Chad Savage officially announced as USC tight ends/inside receivers coach

(The following is a USC press release)

LOS ANGELES— Chad Savage, one of the nation’s top recruiters, has been named USC’s tight ends/inside receivers coach, head coach Lincoln Riley announced today (Jan. 10). 

“Chad Savage is a talented coach who will be a tremendous addition to our staff,” said Riley. “He’s a rising star in the business with deep recruiting connections in Southern California. We’re excited to welcome him to USC.”

Savage most recently served as the wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator at Colorado State from 2022-24. 

He was named the Mountain West Recruiter of the Year by 247Sports for three consecutive seasons (2022-24). Savage primarily recruited Southern California and Arizona and was instrumental in signing over 25 players from the Greater Los Angeles area to play at Colorado State. His recruiting efforts led to the signing of 2024 class wide receiver Jordan Ross, the highest-ranked recruit to ever sign with the Rams.

Savage was also named to 247Sports.com’s “30 under 30” list in 2022 for being one of the nation’s top young assistant coaches.

At Colorado State, Savage tutored NFL prospect wide receiver Tory Horton. Horton was a two-time All-Mountain West First Team honoree (2022 and 2023).

In 2022, Savage mentored Horton to a 1,000-yard season as he led the conference in receiving yards (1,131), yards per game (94.3) and receptions (71) while notching five 100-yard games. His receiving yards ranked 12^th in the nation, while his receiving yards per game ranked 10^th in the nation. He was named to the Biletnikoff Watch List and finished 2022 ranked No. 8 in single-season receiving yards, No. 10 in single-season receptions and No. 11 in single-season TD receptions (8) in program history. True freshman wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons also became a starter and a dependable target with 26 receptions for 424 yards, averaging 16.3 yards per catch.

Horton finished the 2023 season leading the Rams with 1,136 yards on 96 receptions with 8 TDs. The wideout tallied 4 games with 100-plus yards, including a 227-yard performance against Utah Tech – seventh best in program history – with 3 scores. His 1,136 receiving yards were the eighth most in a single season, and his 96 receptions tied for second most in a single season in program history. Horton led the Mountain West in receptions per game (8.0) and was fourth in the nation in the stat. He finished second in the conference (and No. 17 in the nation) in receiving yards (1,136) and second in the conference (and 11^th in the nation) in receiving yards per game (94.7). 

After suffering a season ending injury in 2024, Horton, a two-time team captain, finished his career just 35 yards shy of Colorado State’s career receiving yards record. He finished fourth all-time in career receptions with 193.

Upon his arrival to Fort Collins, Colo. in 2022, Savage was initially named tight ends coach before being moved to wide receivers prior to spring practice.

Prior to Colorado State, Savage coached tight ends at Nevada in 2021, where he mentored Cole Turner, a fifth-round draft pick by the Washington Commanders in the 2022 NFL Draft. At 26-years-old, Savage was one of the youngest full-time coaches in the Mountain West.

In 2020, Savage served as the wide receivers coach at San Diego. The Toreros did not have a fall football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From 2018-19, he was an offensive graduate assistant at Nevada. 

He began his collegiate playing career at Division III Linfield College in Oregon before transferring to San Diego, where he spent one year (2014) as a wide receiver for the Toreros and three as an undergraduate assistant (2015-17) working with running backs, wide receivers and tight ends. During his time at USD he assisted with the passing game plan, scouting reports, coordinated the scout teams and worked with on-campus recruiting. The Toreros compiled a 29-7 record during Savage’s first tenure and added two Pioneer Football League  championships and two FCS playoff wins.

Savage also coached wide receivers for the US National High School Football Team in 2016.

Savage’s hiring is contingent upon completion of a successful University background screening.