USC’s new defensive coaches eager to embrace the challenge that awaits

Former North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz, who won two FCS national titles with the school, will oversee linebackers at USC next season. (LM Otero / Associated Press)

D’Anton Lynn’s fast makeover of UCLA’s struggling defense started slowly. So slowly, in fact, that when he was installing plays during spring practice last year, players grew frustrated with the snail’s pace. A year later at USC, the Trojans’ first-year defensive coordinator intends to take the same deliberate pace toward what he hopes will be similar results: a reinvigorated defense worthy of a championship.

“We want it to be as simple as possible,” Lynn said Thursday. “We want to make a little look like a lot.”

With an emphasis on player development, USC introduced its four new defensive assistant coaches to reporters Thursday before the Trojans begin spring practices on March 19. All practices will be closed to the public until the spring game at 12 p.m. April 20 at the Coliseum.

The month of practices will be critical for Lynn and first-year assistants Matt Entz (linebackers), Eric Henderson (defensive line) and Doug Belk (secondary) to lay the foundation for a long-term defensive rebuild. With returning assistant Shaun Nua, who will coach the defensive ends, the Trojans are trying to recover from the defensive debacle that resulted in USC losing five of its last six regular season games and reducing Caleb Williams’ Heisman Trophy encore to an afterthought.

Read more: Will Caleb Williams reunite with Kliff Kingsbury in NFL? Lincoln Riley would ‘love’ it

“Obviously, everybody in the world knows what coach [Lincoln] Riley’s been able to do with quarterbacks,” said Belk, who left a job as Houston’s defensive coordinator to join the Trojans. “I think our energy has to be we have to match that.”

After winning two national…

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Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2024-02-16 00:04:39

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