL. But he had high praise for Lynn and Riley as he returned to college ball.

The excitement showed through the microphone. Ryan then rattled off an all-time rant as his energy went on full display.

Enjoy 2 minutes of an absolutely unhinged Rob Ryan pic.twitter.com/m2fCbHAVa9

— The Trojan Blade (@TheTrojanBlade) February 5, 2025

“Watch where we finish this year,” Ryan said. “This guy [Lynn] is special. He’s special, he knows how to get it done. He’s a great communicator, great teacher, he’s fun to be around. He makes everybody better, including the coaches. We’ll see. I’m looking forward to the – what do you call it, spring ball or whatever? I can’t wait.

“We’re gonna go against the best? Oh, good. Bring it on. Let’s see. I can’t wait to see that little JUCO kid from Hutch – bam, we’re gonna get after you. But anyway, it’ll be great. We’re excited.”

That’s when Ryan got to quarterback Jayden Maiava. He arrived from UNLV last season and eventually replaced Miller Moss as USC’s starting quarterback. Maiava’s uncle is Kaluka Maiava, who was a captain at USC and later played for Rob Ryan.

He remembers Kaluka well. It’s safe to say, they didn’t necessarily get off on the right foot, based on Ryan’s recollection.

“I saw the Maiava guy – I coached his uncle. I hated that kid when I first had him,” Ryan said. “That USC kid. The little captain. Remember, he could walk under this table right here. Little guy. We draft this little runt. I’m like, ‘Oh, man.’ This guy. I was all over this kid during the OTAs. Man, this guy.”

But things got better after Ryan took a vacation to Hawaii. Before he left, Maiava – a Honolulu native – made sure Ryan knew to drop his name if he needed anything. That came in handy when Ryan went to rent a car and the rental company ran out of vehicles.

“I’ve never been to Maui,” Ryan recalled. “I run things in Oahu, but I’m gonna go to Maui. He’s like, ‘Hey, Rob. You get in any kid of trouble now, you just tell them you know Kaluks.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna tell them I know Kaluks. Get the hell out of here.’

“I walk out there, do the usual. … Now, they’re out of cars. I’m in Maui, I’ve got no car. So what do I do? ‘I know Kaluks.’ I got a car – ‘Oh, you know Kaluks?’ Swear to God, hand to God, true story. I got a van, I’m like, ‘Yeah, Kaluks. My man.’ Anyway, I ended up loving the kid. Oh, man, is he mean as a rattlesnake and there’s a reason why that kid was captain with all those first-round draft choices. I love that guy. Looks can be deceiving.”