Washington State hires USC offensive assistant for same role

The Washington State Cougars coaching staff is taking shape. Jack Dickert filled in as Washington State’s interim head coach, and the interim tag has since been removed. Now, Dickert has pried Clay McGuire away from USC, and he will serve in the same role as he did with the Trojans as Washington State’s offensive line coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

McGuire previously coached Washington State’s offensive line from 2012 to 2017. Washington State has hired former Incarnate Word head coach Eric Morris as the team’s offensive coordinator.

In his lone season with USC, McGuire helped the Trojans improve on the offensive front in big ways. USC had 145.3 rushing yards per game this season, which was a big improvement over the 97.3 rushing yards it averaged last season. Despite a need to replace serious talent at USC on the offensive line, McGuire was able to lead a strong group.

McGuire takes over the coaching duties of Washington State’s offensive line after the Cougars ranked middle of the pack in the Pac-12 last season. Washington State averaged 390.2 yards per game, including 130.3 rushing yards and 28.4 points per game. The Cougars did finish second in the Pac-12 with 259.8 passing yards per game.

More on McGuire’s coaching history, including two stops at Washington State

McGuire’s coaching career began in 2006 as a video intern at Texas Tech. He served in a number of roles there from 2006 to 2009, including running backs coach and special teams coordinator. In 2010, McGuire went to East Carolina, where he coached the Pirates’ running backs and was the special teams coordinator for two seasons.

McGuire’s first stop in Washington State began in 2012. He left Washington State in 2018, when he was hired to become Texas Tech’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach. After one season, he went to Texas State, where he coached the offensive line for two years. McGuire then spent one year at USC and is now back at Washington State.