SMU Hires Former USC Safeties Coach Craig Naivar
SMU football has hired former USC safeties coach Craig Naivar. The program announced the news in a social media post on Monday.
Naivar, 49, will serve as SMU's special teams coordinator, and safeties coach. Naivar was hired by USC back in February 2020.
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Prior to USC, Naivar spent three years at Texas, coaching the Longhorns' safeties. He served as special teams coordinator for his first two seasons, and the co-defensive coordinator in 2019.
While at USC, Naivar helped develop former Trojan safety, Talanoa Hufanga, who was a consensus All-American first teamer, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, and a fifth round 2021 NFL draft pick.
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USC announced the hire of head coach Lincoln Riley on November 28, which in-turn has caused roster turnover and several staffing changes. Naivar joins offensive line coach Clay McGuire, and defensive line coach Vic So'oto among others, who have publicly announced their departure from Southern California.
“We are ecstatic to announce Lincoln Riley as our new head coach and welcome his wife Caitlin and their daughters Sloan and Stella to the Trojan Family,” said USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn.
“Lincoln is the rarest combination of extraordinary person and elite football coach. His successes and offensive accolades as a head coach the past five years are astonishing. Lincoln will recruit relentlessly, develop his players on and off the field, and implement a strong culture in which the program will operate with the highest level of integrity and professionalism.
Lincoln is universally considered one of the brightest and most talented football coaches in the nation, and the fact that he chose USC is a testament to the strength of our brand, the power of the Trojan Family, and the leadership of our university. This is for our current players, our former players, our alumni, our fans, and our entire university community. Our time is now.”
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