LOS ANGELES — The defensive carousel at USC continues to rotate under new coordinator D’Anton Lynn, the first sign of a potential mass exodus in a cultural overhaul coming Saturday afternoon.
Defensive backs coach Donte Williams, long an ace-in-the-hole local recruiter and a staple on the Trojans’ coaching staff for four years, announced Saturday afternoon he was leaving USC. Shortly after, reports broke he was set to accept a defensive backs job with Georgia.
Williams earned enough trust on staff to be named the interim head coach amid a catastrophic 2021 season after Clay Helton’s firing, and has been key in drawing top local talent in the Trojans’ secondary – drawing commitments from Loyola’s Ceyair Wright in the 2021 class, Mater Dei’s Domani Jackson in 2022 and St. John Bosco’s Marcelles Williams in 2024, among plenty of others.
USC has largely struggled, however, to develop cornerbacks Williams has recruited, as Wright and Jackson’s improvement has stalled and the Trojans have been burned by big plays in the secondary for years.
Change was clearly needed by USC’s Nov. 11 matchup with Oregon, when defensive backs were seen throwing their hands up in frustration and engaging in conversations after multiple breakdowns in the secondary. It’s unclear whether Williams was fired or simply parted ways with USC, but minutes after Williams’ statement, news emerged that USC was targeting Houston defensive coordinator Doug Belk to fill Williams’ position.
“I would like to thank Coach Helton, Coach Riley, and all the amazing coaches I was able to work with and learn from these past four years at USC,” Williams wrote in a Twitter statement Saturday. “I am also thankful for Mike Bohn, Brandon Sosna, President Folt, and the administration who were welcoming and extremely easy to work with throughout my time here. I am grateful for all of you.”
“Thank you to the Fans, Donors, Rick Caruso, and the incredible alumni that looked after me and my family. Most importantly, thank you to the players for the memories and allowing me to coach you. When one Chapter closes another one Begins.”
There’s been a multitude of chapters closing and beginning for USC across the past few weeks upon Lynn’s hire, assuming Belk walks in the door. Last weekend, USC announced it had hired away Matt Entz – an FSC national-champion head coach at North Dakota State – as its new linebackers coach and assistant head coach for defense. It was an eye-popping move, Riley and the Trojans drawing away a head coach in the middle of the FCS playoffs, and another step to Riley’s expressed goal after the season to play elite defense at USC.
A source with knowledge of the situation told the Southern California News Group that Entz’s hire meant USC’s current inside linebackers coach and associate head coach for defense, Brian Odom, was expected to be out at USC.
If Belk is confirmed, it means USC will field three coaches on its defensive staff who at one point has had a demonstrative history of coordinator success: Lynn at UCLA, Entz at North Dakota State and Belk at Houston.
“We’re going to compete for championships on both sides of the ball … I think this hire really shows that,” USC’s general manager Dave Emerick said of Lynn’s hire. “Moving forward with the recruits and the coaching staff we’re able to put together, I think you’ll see we’re headed in that right direction.”