Detroit Lions Coach Reportedly Contacted By USC Boosters

USC announced the firing of former head coach Clay Helton on September 13, after the teams 42-28 loss to Stanford.

The USC football head coaching job is one of the most coveted jobs in all of college football, and certainty a fascinating one to follow. As the program continues their national search for a new leader of the Men of Troy, speculation continues to swirl.

While many names have been thrown around including Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, Penn State HC James Franklin and Cincinnati HC Luke Fickell; Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn has now reportedly drawn interest.

The SPUN writes:

"A new name that has surfaced would more closely resemble Carroll, if he is to land the job: former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn.

Lynn is from Texas originally, playing his college ball at Texas Tech, but he has plenty of local experience after his four years as head coach of the Chargers. That doesn’t necessarily carry the same weight as local college coaching experience though, since he hasn’t recruited. Lynn has never been a college coach at any level. Even still, he has reportedly been contacted by Trojans boosters, and has expressed interest in the gig.

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

Lynn went 33-31 in four years with the Chargers, topping out at 12-4 in 2018. While the Chargers had plenty of positives in 2020, thanks to the impressive rookie season of Justin Herbert, Lynn was fired after a 7-9 season. He is now the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions.

As a hire at one of the biggest college football powers in the country, it probably wouldn’t go over particularly well. That was the case when Carroll was brought in back in 2001. At the time, he was coming off of one 6-10 season with the New York Jets in 1994, and a 27-21 record over three years with the New England Patriots from 1997-99."

USC boosters have reached out to @Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn to gauge his interest in the university’s vacancy (the answer: he would be interested in the job). To date there has been no contact between the school and Lynn.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) September 27, 2021

Reporter Jim Trotter writes that there has been no contact between the University of Southern California and Lynn directly, despite USC boosters reportedly reaching out.

-----

Follow All Trojans on Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, Youtube

Follow Claudette Montana Pattison on Twitter

Add us as a preferred source on Google