Several USC football assistants receive title changes
The USC Trojans are taking advantage of a new NCAA rule that effectively allows schools to employ an unlimited number of assistant coaches who are able to offer on-field instruction.
Previously, analysts were unable to provide on-field instruction during practices and games.
“Moving forward, any staff member may provide technical and tactical instruction to student-athletes during practice and competition,” the rule now allows.
With the change, USC effectively promoted three former analysts into on-field coaching roles. Taylor Mays is now listed as Assistant Defensive Backs Coach. Mays was previously a Defensive Analyst but did earn some on-field coaching experience late last year when he took over as interim defensive backs coach for the Trojans heading into the bowl game. He’s worked in lock-step with defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn and defensive backs coach Doug Belk during spring ball and fall camp. The former standout USC safety seems to be on his way to a long coaching career and the Trojans should benefit from the expanded role he’s able to take with the defensive backs.
On offense, Zach Crabtree has been moved from offensive analyst to Assistant Offensive Line Coach. Crabtree was an early hire by head coach Lincoln Riley and offensive line coach Josh Henson, joining the Trojans in January of 2022. He played for Henson at Oklahoma State and USC offensive linemen the past two years have spoken highly of Crabtree.
Perhaps the most notable change is with Ryan Dougherty, who upgrades from Senior Special Team Analyst to Special Team Coordinator. He, too, has been with the Trojans since close to the start of the Lincoln Riley era. Riley has not wanted to use one of his countable on-field coaching position on a special teams coach or coordinator but now has one thanks to the new rule. Dougherty and Riley overlapped at East Carolina from 2010-14 and then moved to Oklahoma from 2017-2021 when Riley was the head coach of the Sooners.
