USC Trojans General Manager Chad Bowden Details His Role In 'Greatest Job In America'

The USC Trojans currently have the No. 2-ranked composite recruiting class for 2026 and have landed a handful of tremendous depth pieces with starter potential through the transfer portal so far this offseason.

Despite a 7-6 season where the Trojans suffered deflating loss after deflating loss, they’re showing true signs of a reawakening with not only their recruiting efforts, but with their alumni outreach. USC coach Lincoln Riley reported that about 150 alumni were in attendance for a Saturday practice this spring.

What has been the biggest momentum reversal to all this? How could a program that just had its second consecutive season of regressing record-wise be seemingly as bustling and prosperous as the teams coming off deep playoff runs? All signs point to the hiring of general manager Chad Bowden. Since late January, after the national championship game, which Bowden helped Notre Dame reach as their general manager, Bowden accepted the same job with USC.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley holds the championship trophy after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Since then, the ball has been rolling in the right direction for the Trojans, and they’re seeing immediate results. Bowden has been incredibly active in the media, as he’s been the most forward-facing presence for the program on a national scale, having done interviews and profiles with major, local, and team outlets alike. Bowden’s background as a sales representative for a tech company shines when he’s in front of a microphone, as he’s proven to be one of the best salesmen in the country.

Bowden sat down with CBS Sports college football analyst Josh Pate and detailed his role, the future of the program, and why he decided to leave Notre Dame and go all in with the USC Trojans family.

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What Bowden Said:

“It’s, to me, the greatest job in America to have, being the general manager here at USC. It’s the greatest city, in my opinion, in America, and it’s the city of opportunity. It’s a big reason why I chose the job. You know? Obviously, where this thing is going in college athletics, USC offers these young people so much, but the city does too. There is not one thing that USC cannot offer young people, and that’s a big reason why I took the job,” Bowden said in a sit-down interview with Pate.

“I value everything and look at everything we’re doing for our entire football program. Whether it’s strength, nutrition, our guys sleeping. Every aspect of this program needs to be under evaluation, including myself. That’s how I view this role. It’s not just recruiting and NIL, I know it’s like that at most places, but here it’s a little bit different. I’m really taking a dive into every aspect of the program,” Bowden said of his day-to-day role as GM.

“You have to be able to create a roster in which every player matters. When you create a roster, you need to really look at every position because you need to have the type of depth, especially when you’re asking these kids to play 16 games," said Bowden.

"If you’re going to go to a national championship game, the type of depth you have to have is different. It’s not what it used to be. You add three more games to the schedule, that’s a lot," Bowden continued. "For us, potentially playing in a conference championship, it could be 17 football games. You have to look three or four years into the future if you want to have the type of success that’s sustained."

Good convo with USC G.M Chad Bowden on the psychology of roster building & selling USC pic.twitter.com/YDWhMgNyh5
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) April 21, 2025

USC and conference championships have seldom seen each other the last twenty years, and a national championship game has long been an after thought. It’s compelling to hear someone so convicted and earnestly talking about those situations as not goals or pipe dreams, but an expectation once again. Then to not only say those towering statements out loud, as many times as possible, but to have tangible results through recruiting and alumni support.

As Bowden said in his interview, the role of what a general manager is ever changing as the landscape of college football, and the parameters in which teams and individuals can operate are always changing. Regardless, USC has more than proof of concept at this point from Bowden’s end, they’re developing an identity and track record at this point. Work remains on the field of play, but the coaching staff will have everything they need at their disposal.

What Bowden Said:

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