Just as the much-anticipated Pac-12 Championship between Big Ten teams No. 3 Washington and No. 5 Oregon was to kick off, USC leaked its long-awaited defensive coordinator hire. And it's coming from another, ahem, Big Ten rival.
UCLA defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn is moving crosstown to run the USC defense.
"We are thrilled to welcome D'Anton and his family to USC," said Lincoln Riley. "We simply couldn't ask for a better addition to our staff. His successful experiences in both college and the NFL make him the perfect fit for our program. I hope you will join me in welcoming him to the Trojan Family."
The 34-year-old son of former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, the younger Lynn entered coaching in 2014, and the 2023 season season was his first at the collegiate level.
What a season it was.
UCLA boasted one of the most improved defenses in the nation, jumping from 72nd to eighth in yards per play, from 90th to 16th in scoring, from 36th to second in rushing, and from 97th to 24th in passing efficiency.
Riley had a sideline view of Lynn's coaching in UCLA's 38-20 victory over USC on Nov. 18. The Bruins limited the Trojans to season-lows in points (20) and rushing yards (3).
In fact, Lynn's UCLA defense limited a Riley offense to its lowest rushing output since Sept. 10, 2011, when Riley was at East Carolina.
In seven seasons as a head coach, Riley has won 73 games and posted six AP top-12 finishes, but his defenses have finished 82nd, 102nd, 63rd, 26th, 79th, 124th and 110th in yards per play.
As his team prepares to join a conference with the top four statistical defenses in the country, Riley will have to re-tool to prepare USC to compete in the Big Ten. He only had to drive 13 miles to do so.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.