USC's Latest Staff Hires Reveal Investment in Defensive Culture

The USC Trojans have made drastic changes to its defensive staff in a concerted effort to change the culture on that side of the ball. Will the changes pay off for Southern Cal in the fall?

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

What would a Lincoln Riley team look like with a defense that can be good enough to take pressure off of the offense. 

It’s the question that has lingered since Riley made the College Football Playoff in his first season as a head coach with Oklahoma in 2017 and then two years after that and carried well into his tenure with the USC Trojans. 

Hiring a Hall of Fame Coach to Improve Defense 

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The departure of D’Anton Lynn meant Riley would be looking for this third defensive coordinator at USC. Lynn was a drastic improvement over Alex Grinch and a defensive regime that had them at the bottom in college football during Riley's first couple of seasons. 

The scheme was better, tackling improved but still, the Trojans were not at the level needed to be a complete team on both sides of the ball and compete with the premier teams in their conference. 

It made the next hire the most important one of Riley's career and one that could ultimately decide his future at USC. After a long search, USC hired former longtime TCU head coach Gary Patterson. Someone Riley faced numerous times during his days as the Sooners offensive coordinator and head coach. 

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Patterson brings his signature 4-2-5 defense and history of phenomenal player development to Los Angeles. He will more access to resources and coach more blue-chip prospects than he’s ever had in his career. He built elite defenses that had TCU in the national spotlight, even when they were a Group of Five program.

Since leaving TCU in 2021, Patterson spent time as a consultant for Texas and Baylor. He plans to incorporate concepts he learned into his defense, while also taking what USC has done in recent seasons, which is one of the reasons to keep a few staff members. 

Finalizing Defensive Staff Under Gary Patterson

Sep 4, 2021; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson and his team before the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Duquesne Dukes at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Defensive analyst Skyler Jones was promoted to defensive tackles coach to replace Eric Henderson, who left to coach for the Washington Commanders. Shaun Nua is expected to remain on as the defensive ends coach. At the moment, Nua is the only coach to be part of three defensive regimes.

Former Nebraska special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler will be the Trojans special teams coach but also coach linebackers alongside Rob Ryan. Ekeler brings an energetic personality that fire players up to play special teams and get the most of his position group. Defensive analyst/assistant linebackers coach AJ Howard was promoted to outsiders coach. 

Patterson brings over Paul Gonzales, who was a defensive backs coach at TCU for a decade. Last season, Gonzales was the pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Baylor. He is replacing Doug Belk, whose contract was not renewed, as the Trojans secondary coach. 

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

USC hired Louisiana Tech safeties coach Sam Carter to coach the secondary. Carter was an All-Big-12 and Second Team All-American safety at TCU under Patterson in the early 2010s. Gonzales, Carter and cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed fill out the Trojans staff in the secondary. 

The work has been done in the offseason with a wave of hires and promotions and with recruiting as well. But the time has come for all of it to come together with results on the field. Time will tell how impactful these staff changes were.