USC Trojans interim head coach Donte Williams: What to know

The USC Trojans on Monday announced that the Clay Helton era is over in Southern California, as the head coach was fired amidst his seventh full season at the helm. Athletic director Mike Bohn announced that Donte Williams, who was promoted to associate head coach in December, will take over as interim head coach.

As part of On3’s three-part project on up-and-coming coaches, senior national college football reporter Matt Zenitz took a look at rising-star position coaches and highly-regarded support staffers, a list in which Williams was included. Here’s what Zenitz gathered on the interim head coach:

Recent jobs: USC (2020-present), Oregon cornerbacks coach (2018-19), Nebraska cornerbacks coach (2017), Arizona cornerbacks coach (2016), San Jose State secondary coach/recruiting coordinator (2013-15)

Williams ranked as the top recruiter in the Pac-12 in both 2020 and 2021, a position that’s unlikely to change as USC currently holds a top-ranked Class of 2022. Williams played a critical role as lead recruiter in the recruitment of Domani Jackson, a five-star 2022 cornerback, according to Zenitz.

He was first hired by USC in 2020 after coaching Oregon’s cornerbacks in both 2018 and 2019. While in Eugene, Williams’ 2018 cornerbacks group contributed to the Ducks racking up 20 interceptions, the second-highest total in the nation.

Williams has served as USC’s secondary coach since he was hired in 2020. Under his leadership, the Trojans allowed just 216.3 passing yards per game last year, its lowest number since 2013. That same season, his secondary thrived at an individual level, too: cornerback Chris Steele was named to the second-team All-Pac-12 in 2020, while Olaijah Griffin, another USC corner, finished with the third-highest grade among Pac-12 corners, per Pro Football Focus.

After his secondary saw significant success in 2020, Williams was promoted to associate head coach. USC, a private school, is not required to disclose salary information; however, a source told Zenitz that Williams is the highest-paid non-coordinator in the nation.

Clay Helton out, Donte Williams in

Helton’s tenure in Los Angeles is over, as he’s replaced by Williams, and it ended in heartbreaking fashion, just days after Stanford walked into the Coliseum and handed USC a 48-28 upset loss.

Helton was booed off the field at the half. The Trojans committed 111 yards of penalty in the loss, and their kicker Parker Lewis was ejected on the first play of the game. Quarterback Kedon Slovis has continued to regress; he threw a pick-six in the third quarter. Helton, who hired Williams in 2020, amassed a 46-24 record, and the Trojans are 19-15 since 2018.

The USC program has not won the Pac-12 since 2017. They went 2-3 in bowl games and have struggled to stay relevant on the national stage, too.

Helton had two full years remaining on his deal after this season, and he is expected to be owed more than $10 million in buyout money.

“As I committed to upon my arrival at USC, during the past two off-seasons we provided every resource necessary for our football program to compete for championships,” Bohn said in a statement. “The added resources carried significantly increased expectations for our team’s performance, and it is already evident that, despite the enhancements, those expectations would not be met without a change in leadership.”

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