Short List of Defensive Coordinator Candidates for USC Amid D’Anton Lynn Rumors

The Penn State Nittany Lions have made USC Trojans defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn their prime target for the same role. If the Nittany Lions pull Lynn away from USC, who would be some candidates the Trojans could pursue?

Defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn speaks to the media after USC Fall Camp. | Teddy King, USC Trojans On Si

D’Anton Lynn and Penn State went through this same exact situation a year ago. The Nittany Lions targeted the USC Trojans defensive coordinator for the same role, instead Lynn received an extension to remain in Los Angeles. 

However, with Matt Campbell leaving Iowa State after a decade to become the new head coach at Penn State, they have once again targeted Lynn to be their new defensive coordinator.

Defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn speaks to the media after USC Fall Camp. | Teddy King, USC Trojans On Si

Lynn played cornerback for the Nittany Lions from 2008-11, where he was a three-time All-Big Ten honorable mention. He was originally scheduled to speak with the media on Wednesday and then Thursday, but both of those were canceled. Lincoln Riley will address the media on Friday. 

If Penn State is able to lure Lynn away from USC this time around, Riley would face the most important hiring of his coaching career. It’s something he can’t afford to miss on. 

How a Coaching Change at Texas Effects USC

11. (tie) Pete Kwiatkowski, Texas defensive coordinator, $1.7 million. | Ricardo B. Brazziell / USA TODAY NETWORK

Texas made big waves on Thursday when they fired defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, who has been in Austin with Steve Sarkisian since 2021 and replaced him with former Florida and South Carolina coach Will Muschamp. 

Muschamp returns to Texas, where he served as the defensive coordinator under Mack Brown from 2008 to 2010, and Kwiatkowski hits the open market, where he will have plenty of suitors. 

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Kwiatkowski would certainly be one of the names at the top of the list for USC. Texas had a down year defensively this season, but Kwiatkowski helped lead the Longhorns to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinals in 2023-24.  

Kwiatkowski served as the defensive coordinator at Washington, while Jen Coen was the athletic director there. He comes from the Chris Peterson coaching tree and be a fantastic hire for USC. 

Other Defensive Coordinator Candidates for USC

Nov 6, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Jimmy Lake watches pregame warmups against the Oregon Ducks at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Jimmy Lake also comes from the Peterson coaching tree. He spent several years as the Washington defensive coordinator in the 2010s before Peterson named his successor, a role he had for just two seasons. He is currently a senior defensive assistant for the Los Angeles Rams

Jim Leonhard would be a great hire but seems like a long shot because of the NFL interest he will garner. The former Wisconsin defensive coordinator serves as the Broncos assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator. 

With teams like the New York Jets in the need of a defensive coordinator and potentially the Dallas Cowboys looming, Leonhard could be pursued by several NFL teams. Still, it doesn’t hurt for the Trojans to still pursue him themselves. 

Cal fired Justin Wilcox after nine seasons in late November. Wilcox was the Trojans defensive coordinator for two seasons under Sarkisian and Clay Helton in 2014 and 2015, before he was fired. But a decade later, could a return to Los Angeles be in the cards?

And then USC could also promote within. Secondary coach Doug Belk was the co-defensive coordinator at Houston for two seasons and then became the Cougars sole defensive coordinator for three seasons from 2021-2023, before he joined the Trojans staff in 2024.