USC Trojans’ Lincoln Riley Claims 'Best In Country' Hires: Chad Bowden, Zaire Turner, Dre Brown

USC Trojans coach Lincoln addressed the media on Wednesday for National Signing Day. Riley raved about the personnel staff the Trojans have been able to assemble over the past month that includes Chad Bowden, Zaire Turner, Dre Brown and Matt Stienecker.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley addressed the media on Wednesday for National Signing Day. The Trojans signed a majority of its class during the Early National Signing Period but after making a late push in early January, USC was able to sign two more players to their 2025 recruiting class, Mojave (NV) four-star linebacker AJ Tuitele and Conroe (TX) three-star edge Jadyn Ramos. 

The Trojans may have been late to the mix, but with the help of some key additions to their front office personnel in recent weeks, they were able to land Tuitele and Ramos. USC has been successful in bringing in some of the best in the business when it comes to recruiting and personnel to help turn things around in the program. 

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chad Bowden comes over from Notre Dame to become the new general manager at USC after helping the Trojans rival accomplish one of their best seasons in program history. Bowden is bringing Zaire Turner with him over from Notre Dame, she will take on the role of assistant athletic director of recruiting operations, and Illinois’ Dre Brown left his alma mater to join the Trojans staff. He will hold the title of Executive Director of Scouting and Personnel. 

Former Wisconsin general manager Matt Stienecker will have the title of executive director of player personnel at USC under Bowden. The 24-year-old is highly regarded as one of the top up-and-coming staffers in college athletics.

"I don't say this lightly,” Riley said. “I think it's going to be the best personnel, off-the-field staff in the country. That was the goal to build that in the beginning."

As college football rolls on in this new era that includes players profiting off their name, image and likeness, as well as the transfer portal, the need for an NFL-style front office has never been more vital. An idea that USC has fully embraced over the last month and have brought in their “dream team” to bring the Trojans back into national prominence. 

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The Trojans hosted their first recruiting event under the new staff this past weekend. While USC brought in several out of state prospects, including Lincoln-Way East (IL) four-star quarterback and Oregon commit Jonas Williams and Bastrop (TX) four-star defensive lineman Tiki Hola, the focus for USC is to build a fence around their state in recruiting. 

"Our business is change,” Bowden said. “Every single day, something can change. We're going to be on offense every single day, and we're going to attack it. And we're going to attack it through high school, we're going to attack it through the state of California –– the best high school football in America is played in California –– and we're going to do everything that we can to get the very best players that are in California to stay here and play for USC."

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The state of California is a recruiting hotbed for every top program in the country because it is flooded with blue-chip division one talent every cycle. Particularly, high schools that are within a 60-mile radius of the Trojans campus. However, having Bowden on the staff has caught the attention of several recruits, including 2026 JSerra Catholic (CA) four-star edge Simote Katoanga. 

“With Chad Bowden there, I know he’s building something special at SC,” Katoanga said. 

The Trojans have shown a level of investment and commitment from a staff and facilities standpoint that will help turn them into a program that can compete with anyone in the county, on and off the field.

“Coach Riley has a great plan, and USC has put the funding into the football program and are serious about winning a national championship with a brand-new facility and top tier coaching staff,” said 2026 USC commit Madden Riordan. 

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